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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.

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 had the lab band for about 10 years now. For me, it was a complete failure. Actually, I found ways to "eat more" with the band, resulting in more weight gain. A few years ago, I had all the Fluid emptied out of it, and went on with my life as if I never had the surgery. I joined Weight Watchers and started losing weight successfully. I am fully convinced that these bariatric surgeries are not worth the money, the time, and the constant discomfort. The only thing that works is a full commitment to a drastic lifestyle change. Unless your insurance pays for the surgery (which mine didn't), save your money and invest in a good treadmill or elliptical trainer.

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 was a slow loser too. I am soon to be 64 and have orthopedic issues that limit my activity, so I am not going to lose as quickly as someone who is able to take up an aggressive exercise program. One of my blood pressure meds causes weight gain. All of our bodies and abilities are so very different, so just relax and stick with your program. Also when I was stuck on a stall that lasted for several month I gave up dairy and the scale started moving again. Hang in there and be patient.

For me, my issues, and my goals, I had to change some behaviors. It's a nice thought process that eating small amounts throughout the day will work forever, but your stomach capacity will change. I can easily consume way more calories today than I could say at 2-5 months. Actually, I can and do consume triple the amounts of calories I ate during my losing stage. Mainly, it's because of the pregnancy, but I can eat way more than I could early out. It happens. Most people who are 2-4 years out report the same issues. We can eat more, but that doesn't mean we should. I can tell you that snacking and grazing is dangerous especially in maintenance. Losing was easy, keeping it off, staying in maintenance is not as easy as just eating small portions. If that were the case, none of us would have had to have 85% of our stomachs removed. Certain foods that just didn't work early out, essentially just slide right on through my stomach and allow me to eat way more than I should be eating. So, for me, I stuck with what my surgeon prescribed for me during my losing stage and then tweaked my maintenance intake to ensure that I was able to keep the weight off without dieting. I promise I do not diet nor deprive myself of any foods in maintenance, but I sure do not need or want to pick up the bad habits that helped me reach my surgery day weight. I ate 4 meals a day (each meal consisted of 15gr of Protein per meal and this gave me the necessary protein grams per day, it isn't "that" hard to eat enough protein), no Snacks, didn't use protein drinks/shakes, and it worked for me. I continue the same program in maintenance for the most part. As for the pregnancy stuff, I have to snack to eat 1700-1800 calories a day. I have horrific head hunger and cravings that I never dealt with when I had a set meal plan and schedule. There are plenty of sleeve patients out here who report a real gain of 40-60lbs because of habits/behaviors were never addressed, and life takes over, and BAM here they are back to real dieting trying to get back to their goal weight all while battling the mental/emotional aspect of weight regain and trying to lose it again. Those stories are what made me realize it "just winging it" wasn't going to work for me until I changed some behaviors with food. We all have issues with food, and no 2 patients will be the exact same, but I do know what I was trying to do before surgery didn't work, and I wasn't willing to just "do it my way" to see if it would work. That didn't work in the past. I wasn't naive enough to believe it work now. Plus, I never really felt like I was dieting in my losing stage. I just didn't have much room for anything else other than protein. I was satisfied on my small meals, and that kept me on track. So, getting out of "diet mode" is again nice in theory, but long term, we still have to be mindful of what/how much we eat for the rest of our lives. I surely do not know one single 30something year old naturally skinny woman that can just eat whatever and how much of those foods that she wants without seeing some weight gain. All of my naturally skinny girlfriends are not constantly dieting, but they do not have issues with food, and quantity. It's a fine line between not dieting and intuitive eating. I've had a true gain, it was scary, but I know what caused it and resolved the issues. I agree that it's confusing, and you have to do what works best for you, but realize that if you are not getting the results you want from your way of doing it, don't be afraid to change it up and go on the prescribed post-op losing plan from your surgeon.

Welcome home, Karey! Mazatlan...how exotic! I'm going to Cancun for spring break, and can't wait. I'll be a LOT smaller than the last time we went on vacation. I posted the recipes a couple of days ago... http://www.lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?p=333977#post333977 Hope you enjoy them. Don't sweat the gain. It's probably at least partially water weight gain. Air travel can make you retain water. My hubby travels a lot for business, and drops a couple of pounds the day after he gets home. And even if you do gain a bit, hey, it's Thanksgiving. As Dr. Oz says, at the next available opportunity, make a U-turn and get back on the right path! Tami

Reporting no weight loss or weight gain! GRRR! I don't think I watched my calories good enough this last week. If I don't watch it VERY closely, I don't lose. I guess I better go back to logging my food. Miriam: one pound loss is much better than my NO pound loss! How's the exercising going?

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?

I'm baaack! ----------- Airfare from Birmingham to Cancun = 40,000 frequent flyer points Lodging in Cancun for 7 nights = 200,000 hotel points Cerviche on the Beach = 120 pesos Avg. price for club admission w/ open bar = $40 USD (+ hangover) 7 day vacation w/ great food and NO WEIGHT GAIN = PRICELESS!!! Lapband....I'm so glad that I *can't* leave home without it! ----------- Mim, glad to hear the surgery went well! And, yep, the water weight gain is from surgery. Don't sweat it! Glad to see ya'll got a new challenge going. I started at 185, and am still there. I can't believe I didn't gain weight, but I did exercise quite a bit. Gotta run...unpacking and laundry, etc.! Tami

I was banded end of October and have had a number of fills. the last few that I have had showed a weight gain. But, I have gone down in a pant size. Remember that muscle weighs more than fat. Don't let the scale measure everything for you. As for your doctor. With mine I can get a fill every two weeks. Most insurances work it every three to four weeks for a fill. If you want to get more fills, more often than the six weeks, talk to the office staff. The doctor or nurse will guide you into a shorter schedule. Best of luck.

Ashlee - glad to hear things went well for you. I have one more hurdle. I have polycystic ovaries, and have to go see the gynecologist tomorrow. Since PCOS can cause weight gain, they want to make certain they're under control. Not sure what they can do, but I told him I'd go see one. I've been working on the high protein, low cal diet already - wow am I hungry! How strange will it be to eat a few bites of cottage cheese and actually be full!

I did the same thing (eating to gain) because I was scared that I would be knocked back for not being big enough. Turns out my surgeon like to band people at around 92kg, so he made me lose all the weight gained or he wouldn't band me haha.. Crazy isn't it. I got up to 104, so gained 10kg for it.. Regret it now, could have been 75 instead of 85! But i got what I wanted and would of ended up gaining that weight anyway as it wasn't that hard to do it.

@@Bellarose100 Bahaha - I LOVE it !!!!! Well....I must confess, I haven't tried very hard since my original appt 9 months ago - I weighed 82 kg, so my BMI was probably 29/30, but I managed to put on 8kg - I can't believe I hit 90kg, that's ridiculous for me - I am living proof that it's what you put in your mouth - I do boxing, spin, pump classes, go to gym, 4-5 times a week and I still managed that weight gain Although, I had a sinus infection for 2 whole moths Mar-April, so couldn't go to gym then. My BMI is now 33, plus I'm 45 (for 25 more days...) and have yo-yo'd so many times and tried every diet under the sun, so I think (hope) I should be ok. I really just wish I had my surgeons appt earlier (it's Sep 21) as he is the one who will make the final decision. I also have to wait for PHI, that's why I'm not booked in till Nov. Since then I have read & read & read, so I know it's not a magic pill (I've tried those - duromine was miraculous for 1 month....then didn't work ever again!!) I know it's a tool, but the fact that it's a permanent thing is what makes it so appealing to me. I am REALLY hoping that , along with the ghrelin reduction, my tastes will change, & I won't want chocolate, like so many sleevers I've read about!! chips are not a problem, only the evil Cadbury !!!! I'm going through Darebin Weight loss centre.

So, I have seen a lot of people getting the revision from sleeve to bypass due to GERD and I have seen people getting the sleeve to bypass revision due to weight gain years after the original surgery. I am not experiencing either of these issues. I had my surgery in the middle of 2021. I was around 300 pounds then. It is now more than a year later. I have only lost around 70 pounds. I am still losing, but very slowly. I feel like due to my starting weight, I should have lost more than that in this time period. I am not ungrateful for the weight I have lost so far, but I want to lose much more and I am feeling a bit stagnant. I want to truly get down to a normal weight. I feel like it will take me forever to do that with the sleeve, so I want to get the gastric bypass. I feel like getting a revision to bypass would jumpstart the weight loss for me again. But I am wondering if I would even be able to get approved for a revision in my position, since I am not suffering from any other medical conditions and I haven't actually regained any of my weight. Is there anyone else in my position who has gotten a revision from sleeve to bypass so soon after the original surgery with no other medical conditions, just because they felt like they didn't lose enough weight with the original surgery?

First you aren't low carbing if you are eating chips. Not at all. You are naming off what you eat but leaving out the chips? what is your real food log like? If you keep eating chips you are going to keep gaining. Chips break down to nothing. I could easily eat a whole family size bag in one sitting if I wanted to. When you are low carbing you have basically no glycogen in your system. As soon as you eat carbs your liver starts filling up with glycogen again. Instant basically over night weight gain. Weigh your food, track your food. This is the easiest weight loss is ever going to be for you in your life. Work with your sleeve, not against it.

I eat at least 1 serving of oatmeal a day- NO worries with weight gain at all...Also et Oat Bran cereal and Oat muffins- NO problems

Angie congrats on your IVF cycle. My husband and I did 3 cycles prior to my band, all we're a fail for us. After being banded for over 2 years I got pregnant. My daughter, Isabella, is 5 days old. She was born May 29 and prefect. I had a great pregnancy and my only complaint is that as I got to those last 6 weeks my port hurt tremendously. Soon as I gave birth the pain was gone!! I was a freak about my weight gain (35 pounds) but I've already lost 20 and planning a fill for 6 weeks. Just take it one day at a time and enjoy the experience!! Can't wait to hear your betas!!

What is your take on any type of artificial sweetener? I'm researching it, well, I just started, and I'm finding that artificial sweeteners (AS) in the end cause weight gain. I read an article on Dr. Oz's website about it, I tried to copy and paste to this message, but I don't know what I'm doing, so it's not here. I use a fair amount of AS, and I'm thinking I should stop. I have to admit, I'm addicted. It's an easy way to get "sweet" and not gain weight. And in my favorite, Iced coffee, it is sweeter than sugar. I'd have to use a LOT of sugar to equal my AS's sweetness. I hear it is bad for you. I want to use mostly natural foods in my diet, you are what you eat, right? So if you can give me your opinion on AS's, the pro's and con's, I'd feel good having your input. You guys know your stuff! If I'm going to be losing weight, I'd like to put the most nutritional, safest foods in my body. It can't be avoided completely, but I need to cut down. If you used AS's and stopped using them, or cut down....I gotta ask, HOW did you do it?

Hey Nutty Buddy.... Personally I try to eat NO foods that say or imply sugar free or DIET and here's why....I've read a few studys that have stated that foods containing Aspertain or any of its derivatives can cause weight gain. I realized this prior to my sleeve surgery and cut out diet soda over 2yrs prior to, quit the sugar free foods about a year prior and went close to vegan diet, I just ate no red meat and rarely any milks or eggs, even soy....My intenstinal system was 100% better than it even had been in my life....So don't beat yourself up on an occassional treat...Check out the Protein amount and most important calories and sodium amounts....I have found some really good protein bars that taste just like candy bars and that way I'm killin 2 birds...Right now my sense of taste and smells has intensified and there are some things that are so overly sweat that I can't eat them....And smells, I can smell fires that are 40miles or so away, and I am serious...Another weird one, I liked HiddenValley Ranch salad dressing and now all I taste is garlic from it, I don't taste a ranch dressing anymore...So since surgery weird things have changed....Good Luck to you...Holla if ya wanna chat.... kim

Hi I had my surgery in the San Francisco Bay Area. Lol! most people here learn really quick not to talk to me about bougies I have very strong opinions on making them a factor in a "successful" surgery outcome. They do not do the work at losing the weight, you do A too small a bougie (32f) MAY increase complications (leaks, strictures) . The most common used is 32-40 F The bougie sizes are used as a guide for the doctor when removing your stomach. As far as getting a "bigger" or "smaller" sleeve the difference between the ALL bougies sizes are really very small.. Your doctor will know what is right for you! Everyone's stomachs are different some are small, some are long so even two people using the same size bougie can have different capacities after.. And as far as "getting one as small as you can" If your stomach is made to small there is a greater chance of long term problems. Wow as far as wishing I had done anything different? Not really.. I wish I would learn to love exercise and did it more... The hardest part of this journey will be you head. It takes a lot of work to get your head straight. Most of us didn't eat and get fat because we had extreme out of control REAL hunger. So head hunger is a major factor and should be dealt with in the early stages (first six months) because if not dealt with and relying solely on the sleeve can = weight gain down the line. We have to think long term not just the first year.

Glad to hear you broke your stall. I find that if I just keep going it breaks. I have also found significant (about 3-5 ibs) weight gain my TOM and a short stall during ovulation. It is like clockwork for me.

How did you gain? I know it sounds silly, but I've been eating crap for two days and I guess you are what you eat because I feel like crap! Ive only gained 3 lbs. usually i can just look at bad food and gain weight. I usually eat very healthy, just too much, thus the weight gain. I know I'll gain it eventually, but this sucks! I've never purposely gaîned weight!

I'm 7 weeks post-surgery. I struggle with meeting my Protein goals, but for the most part I have followed the nutrition's guidelines. I have not touched bread, Pasta, baked goods and I hardly eat any carbs (the few grams I get in daily are part of protein meals). I had a graduation today and someone backed home-made chocolate chip Cookies as a present for everyone; she went around the room and personally gave one to all attendees. I felt so bad refusing that I took one, put it inside a ziplock bag, put it away and forgot about it. Until I returned home and emptied my bag. I ate the cookie and immediately starting feeling guilty and panicking about dumping syndrome. But what happened is that not even 10 minutes after eating the cookie, I could not keep my eyes open and fell asleep (fully dressed) on my bed. It felt like when I had to take the oxycodone and it would knock me off within minutes. I woke up 3 hours later feeling hungover. I don't think that I experienced dumping syndrome... right? Does it mean I don't dump or does it mean that one cookie is not enough to make me sick but enough to knock me down? I had no pain whatsoever, no need to use the bathroom, no sweating, no nothing. I just could not keep my eyes open and crashed. I'm trying not to shame myself for eating the cookie; I'm a therapist and I know that shame never motivated anyone to do any better. Shame is probably what fueled my weight gain to begin with so I know all too well that if I beat myself up what will follow is, "well, I'm a failure, I messed up... I may as well mess up more." Instead, I'm acknowledging that I have allowed old habits to creep in for a moment, that it's okay to make a mistake and I'm committing to promptly return on my road to recovery and weight loss.

Here are the requirements through Mclaren: 40 + BMI with no comorbidities 35 + with 1 or more 6 months medically supervised with no weight gain Psych evaluation Meeting with nutritionist