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Well....my day is here! As of this morning...I have hit my goal weight of 165lbs!:thumbup: I knew this day would come but until you actually see it, you just don't believe it!:drool: Funny, I thought I'd be jumping up and down and screaming over it, but I am pretty calm about it and happy as a lark. I had to go for a tad bit of unfill yesterday. I am down to 5.2cc's. My body is adjusting a bit and I may have to go in again for another tweak by getting more taken out so I can maintain. It's amazing to me that I don't need as much fill as others. I mean I just assumed we all were pretty much on the same with that but not needing much more than 5cc's is amazing to me. Anything too much over 5.4cc and I get stuck and throw up in my sleep. Which is NOT a pleasant feeling at all.:biggrin: It's scary because I think, what if I don't wake up and I choke?! So now, the major question is....do I need to lose more or should I be happy with what I am now? My initial goal was 170 but then I thought 165 would be better for BMI purposes. Now I am not really sure if I want to stop. What about 160? Plan for the monthly weight gain, blah, blah, blah. Am I turning into one of those skinny bitties who obsesses over the scale!:thumbup: There are some places I feel need to get a little thinner but I am not sure if it's because they are not quite as toned as I want them to be or if it's really just a tad bit flabby. Everyone knows from previous posts I am not exactly happy with where my tummy is but I want to give it a full year before considering anything else. I tried on a size 10 and danced all around the dressing room when they fit. I am thrilled with that....so what is it in me right now that wants more? I am going to have to meditate on that. I mean, I don't want to look sickly! Shape and curves are good.:thumbup: RIGHT???? I am feeling really silly right now...why am I not as happy as I thought I would be? On a different note...my doc left the office where he was. He is on an extended vacation right now and when he comes back he will decide where he will be. Not sure how I feel about that. I love him but I love my nurses too. I bet my main nurse will go with him and if that happens I will move my files with him. Didn't see that coming!:confused: As always....I AM BLESSED! Why not go out on a limb? Isn't that where the fruit is?:cursing: Surgery Date: May 21, 2009 Starting Weight: 280lbs Dr. Michael Metz - St. Luke's Hospital Denver, CO:thumbup: Follow my progress thru photos: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/members/5...lbums3475.html

Well....my day is here! As of this morning...I have hit my goal weight of 165lbs!:wub: I knew this day would come but until you actually see it, you just don't believe it!:thumbup: Funny, I thought I'd be jumping up and down and screaming over it, but I am pretty calm about it and happy as a lark. I had to go for a tad bit of unfill yesterday. I am down to 5.2cc's. My body is adjusting a bit and I may have to go in again for another tweak by getting more taken out so I can maintain. It's amazing to me that I don't need as much fill as others. I mean I just assumed we all were pretty much on the same with that but not needing much more than 5cc's is amazing to me. Anything too much over 5.4cc and I get stuck and throw up in my sleep. Which is NOT a pleasant feeling at all.:scared2: It's scary because I think, what if I don't wake up and I choke?! So now, the major question is....do I need to lose more or should I be happy with what I am now? My initial goal was 170 but then I thought 165 would be better for BMI purposes. Now I am not really sure if I want to stop. What about 160? Plan for the monthly weight gain, blah, blah, blah. Am I turning into one of those skinny bitties who obsesses over the scale!:crying: There are some places I feel need to get a little thinner but I am not sure if it's because they are not quite as toned as I want them to be or if it's really just a tad bit flabby. Everyone knows from previous posts I am not exactly happy with where my tummy is but I want to give it a full year before considering anything else. I tried on a size 10 and danced all around the dressing room when they fit. I am thrilled with that....so what is it in me right now that wants more? I am going to have to meditate on that. I mean, I don't want to look sickly! Shape and curves are good.:thumbup: RIGHT???? I am feeling really silly right now...why am I not as happy as I thought I would be? On a different note...my doc left the office where he was. He is on an extended vacation right now and when he comes back he will decide where he will be. Not sure how I feel about that. I love him but I love my nurses too. I bet my main nurse will go with him and if that happens I will move my files with him. Didn't see that coming!:thumbdown: As always....I AM BLESSED! Why not go out on a limb? Isn't that where the fruit is?:tongue2: Surgery Date: May 21, 2009 Starting Weight: 280lbs Dr. Michael Metz - St. Luke's Hospital Denver, CO:thumbup: Follow my progress thru photos: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/members/5...lbums3475.html

All you need to do is look in the mirror and be honest. You'll know if the weight gain is mostly muscle or fat. As far as what you told your doc, what you REALLY meant was that you would not gain back any fat. The number on the scale isn't very important. He can look at you or check your body fat % (not BMI) and know what happened. As far as your 20 lbs+ go, based on your lifting advances I would guess maybe at most 10lbs of muscle, plus some Water weight if you're better hydrated now and maybe a bit of fat.

Hi, I'm in the middle of my 3-month approval process, and am very ready to have my band! I have a 5-year old son who's AWESOME, and I finally decided that I needed some help if I'm going to get healthy and be here for him!! I've also quit smoking (which I'm blaming for my weight gain at my last weigh-in!!). I'm in Dallas and will be banded by Dr. Louis Fox. Anyone have any experience with him? He was recommended by my regular doctor. And my small rant: I'm having an issue with all this pre-surgery testing. People (even overweight people) have surgery every day all over world without psych evaluations, stress tests, and sleep studies. I'm just starting to think that they're taking advantage of people who really want this surgery and are willing to do all these things. Makes me feel bad for people without insurance or good financial resources. Maybe I'm just feeling pissy because I have to go back for a second sleep study, which has just ruined my week. I hated the first one Anyway, I've gained so much information from this forum -- thanks to everyone! I have my last dietician appointment and weigh-in at the end of this month, and I hope to have my surgery by mid-March! Lori

I used to lurk a long time ago, after my surgery (Feb 8, 2008). I reached my goal and was fortunate enough to reach it quite quickly - all healthy eating. My Dr loves me for that! lol But, in the last year, I've had so much stress, new medical problems, which meant more new meds and weight gain side effects, that I decided to come back here t get me on track again. I need the positive reinforcement and daily reminders. It's the first time in my life that I was comfort eating. I never want to do that again. I've really beaten myself up over it. I'm fortunate enough to have an amazing supportive husband who's been with me through thick and thin (even does his own WW dieting when I really need some extra help staying on track.. and he's not even heavy!). I guess I'm just looking for an uplifting place with lots of positive people who go through what I do and know how I feel. Ok, there's my sad country song of the day. Thanks for listening.

Hello all...been a while since I've been on here. My wife had her band put in during April of 2008. My wife has been having some issues with weight gain/pain for the last few months. Today an ECG showed that her Lap-Band® has completely eroded through her stomach. She was told by the GI doctor that she would have to have it taken out, let her stomach heal, and then, if she wants another, put another band in. We called the Dr's office that did the band, told them the results and they scheduled an appointment for next monday. Anybody ever have this happen to them???

Hello all...been a while since I've been on here. My wife had her band put in during April of 2008. My wife has been having some issues with weight gain/pain for the last few months. Today an ECG showed that her Lap-Band has completely eroded through her stomach. She was told by the GI doctor that she would have to have it taken out, let her stomach heal, and then, if she wants another, put another band in. We called the Dr's office that did the band, told them the results and they scheduled an appointment for next monday. Anybody ever have this happen to them???

Hi guys, Just thought I would share this and see if any of you have had a similar experience. I took a nap last night when I got home from work (I have been trying to fight off a cold). I woke up from my nap frustrated. I had dreamed that I went to my surgeons office and I had gained 11 lbs. 11lbs! So I was talking to the nurses and dietician and begging them for a fill. The nurses were telling me that he didn't have any appointments open before my next appointment. All the while my Dr. went by carrying a box of pizza and then back by carrying a box of donuts. A big box of donuts. He then sat down on a couch in the room behind them and started eating and watching football. Finally they let me talk to him and I talked him into giving me a fill after I had to prove to him that I had been doing 5 miles a day on the treadmill. Yes there was a treadmill in the office. Is that weird or what. Needless to say I had to get up and go way and Shew! no weight gain. Anyone else had weird or crazy dreams? :drool:

Hi guys, Just thought I would share this and see if any of you have had a similar experience. I took a nap last night when I got home from work (I have been trying to fight off a cold). I woke up from my nap frustrated. I had dreamed that I went to my surgeons office and I had gained 11 lbs. 11lbs! So I was talking to the nurses and dietician and begging them for a fill. The nurses were telling me that he didn't have any appointments open before my next appointment. All the while my Dr. went by carrying a box of pizza and then back by carrying a box of donuts. A big box of donuts. He then sat down on a couch in the room behind them and started eating and watching football. Finally they let me talk to him and I talked him into giving me a fill after I had to prove to him that I had been doing 5 miles a day on the treadmill. Yes there was a treadmill in the office. Is that weird or what. Needless to say I had to get up and go way and Shew! no weight gain. Anyone else had weird or crazy dreams? :smile2:

I think I need some lashes with the wet noodle too. I feel SO dumb. Went to my support group meeting on Monday and weighed myself on my doctor's scale. Looks like I've gained back almost 4 lbs. WHAT?! So instead of getting inspired and paying more attention to what I"m eating, I went home in a funk and had a mini-binge...which continued last night too. I don't think it's going to add a bunch of weight, but I feel so out of control! The really dumb thing is, I don't know whether that 4 lbs is really a weight gain; it could be just that my home scale is off. (And I know my scale always weighs less than the doctor's.) So it could just be that I haven't lost any since my last fill a few weeks ago. Jeesh. The hard part for me now is getting back on the bandwagon. I'm ok during the day, when I have a structured schedule, but at home at night, I just want to keep eating. I know my portion sizes have crept up (need to start measuring). I did call to get another fill in about a week; I'm still refilling from an unfill. Janet, all this just makes me realize what you've always said about yourself...I'm a food addict and really have to be vigilant about it. One cookie will start off a binge. Tonight when I get home, I'm packing up all the trigger foods and getting them out of there. Thanks for letting me vent...

I would have to agree with you on this one. I am 26 weeks pregnant now. Had my band for just a year prior to getting pregnant and lost about 50-60 lbs. I have since gained 40 lbs with the pregnancy so far. Yes it is frustrating, but puking through the band is way not cool!!!! Plus it hurts. So don't worry about the weight gain, if your MD recommends to get it unfilled then do it!. You lost the weight once, you can do it again.

Hi !! How are all you members going that have had your banding ?? are you glad you did it ..any down side..?? I am going to a film and talk on the banding tomorrow afternoon (Wednesday) ..I really think its the only way left for me to go ..I have just given up on all other ways to loose weight.. I am a oldie ...62yrs old in February ..I don`t want to be fat on my 63rd Birthday so hopefully will get the surgery asap after seeing the specialists .. What am I in for ..?? My weight gain has continued slowly from about 50years of age (menapause and the empty nest syndrome hitting at the same time)..I was slightyly over weight in my mid to late forties , so I thought but when I look back now , I wish I was back at my then weight... I am about 118.00 Kilos.. so need to loose 40 to 50 kilos ..................I wonder if its too late sometimes ... I am so sad to have let myself come to this and just want to hide away from the world... O.K I hope after tomorrowI have the courage to go ahead with this plan... Excersizing is hard , I have no enegy or motivation ..and worse of all my joints scream with aches and pains just walking which I am trying to do starting 3 times a week ..when the weather is extreamly hot I just can`t do it ..I am too ashamed to get into swimmers to use a pool which I am told would be easier on my knees.... Oh ! well I will see when I get to speak to the specialist see what hope they give me.... I hope you are all doing well and I would love to read about your experiences Good and bad .. Chat later .. Majj

Hey ladies. Congratulations to all the new mommies and mommies to be out there. And Laura0703, congrats on the BOY! I'm 17 weeks now and have gained about 3 or 4 lbs. I'm hoping to keep my weight gain in the 15 - 25lb range but we'll see what happens. I still have my fill. I got a slight unfill (-0.3cc) at 8 weeks and have been fine since then. I was lucky and didn't have any m/s and my band has been good to me so far. We go for our BIG ULTRASOUND next Monday (Feb 8th) and we're so excited to find out whether it's a boy or a girl. For some reason i'm thinking BOY. I will be really surprised if they tell me it's a girl! I'm ecstatic about either! I've had a really good pregnancy so far and the only thing i'm really dealing with is some tiredness and headaches. I'm still not showing yet, but i can feel the baby bump if i rub my lower tummy. I think i might have even felt one of those "flutters" they talk about as being baby moving. It's hard to tell though!

I'm 17 weeks and so far i have gained about 3 or 4 lbs. I didn't have any morning sickness, but i got a slight (-0.3cc) unfill at 8 weeks b/c i felt too tight. That seems to have done the trick and i've been able to eat a good amount without any issues since the unfil. I'd like to keep my weight gain between 15 - 25 lbs (based on my BMI when i started). We'll see how the next half of the pregnancy goes!

Its all relative. This is the BEST surgery with the best stats. Thats just the way it is. I agree weight regain is ALWAYS a concern. But this one has the least regain. You may indeed regain some weight after losing a lot, but it will be relatively little and it will be extremely easy to take it right back off. Right now you probably only notice weight gains of 10-30lbs. After the surgery and weight loss, you will notice gains of 1-3lbs and you will have an extremelly effective tool at taking it right back off. Yes, you can eat around your weight loss surgery and sabotage yourself, so if that happens it is time to see a head doctor to help. Bypass, has really given WLS a bad perception, since so many had it and regained, but this surgery doesn't have nearly the same regain statistics as the old ones.

Based on your post above, you may even be suffering from depression. Most of us have had it at one time or another, and for me, it does lead to weight gain. Perhaps talk to your doc about the possibility.... Good luck, if you can improve your outlook on life, your weight loss will continue.

Hey ladies, I'm 13 weeks pregnant and thankfully haven't gained anything but instead I have gained a umbilical hernia which totally sucks. Hopefully my weight gain will continue at a minimum. I know wishful thinking. Good luck everyone.

I had some of the same problems you have including major weight gain after hysterectomy. You will be so happy to be off all those meds much quicker than you think. The only negative I have had is thinning hair. They say it will stop at some point and start growing back in.

Hi! How are your clothes fitting? Better or Tighter? I can tell fairly quickly if I am up a few lbs. I am sure you have gained muscel how much is hard to tell. Did the Gym due a body fat % prior to your weight gain? that would give you some Idea. I am 9 months post op. Started at 300 now at 250. I have been working out 4 to 6 times a week with a trainer and meeting with a nutrionist once a week. She actually increased my calories etc. But my weight has been steady, ie up down within 4 /lbs for months now. We have been dicussing it and we agreed that I would cut my carbs down a bit. (35 - 40%) Also have been looking on this site alot and have gotten back to the POST OP way to eat, Protien first, etc. Also avoiding slider foods. Another thing i read is about a "Start Over Diet" Ie liquids for a day or so than introduce protiens and go from their. Their is information on line. You should not feel bad about going back to the Dr. they are thier to help you succed. So if you need a fill get one. I have been thinking of that too but realise that I have enough restriction. Hope this did not confuse you more, but working out is great! So even though your wt is up you are healther and have accomplishe a major weight loss. So be proud and keep up the fight.

I am little over 2 years post op. I started at 336 and made it down to 222. I had a slight complication where I got stuck so bad, it took days to be able to eat again. I went to the Doc and he took out 2.5cc's and warned me that I would gain weight. Of course at this time I was convinced of my ability to keep the weight off without the band helping out and insisted to the doc that would not happen to me. (what a dumb-ass) Yeah right. So here I am three months later having gained 20 pounds back. Now whats interesting is I am exercising more now than ever. I spend 1.5 hours at the gym three nights a week, and at least 30 minutes at home on non gym nights. I am also eating fairly poorly (nothing like pre-band) I have two things I am struggling with. 1. I told the doc I would not gain any weight, so now I have a pride issue and do not want to go back in for a fill until I loose the 20 I gained. 2. My weight lifting has really gone crazy lately. I have increased my reps and weight by 20% + in the last month (its getting to the point where I am lifting the stack on most machines). I am also continuing my cardio approximately 50 minutes per gym trip on the elliptical running my ass off. So I am depressed as hell about the weight gain, but how much of it is muscle vs fat. If I knew that I have gained 10 pounds of muscle and 10 of fat then I would feel a lot better than if I gained 5 and 15. Any of you guys (or girls that are spying) have a similar situation?

The great thing about banding is that it is compatible with later pregnancy. Like all pregnant women, you will need to be careful to get proper nutrition. Your surgeon and OB can work together to determine the calorie level you require, and your band can be adjusted accordingly. YES, you probably WILL have back pain---it's a common occurrence during pregnancy, when body mechanics shift tremendously. But it's TEMPORARY---as will be the weight gain. After all, you WILL have the band still, and will be able to lose the modest amount of weight recommended as a pregnancy gain quite easily. We ALL worry about...well, everything!...when it comes to pregnancy. But this really is one worry you can put to rest. Please don't let your pregnancy be soured by weight ruminations---so many of us (even pre-banding) focused far, far too much on THAT, and far too little on the absolute miracle going on in our bodies! PS-Your worst case scenario seems to be regaining your weight thereby harming your baby for life. My kids have had an overweight mom for a good deal of their lives. Know what? They were gobsmacked when I told them I was having WLS. It had never occurred to them that there was anything about me that required changing. Really, having an overweight mom does NOT RUIN KIDS' LIVES.

Thanks Riley. I was just on her website looks good. I just need to see if she does fills..................without her doing the surgery. It would be great if I could get Kaiser to pay but I doubt it. I am gonna call her tomorrow to see what she charges and if she is willing to take me as a patient. I think a doctor in town would be better so if I need fills or unfills I don't have to go to ER I can just drive down the road............. Wish me luck. I think there is another lap band doctor in town here close to Sac State and my work. A girl at work that had gastric said I should call her surgeon. I am gonna tell Robin tomorrow what I am thinking about doing. Wish me luck onthat too!!! LOL. I really think I am considered a liability with Kaiser and they are handling my case and fills very different than normal.........I talked to someone at work who told me that leaving the band unfilled for to long does lead to being able to eat to much and weight gain.......she said I should look into a fill doctor in town and get a new start... I will update ya'all once I do my research tomorrow......maybe we can get fills in town?? I will have to figure out the price but if only 100 I could maybe do that every two or three months. WOuld be more than I am getting from Kaiser right now!! :-)

More Beckisams :0) I love this in the beck book - you eat lunch and you are still hungry or you get hungry before you next snack or meal - you say to yourself - I only have 3 hrs till dinner - I can do that - and then you give yourself credit for doing it I know that stress here at work makes me want to eat - I will go into gf office and eat a small handfull of peanuts - well that 160 cal x 5 = 800 cal of unplanned snacks - so I went an put a sticky on it - No unplanned snacks - I go in there when I am stressed/hungry (or should I say think I am hunger) and get a small handful - but that 160x5 = 800 x 52 is 41,600 cal over a year - that's 11 lbs - i don't do it daily but you get the drift Another thing and this one goes for me Everything little thing you put in your mouth counts - you can't say it doesn - just 20 extra calories a day over a years time equals a 2 pound weight gain - so it is important to know what you are eating - we can't say to ourselves - ah this won't matter - yes it does !!! So all I have done is eaten 50 extra calories a day to gain 5 lbs - we all think - oh what's 50 calories - well over a year it's a 5 lbs weight gain - Apples my biggest challenge has ALWAYS been to stop eating when I am full - I use to sit and contimplate my stomach - was it full - As fat chicks we don't know normal full we have to be stuffed. I can't wait to read this next chapter cuz I am a firm beleiver that we manifest our head hunger into physically feeling hungry and we don't know the diff - we want to eat we want to eat NOW and I still have a hard time distingushing between the too.. Well last night before dinner - I thought I was hungry - made some popcorn sister called and I forgot all about it being hungry - so I wasn't - I was just bored.. Today at lunch I was full - but since I had only had my meat loaf and wanted my cauliflower - I had a few bites knowing I was full cuz it taste good.. Like I say I may have a thin persons body - but the fat chick is still inside -- and she's rattleing the cage wanting to get out..

lol Steph - I ordered 2 of those - one black & one beige - I go the medium cuz the host said that's what she had on - well I should have gotten the small - I would like them lower cut in the front :0) I have the black one on today and it's seems a little tighter than the beige one - My gf has the beige one and if it fits her (she's bigger than me) she's going to buy them off me... Hell I forget you are QVC girl too :0) - but since I were shapers - I don't have regular panties - had to go buy some :0).. Karri - I love this in the beck book - you eat lunch and you are still hungry or you get hungry before you next snack or meal - you say to yourself - I only have 3 hrs till dinner - I can do that - and then you give yourself credit for doing it I know that stress here at work makes me want to eat - I will go into gf office and eat a small handfull of peanuts - well that 160 cal x 5 = 800 cal of unplanned snacks - so I went an put a sticky on it - No unplanned snacks - I go in there when I am hungry (or should I say think I am hunger) and get a small handful - but that 800 x 5 x 52 is 41,600 cal over a year - that's 11 lbs Another thing and this one goes for me Everything little thing you put in your mouth counts - you can't say it doesn - just 20 extra calories a day over a years time equals a 2 pound weight gain - so it is important to know what you are eating - we can't say to ourselves - ah this won't matter - yes it does !!! So all I have done is eaten 50 extra calories a day to gain 5 lbs - we all think - oh what's 50 calories - well over a year it's a 5 lbs weight gain - We have to think of these things...