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For me, I experience fat discrimination in the work place mostely. I have been in management for several years now, and usually manage anywhere between 80 and 200 employees at one time, with the help of 1-3 other managers and 1-2 other supervisors. It is a HARD job, managing people. A lot of the employees are young, in the their 20's. I started managing in my 20's, and now I'm in my 30's. Over the years, I have gained weight. With age comes more respect, but with weight gain comes more disrespect. Being the only fat manager is hard. I have to work 4 times harder to earn people's respect. I have to PROVE to the staff that I have the ability to do my job. Where the other managers can walk into a room and gain instant respect because of how they look. My old co-worker is a perfect example. Him and I worked so well together, both had lots of experience and great ideas to increase sales, etc. BUT, we looked opposite. He was 36 years old, great shape, HOT AT HELL... and here I was: 236 pounds, hair not bleached blond, didn't wear the nice girly-suits that hugged my body, etc. The staff treated us totally different. Let's also not forget the fact that I am a woman and he's a man and well right there is a challenge in itself. I'm not complaining about our staff, but more about society and how we look at people. It's just a true fact that people are thought of differently when they are overweight: dumb, lazy, incomp, etc. During my stay at this one location, I did join a weight loss group and took off 30 pounds. As the weight came off, I did notice a difference in how the staff treated me. They would approach me with a smile instead of a look of demand. They would wait till I was off the phone to ask me a question instead of inturrupting me. They would show more respect for me in front of other co-workers instead of disrespect. I could go on and on and on about this subject. In fact, I am. So, I'll stop now. By losing weight you change your entire life. It's such a positive thing. I can't wait 'till I'm at goal and then I will have nobody and no 'thing' to blame anything on again. If somebody treats me like crap, it's because I deserve it. Period. Thanks for listening!

I wanted to cry when I read your post because I know how other people's comments about your weight can send you spiraling into depression. I have severe thyroid issues. Had it all my life. In 5th grade I suddenly went from skinny to fat. Got put on medication and went from fat to skinny again.......but not before I took horrible verbal abuse from classmates and close family members. With each pregnancy I ballooned and each time got harshly reprimanded by my doctor even though I was eating extremely healthy and much less than non pregnant. Not once did they check my thyroid level or increase my dosage. It has since been studied and found that pregnancy causes lower thyroid functioning and needs to be monitored each trimester and medication increased. One doctor halfway ridiculed me. Looked me straight in the eye and I was 7 months pregnant and repeated twice with emphasis....that's a LOT of weight! I gained 8-10 pds. a month for a 50 pd. total weight gain each time and was made to feel so bad during my appointments that I would cry all the way home....and I wasn't even that big at the time. Lol. 183 pds. was my final weigh in before giving birth. I know how hurtful those appointments can be. I went to diet doctors who made me come in weekly and weigh in. This is after I passed the 200 pd. mark. in recent years...I'm 48 now. But I was so worried about what the stupid doctor might say to me if I failed to lose so I started taking laxatives....like 4 or 5 of them the day before weigh in. I always lost 5 or 6 pounds overnight that way but it was strictly Water weight. I dehydrated myself and got dizzy and all because I was afraid of what some doctor might say. Crazy I know! Please hang in there! This surgery works in more ways than restrictions calories. Google the studies done recently. Also, my brother had the sleeve done 2 years ago and he is 5'10" and went from 300 pds to 185. I've also known several others who had it and were successful so relax..don't stress! Try your best and they will approve you. Don't let it make you crazy...

I really wish the media would use common sense before saying stuff like this. We all remember what Starr Jones looked like before. She still looks great! She may have regained a little but 80 pounds. I think not. Our bodies adjust to what's comfortable and that may not be a size 5. Honestly, for most of us we're happy just being out of the plus sizes and not shopping at specialty stores. Weight gain is preventable but you definitely have to figure out a plan that works for you and for some that may mean a little weight gain to learn what not to do.

Hey there! Just wanted to add my 2 cents!! I am a thyroid cancer survivor and the girls I work with call me the "thyroid queen" because I know so much about thyroid function, thyroid meds, etc.! I just want to say that those who stressed how important taking your medication is are 100% right! Once you develop hypothyroidism (low functioning/sluggish thyroid) you generally have to take medication for the rest of your life (there may be very rare cases where you can stop, but generally the rule is it's a lifelong med). I think the 1 pound is totally a coincidence - it takes about 4-6 weeks for the medication to take it's full effect (thus your doc will give you a lab slip to do in 6 weeks each time he adjusts your medication). Your thyroid produces hormones that EVERY cell in your body need to function properly! It's extremely important! There are basically 2 different types of thyroid medication: Synthetic (i.e. "Synthroid") Or Natural (Armour Thyroid, Westhroid, Nature-Throid --- it's "natural" because it's made from porcine thyroid glands aka "desiccated thyroid") After I had my thyroid removed I was on Synthroid for a few months which works for many people, but I was not one of them, I continued to have depression/anxiety, memory loss, fatigue, excessive weight gain, dry skin, cold intolerance, etc. so I was switched to Armour Thyroid and all my symptoms are gone (except for the weight problem, but that was an issue before my thyroid cancer, and I did lose 30 lbs after starting Armour) - I've been on it for 2 years and my levels have stayed very consistent. Anyway, my point is that if after being on Synthroid for awhile if you don't feel an improvement do some research on natural thyroid medication and see if it might be right for you... One more thing, you said your TSH was 4. something? After I had my thyroid removed they didn't give me any medication because of this special kind of radiation treatment I had and my TSH got up to FIFTY (the higher the number the more hypothyroid you are). I felt like an 80 year old! It was horrible! Anyway, I could go on and on about this subject all day LOL - if you have any other questions let me know!

OMG! I had no idea! Here I was pushing protein, protein, protein! I just checked my MyFitnessPal log and sure enough I've been getting 90+ for the last week. So I googled what you said about too much protein and found: Weight Gain Your body can only use a certain amount of protein each day. If you take in too much protein, you may gain weight. Each gram of protein has 4 calories. If you take in 100 grams of protein, but your body can only use 50 grams of it, your body will store the extra 200 calories' worth of protein as fat. Doing this daily can cause you to take in 1,400 extra calories per week, resulting in a weight gain of almost 2 pounds per month. How to calculate how much protein you need? Here’s an easy way to calculate approximately how much protein you need: Take your weight in pounds. Divide that number by 2.2. This is your weight in kilograms. Take that number a nd multiply it by: 0.8 if you’re a regular healthy active person, 1.0 if you’re an intense athlete.

You posted your thread back in November 2009, it is now March the following year - so did you goahead? I was banded back in December 2007 - and I had objections from my siblings but I went ahead and I am so glad I did. Let me disabuse you of a commonly held misconception - getting a lapband is by no means taking the easy way out - the easy way out is to stay obese. Having a lapband just makes it harder to eat too much. I can still eat biscuits and sweets and chocolates without restriction if I want to - the things that are restricted are the sensible foods - especially carbs and Proteins. This can be frustrating. I can't cele brate with food any more. I can't take out my frustrations with food any more. The whole way I deal with food and my life has changed. Having said that, with dedication you can overcome restriction and overeat and some people even manage to gain weight with a band. My best advice is that given to me by my banding surgeon - he told me that if I couldn't change my lifestyle and diet before a band was fitted then I would never be able to change it afterwards either. I lost 5 stone (70 lbs) before he would band me - and I made sure that my changes weren't don in a diet mentality. I know that if I ever went back to the way I used to eat then I would go back to the way I used to look and feel too. Diets do work - it would be impossible for them not to - the problem is that people think of a diet as a short term solution and they forget that if and when they go back to how they used to eat and live then the weight will soon return. It isn't easy but it aint rocket science either. The band is a tool. It can be useful when you take an interest and use it wisely and correctly. Over restriction (too tight a fill) can cause weight gain - although my surgeon says that the majority of his patients are always pleading for more fills and more restriction. Apparently too tight a fill leads to the temptation to drink more calories because you can't eat at all without pbing and liquid calorie sources tend to be denser than you think (milk shakes and stuff, I suppose). The band is a useful tool, but you have to know how to use it in order to get optimum function from it. So, did you go for it.....?

My new favorite saying "You haven't failed until you quit!" as long as you are working with your band you can not be termed a failure. You have lost almost 100 pounds. How many people have done that? Seriously. I got a fill last month that just kept getting tighter, .7 then I went back 10 days later and they took .3 out. What a relief! There is no reason for you to suffer. Take a little out. The band is for teaching you sustainable eating habits. You cant live the rest of your life on a few bites of food at a time, besides it will encourage grazing and then weight gain. A half unfill isn't bad. Then you will still have some restriction. I don't think you can be getting your proper nutrients from the way you describe eating. So yes I think lack of food could be affecting your mood. Have you talked to your Dr that prescribes your depression meds? Maybe they just need tweaked. Plus we could all use some sunshine. I'm sorry that you are feeling sad, do you have some preop pictures that you could compare to your current ones? (If you don't have current ones you really need to take some) Sometimes when I am sad I minimize my accomplishments and if I have a visual reminder that cant be denied it will make me feel better. 100 pounds has to make a real difference in your appearance! Try and concentrate on the positive. Try and silence the inner voice that is saying bad things (OK maybe you don't have this but I do, I have to shut it up a lot!) Good luck and keep us posted.

Hello all, I am brand new to the discussion board, and wanted to join to get some inspiration/motivation. I had the lap-band surgery a little over a year ago and was losing weight pretty regularly, until at about 35lbs lost. I had gotten a fill and everything was going great, I thought I had finally found my 'sweet spot.' Until one day I couldn't eat anything, and could hardly drink water for 4 days. It began on a Thursday, where I was having some trouble getting food down, but as most of you know sometimes we have those days, so i ignored it and thought later that day it would get better, or even the next day. Friday came along and I had to work that day. At work I still wasn't keeping anything down, and this continued Saturday and Sunday. I realized I needed to get into the doctor ASAP to have him loosen my band. My doctor was out of town, so another doctor filled in and took 3CC's out of my band (I had about 5CC's in there). Well, this was a shock, because now I could practically eat like before I had the band. This caused me to gain weight, and didn't get back in for another fill for about a month or so. When I went back to get my fill my doctor seemed suprised that the other doctor took so much fluid out of my band. He filled me up and I was good to go. We scheduled an appointment for 8 weeks later to check up and see how the fill was doing. Well, long story short I still feel like I can eat whatever I want. He told me to call if I needed to come in sooner, but I thought with exercise I could keep off the pounds until I went back in for another fill (which is coming up on August 16th). I went on vacation and didnt eat well at all, but since I have been back home I have really tried to get with the program, but I feel like I have failed miserably. I have been trying to eat Healthy Choice meals, or just healthier in general, and exercise at least 3 times a week. My progress is going in reverse, and I just wanted to share this with others who might have had a tough time trying to get your 'sweet spot' right. Currently I am only 12lbs lighter than I was when I had the surgery, and normally I am a happy-go-lucky person, but lately I have felt really down about this. I know I will be getting a fill soon, but I feel like I have disappointed myself and my doctor (even though he has NEVER made me feel bad about weight gain). I am trying to find some people who may be having the same problems as me, and not total success stories (although those are great and very inspirational as well). I have also thought about seeing a counseler for the psychological aspect of it all as well. Any input would be greatly appreciated! Can't wait to be part of more discussions

Mr Dr. is pretty aggressive. I was banded 7 months ago. Have been in to see him every 4 weeks since the surgery, and have had 6 fills based upon my appetite and weight gain/loss. Yes I did gain!!! Saw him just 3 days ago, and we both agreed I am at a good place. No fills this visit, will not be back to see him for 3 months now unless I feel I need to. I have a good feel of restriction. I am forced to eating only small amounts at any one sitting. If I wanted to, and I have once or twice, can go a full day without even wanting to eat. We went kyacking one day, and other than my Breakfast shake, I did not care to eat after that. (although I did have a few beers on the river!) I am aware of my band being there with every swallow, no matter what it is. It's not uncomfortable, or overly restricted, but I am aware it is there and after a small portion of food, I can not eat any more. Solid foods take a certain amount of time to pass through the band and eating anymore will only cause great discomfort. But be advised, it took me 5-6 months to get to this "Sweet Spot". I have found that most posts here with people freaking out about not loosing weight are those who have been banded very recently. You didn't get fat in one month.

I am so happy to have my lapband. I am down around 37 lbs since June . I'm considered a slow loser at 1 lb per week. But I am super happy with not being hungry and slave to food. You can gain weight back but you just have to make sure you are at optimal fill level. That helps you restrict your calories. I think gastric bipass patients have more weight gain long term. That is what I have read anyways. Hope this information helps you. I cannot live without my band now. I love it.

Seems a bit of a weight gain is normal. June I will be four years out. It took a bit of finagling for me to find where I start losing weight again. The weight loss is slower. But this is maintenance I gain a bit. I now know I can get it back down. This years resolution was not freaking out over small weight gains..lol My menu: Morning:(broke up into two meals) Scrambled eggs with leftover sauteed mushroom,onion and garlic. Jimmy dean turkey sausage Lunch: Smoked salmon salad Pre workout: fresh bartlett pear. Lee labrada homemade sweet potato muffin. Post workout: Run fast eat slow - homemade trail mix dinner: lentil stew - Ground turkey, beef broth, lentils,carrot, green beans,diced tomato, celery, onion and garlic snack: Quest cookie..It is processed but I had a sweet tooth.

Thank you...y'all are probably right about savings- I love Lane Bryant but it gets expensive buying a new wardrobe every other year due to weight gain!! Good point about how difficult it will probably be to gain weight with less of a stomach. I looked into the 401K loans too - not bad! You just need to verify what your particular investment company requires if you switch employers or lose your job. Thanks for the words of encouragement!

Challenage Accepted. Need to lose holiday weight, gained a whole 10 pounds from holloween to new years.

Aloha Bandedkitten, I am new on LapBandTalk.com, but, have had much success with the lapband since July 2009 when I had it put in me. If you would like to contact me, you can reach me at 808-443-8201, (HAWAII) my cell phone number. I would like very much to encourage you, as you take steps in preparation to a wondrous journey. I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetus and high blood presure in 2002 due to my weight gain. Since I have had my lapband I have lost 98 pounds and....no longer taking any high blood pressure or diabetis medication, hooplahhh! How good is that! I understand if you are a little leary about calling me, I would be too! May 12th is coming up real soon and I too was afraid, but yet excited. It has been worth it! Call me! Sincerely, Nico

Well today was my "Bari Boot Camp" and they were okay with the 14lb weight gain. They told me that I was weighed in on October 28th and since I have been dealing with denials for over 3 months they would let it go. Woot Woot, I actually dropped 4lbs since Sunday from dieting so I was happy. Sooo surgery is Monday!!!

So, it has been a while since I have posted anything, but I am in need of some feedback and support. The day before Thanksgiving I became completely blocked and required an emergency unfill. I was freaked out at the thought of no restriction, but was in so much pain that I did not even care at that moment. Now the bad news..... Since my unfill, I have gained 12 pounds!!! :tongue_smilie: And my doctor cannot get me back in for a fill until the 31st and when they do, they will only give me a small fill to start. I have joined Weight Watchers to try to slow down this crazy weight gain, but even sticking 100% to plan, my body is gaining weight. Has anyone bee through this and do you have any suggestions?? Thanks for listening. :tongue:

Hi, I did see the doc and he gave me a small refill. It has stopped the weight gain but I am not losing either, I am stuck in a status quo. I am waiting to receive an appointment to see him again. It should be next month or september. I think if he says that it needs an operation then I will have it done, as I want to keep this band and I don't want to risk it having to be taken out completely. That is far worse! If you are not confident about your docs diagnosis, ask fora second opinion. kid regards Suzy

If you tend to freak out about sudden weight gains invest in a scale that measures body fat as well. These things might not be very accurate but when you gain weight and see a sudden drop in body fat at the same time - you're retaining water.

Hmmm, I was waiting for a birth control forum. Your lucky you can use the patch because they tell me I am too FAT... boo hoo. I have been on the depo shot for the last 9 years or so and finally just got off of it last week. I somehow missed the point that it can cause hair loss and weight gain... New evidence shows that it definitely depletes the bone density too so we all decided it was time to try something new. For the moment I am using the pill (evidently one of the lower dose ones). I am trying to decide what long term device I want is s.a. an IUD or the Nuvaring. In the meantime I am hoping by getting off of depo maybe it will be easier to LOSE weight and GROW hair. I am taking really good chewable vitamins and calcium now sooooo.... Kristie, I'm sure you must feel like you took a big step backwards but it will settle out hopefully and come off. I would have been frustrated too. I get irritated when I stay at a plateu for more than a week or two. And God forbid I gain a pound or two back. I just ignore the bad scale reading and hope for a better one the following week. I ALWAYS think I am pigging out and NEVER think I have actually had a loss so it makes a nice surprise when the scale does show a loss. Anyway any insights would be great regarding anything about birth control. Teresa

I was recently diagnosed with Addison's disease. I truly had not changed my diet or exercise routine in 6 years and I just started to gain weight. I was banded in 2005 and thought the weight gain was because I was getting older. I was being treated for hypothyroidism and hypoglycemia for a long time. After several different tests and hospital admissions they found that I had Addison's. I saw my LB surgeon because I was not sure how to adjust my diet. My bariatric doctor tells me to follow my endocrinologist's suggestions for my diet and then the endocrinologist's tells me to follow my bariatric doctor's suggestions. UGH!!! I was wondering if anyone else has a LB and Addison's that maybe able to help me out. I do know that it is a low carb, low sugar (higher than LB suggestions) , high protein, high sodium and low potassium diet. I also had to have all of my fluid taken out about two weeks so I feel like I do not even have a band right now. I have been trying to incorporate the two diets together however I feel like it is not working out so well. The really bad thing is that my endocrinologist told me that working out causes stress on my adrenal glands which causes a chain reaction to other endocrine issues and that it maybe causing me to gain weight. I just feel frustrated and not sure what to do. Any help would be appreciated.

Hello Amanda; Forgive yourself and make plans for next time you might be in a similar situation. We are creatures of habit. I still struggle 7+ months out and yes, I had a Peanut Butter egg today also. I might gain a pound (or two cause I had some jelly Beans to wash down the PB egg) but I will start fresh and follow nutritional guidelines more closley tomorrow. Your stress levels are high, so help yourself by plotting for success in all situations. At my last check up I talked at length with my doc and NUT about my battles with food. Being sleeved does not give us a miracle weight loss without any issues. I am so proud you understand the battle is not won by being sleeved alone. Seeking professional advice means you are serious about your wellbeing mentally and physically. Being sleeved means you can lose weight if you choose to take the right steps. Again, forgive yourself and plan ahead next time your might face a similar situation since you are not strong enough to say NO just yet. or be smart enough to plan your food ahead. Were you really hungry? Was it just the egg that caused the weight gain or what else occured? This is war honey and I know you can WIN.

I was banded in 2008 at 433 pounds. For the first two years, the band was like magic, and I lost 200 pounds in 2 years very easily. The next 50 pounds came off much more slowly, with a lot more effort and several long plateaus. But I got down to 178 pounds which although still overweight, is not too bad on my 5'9" frame. My weight fluctuated a bit but always stayed below 200 pounds until about a year and a half ago. My acid reflux started getting really bad and even with prescription acid blockers was still causing me trouble every day. The band was no longer taking away that "head hunger" that was so magical in the first years after the band. My weight started creeping up and up, and when I tried loosening my band to deal with the acid reflux, the weight gain comes on even faster. At the moment I have no fill in my band because I wanted to see how I would do without it. Unfortunately, I am not making the right eating choices. And I have fallen off the exercise bandwagon. This morning, when I stepped on the scale, it said 249! I'm upset and depressed. I feel like the band isn't working for me anymore and I don't know what to do. I don't want to gain this weight back. I'm considering converting to a gastric bypass but would like to give the band one more go. Has anyone had luck getting their band to help them lose weight past the 7+ year mark?

11 years post op. I have gained back half of what I lost. Is there hope to stop the weight 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. .

hello all! I have a July 1 surgery date and am so looking forward to it! I've already started my 2 week liquid preop diet, and to allay any fears, I'm four days into it and I geel great!! This is coming from a guy who is over 50, 6'5" and 380 lbs. I'm drinking about 1200 calories a day, and I can tell you honestly that I am NOT hungry... the Protein must be doing the trick. I have about 110-120 grams a day. Protein powders: ones I use and like: Syntha -6 strawberry... two scoops mixed with milk is thick and like a strawberry shake, 400 calories and 44 grams of protein. Syntrax - roadside lemonade and fuzzy navel - these are the only protein powders I've ever had that actually taste good in Water. most make me gag. each has 100 calores and 22 grams of protein. costco carries Premier brand shakes... chocolate tastes great, and it's 160 calories and 30 grams protein. My doc says "drinkable" Soups are fine, as is no sugar added oatmeal with splenda. The oatmeal will sure fill you up, and help prevent some unpleasant side effects from an all liquid diet. Me, I'm glad my doc requires this. I look at it as getting mentally ready. Yes, the head games have begun, second guessing myself, etc... but if I want to put a quick stop to that I just imagine a picture of me naked, and taped along the bottom are the meds I have to take due to my weight gain. That gets em over it quick. Counting the days and excited!!!