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I currently have 3.5ccs in a 10cc band. I was up to 7ccs at one time but lost a little too much weight so we removed quite a bit and I’ve been sitting at the 3.5ccs for 2 yrs now. Minimal weight gain but mostly my own foolish eating habits. I’ve been banded for 12 yrs now with zero problems.

Also just a quick search on Scholar and found numerous research articles on the role of stress in weight gain Here's just one ( I chose this one because it was free to access and had an impressive reference section) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0306453094E00417 Endocrine_and_psychological_evaluation_o.pdf

Hello Everyone! I just wanted to share this information with anyone else that may be suffernig from PCOS. I saw Pulmonary the other day and they suggested I try metformin for PCOS. He said he was afraid that seeing PCOS causes weight gain, that I may have trouble keeping the weight that I loose from the surgery off, he said Metformin would help me do that. So I brough the name of the medicine to my Primary and she liked the idea and prescribed me 500mg once daily. In addition to letting you all know about it, can anyone else who may be on it tell me how it is working for them? THANK YOU! :biggrin:

I'm 3.5 years out and about 10 pounds above my lowest weight which is fine. Still wearing smallest pant size so no complaints. I still weigh food and log all food and exercise and try very hard to stick with healthy food choices. Still exercising 6 days week. It's not easy but I'm committed to making this work permanently. I'm sad to know many people that have regained so much. The common denominator I've witnessed is their making poor food choices. The surgery can't control that part. While the restriction is helping them, eating many servings of the wrong foods will always lead to weight gains.

Howdy, back at ya! I'm here in Houston as well. I was banded about 3 months ago. I to have a hard time w/healty Snacks, But Nuts seem to go down good, and are full of protein! I aslo snack on those Tostito's Light chips w/salsa. for a small meal I some times eat Tomato Soup w/cottage, again lots of Protein. Funny about that one, I never ever liked tomato soup before. Hope that helped you some. I am always looking for new healthy snacks, but am starting to miss the junk food. BUT IT"S NOT WORTH THRE WEIGHT GAIN!!!! kEEP UP THE ALL THE GOOD AND HARD WORK! :funscale:

@@LipstickLady I have to see photos of your closet. My goal reward was a closet make over. I had my hubby hang a crystal chandelier. As a normal thin person, Not changing sizes helps me stay in maintenance. I don't want to replace my clothing because of weight gain.(see me justify my shopping addiction) I'm recently fell in love with Italian clothing. Simple with a statement piece (like shoes). A bit sophisticated to sexy. Summer clothing is unbelievably fun. No more hiding and covering up.(except for my loose skin areas) I have to confess the bottom row of my closet contains compression running shirts. My favorite second hand find was a pair of Betty Rides snowboarding pants. I'm not sure when my shopping will slow down. I'm making up for lost time. My clothing options were so limited before.

I have some tips for you. Hope it will help you Planning Your Weight Gain Program Consuming a Solid Weight Gain Diet Using ONLY Proven Bodybuilding Supplements Implementing a Mass Gain Weight Training Program Tracking Your Bodybuilding Program -Mandy Russell

Maybe you need ( like all of us) to get rid of words like "should" and "ashamed". I hate being told I cannot have certain foods...it is the one way to get me passionately interested in almost anything. If they came out with a study and said that rice cakes (ugh, ugh, ech!) were to be avoided by dieters at all costs, I would immediately begin obsessing ways to sneak them into my pantry in large quantities. I would doodle rice cake people on my desk blotter (I would have to actually buy a blotter on which to do this, thus blowing my household budget and risk losing my home to the bank), I would drool over pictures of illicit rice cakes in underground magazines while pretending to read literature, and my dreams at night...well, best to draw a veil, Dear Readers. My saving grace? I know this about myself after years of restrictive diets ( many successful for the short haul), self-blame, and Guilt. What works for me...not protein-lovers, not those content on low-fat programs, or the complex-carb folk - is the old fashioned calorie counting method, where nothing is forbidden, no food is "bad" (thank you WW for this gem), but married to the idea that food is actually fuel...and my body will simply not work well without the basics. Which have to go in first. So proteins first or I feel like crap and my hair will fall out - now there's a threat!, and tart cherry juice for my arthritis (140 cal), then veggies for vitamins and minerals, my milk quota, which I have in my tea ( I also add a teaspoon of totally useless calories in sugar which is non-negotiable if I am to feel human). This, believe it or not, leaves me with some extra calories that I can use anyway I want without guilt, horror, remorse, or weight gain. I get control and a MacDonald's smoothie (210 calories - less if you leave out the yogurt) with friends. Thinking of food a fuel makes me look at the Big Mac's, curly fries dripping with fake cheese, over-stuffed then fried burrito, etc as useless and disgusting excesses. What you need is to find your own path...almost all diets work, but won't last until they feed your souls and mind as well a fill your stomach.

OMG please help! I had a VSG 18 months ago and successfully lost about 80lbs. When the pandemic hit my anxiety went through the roof and I have gained back 30lbs. I still feel full after small servings but it’s SUGAR that is doing me in. Oddly I can easily eat a pint of ice cream in a sitting but cannot eat more than half a serving of “regular food”. Have I killed my sleeve? Do I need a second surgery. I’m so embarrassed to call my surgeon.

Why don't people share? I guess everyone has their reasons. I think some are embarrassed that they could not defeat the battle on their own. I have also had that feeling myself. But I realized that is nothing to be embarrassed about! I am proud of myself for doing something about this as I have many medical conditions I didn't have 2 years ago as a result of my weight gain. I am going to have a healthy life. I am the type of person that is a pretty open book so for me I will tell anyone that stays still for 5 minutes, I am not a private person. Not that I share absolutely everything about my life to everyone. I still believe the main reason is embarrassment. It is within our human nature to try to not have the feeling of embarrassment which is why I think people keep certain information to themselves. Just my opinion :-) Why don't people share? I guess everyone has their reasons. I think some are embarrassed that they could not defeat the battle on their own. I have also had that feeling myself. But I realized that is nothing to be embarrassed about! I am proud of myself for doing something about this as I have many medical conditions I didn't have 2 years ago as a result of my weight gain. I am going to have a healthy life. I am the type of person that is a pretty open book so for me I will tell anyone that stays still for 5 minutes, I am not a private person. Not that I share absolutely everything about my life to everyone. I still believe the main reason is embarrassment. It is within our human nature to try to not have the feeling of embarrassment which is why I think people keep certain information to themselves. Just my opinion :-)

I think most of us that are here are... Otherwise we wouldn't do this radical surgery. Some (very few if you ask me) just don't understand proper nutrition... So that could be the case for some. Here a some general guidelines.... 1. Increased Consumption Over Time. Have you been steadily increasing your food intake over time? For example, do you eat significantly more on a daily basis now than you did 1 year ago? A food addict will have gradually increased their intake over time, particularly of the refined foods. 2. Tolerance is when you need more and more of a substance to achieve a desired effect. Often the desired effect in food addiction is emotional, such as calm or relief from anxiety or depression. A sign of tolerance is when you begin to notice that you can consume amounts of food that are much larger than most other people can in order to feel “satisfied.” 3. Withdrawal is when you experience negative symptoms when you are unable to eat. Although we all feel a little uncomfortable when we are hungry and unable to eat (e.g., light headed, stomach growling), the difference with food addiction is that you may experience symptoms of anxiety, panic, and/or irritability. 4. Preoccupation. Addicts spend more and more time obtaining, consuming and/or even thinking about food, to the point of spending less time doing usual activities including social, work and recreational activities. 5. Unsuccessful Attempts to Cut Down. Addiction is also characterized by unsuccessful efforts to cut down. However, just because you have not been successful at dieting does not mean you are a food addict. The difference with food addiction is that dieting attempts are short-lived and end in out-of-control binge eating episodes. 6. Continue Despite Consequences. The food addict will often continue to overeat in spite of physical, psychological and/or relationship problems that develop. For example, one might develop type 2 diabetes or gain a large amount of weight in a short period of time (e.g., 50 pounds in a year) but still persist with their eating habits. Eventually the individual may even refuse to change their eating habits or may seem unaware of or very resistant to acknowledging health problems or the weight gain.

Good read.. Compulsive overeating, also sometimes called food addiction, is characterized by the compulsive eating of food. Professionals address this with either a behavior therapy model or a food-addiction model.[1] An individual suffering from compulsive overeating engages in frequent episodes of uncontrolled eating, or binge eating, during which she or he may feel frenzied or out of control, often consuming food past the point of being comfortably full. Bingeing in this way is generally followed by feelings of guilt and depression. Unlike individuals with bulimia, compulsive overeaters do not attempt to compensate for their bingeing with purging behaviors such as fasting, laxative use, or vomiting. Compulsive overeaters will typically eat when they are not hungry. Their obsession is demonstrated in that they spend excessive amounts of time and thought devoted to food, and secretly plan or fantasize about eating alone. Compulsive overeating usually leads to weight gain and obesity, but is not the only cause of obesity. While compulsive overeaters tend to be overweight or obese, persons of normal or average weight can also be affected. In addition to binge eating, compulsive overeaters can also engage in grazing behavior, during which they return to pick at food throughout the day. These things result in a large overall number of calories consumed even if the quantities eaten at any one time may be small. When a compulsive eater overeats primarily through bingeing, he or she can be said to have binge eating disorder. Signs and symptoms.... Binge eating, or eating uncontrollably even when not physically hungry Eating much more rapidly than normal Eating alone due to shame and embarrassment Feelings of guilt due to overeating Preoccupation with body weight Depression or mood swings Awareness that eating patterns are abnormal Rapid weight gain or sudden onset of obesity Significantly decreased mobility due to weight gain History of weight fluctuations Withdrawal from activities because of embarrassment about weight History of many different unsuccessful diets Eating little in public, but maintaining a high body weight Very low self-esteem and feeling need to eat greater and greater amounts. Addiction During binges, compulsive overeaters may consume from 5,000 to 15,000 food calories daily, resulting in a temporary release from psychological stress through an addictive high not unlike that experienced through drug abuse. In bulimics, this high may be intensified by the act of purging. Researchers have speculated there is an abnormality of endorphin metabolism in the brain of binge eaters that triggers the addictive process. This is in line with other theories of addiction that attribute it not to avoidance of withdrawal symptoms, but to a primary problem in the reward centers of the brain. For the compulsive overeater, the ingestion of trigger foods causes release of the neurotransmitter, serotonin. This could be another sign of neurobiological factors contributing to the addictive process. Abstinence from addictive food and food eating processes causes withdrawal symptoms in those with eating disorders. There may be higher levels of depression and anxiety due to the decreased levels of serotonin in the individual.[2] There are complexities with the biology of compulsive eating that separate it from a pure substance abuse analogy. Food is a complex mixture of chemicals that can affect the body in multiple ways, which is magnified by stomach-brain communication. In some ways, it may be much more difficult for compulsive overeaters to recover than drug addicts. There is an anecdotal saying among Overeaters Anonymous members that "when you are addicted to drugs you put the tiger in the cage to recover; when you are addicted to food you put the tiger in the cage, but take it out three times a day for a walk."[2] The physical explanation of compulsive overeating may be attributed to an overeaters' increased tendency to secrete insulin at the sight and smell of food, though medical evidence supporting this is controversial.[3] Research has found a link between the sugar and fat content of foods and bingeing behaviors.[4]

I had my hysterectomy 4 years ago and I'm currently going through the process to get approved for the surgery. I've had weight gain too, but I also had a band slippage at the same time.

in 2011 I was sleeved with no indication of having a hernia. I believe if the doctor saw that, he would have indicated to me that he would go ahead and remove it, but because it wasnt seen then, the sleeve was a stand alone surgery. Now had he done the gastric sleeve with the rny, I think my weight loss success would have been for a long time before gaining little to none weight gain. Nevertheless, the infamous GERD came to crash the party in 2019 and I was scheduled a bariatric doctor for a revision in September 2020. At that point I started the process which leads up to surgery and I was approved by my insurance company, thus my surgery date was 02/23/21. The doctor chose gastric bypass which he indicated that he tightened up my sleeve and rerouted my intestine where whenever I eat, it would bypass my stomach and go straight to my intestine, hence longevity of weight loss. He also mentioned to me that I had an hiatal hernia, which he repaired during the surgery. Because this is a revision, my weight loss will go moderately slow, however I choose to think that is on a "case by case" basis. Ive seen people with this revision go on to lose around 50-60 lbs in 4-5 months. I may very well fall in with these people, due to my rapid weight loss 9 years ago. my hw in 2011 was 303, sw was 289, fw 179, gw 160. I never reached my goal weight the first time, but I lost a total of 110lbs in 1 year, and then in 2013 I couldnt get the skin to tighten up, so I qualified for a panni, aka tummy tuck. i have big turkey wings and that is considered cosmetic, had Ive gotten that done, I probably would have gotten to my goal weight with ease because I went down to 173 after that surgery then the plateau started, but I maintained that weight for 7 years, then in 2019 I went through a depression state and going back to my bad habits, and smoking ciggs, then to make things worse, covid came to join the world so my weight skyrocketed to a shockingly total weight gain in 2 years of 76 lbs of it back. Thats 40 lbs away from going back to my surgery weight! That was a scary thought, but I think if I didnt have the gerd, my hiatal hernia wouldnt have been noticed. I know how to keep my weight down, because I had highs and lows throughout maintaining my weight without having a head game behind the fact that I was no longer 173. I was dating this guy from atlanta for 2 years and all I did was travel, splurge and dine out 3-4 days a week breakfast lunch and dinner. I didnt work and he took care of alll my bills and my childrens tuition for college and high school. This caused me to be settled and gained happy weight then my happy weight went flat as I got tired of being smothered and controlled by him so I left him right after valentines day. I then joined the gym at the end of February 2018 because I had got to 220 in my weight! I was making 50 that year so I wanted to at least get back into my size 9/10 before my birthday. Well I did. I lost 22 lbs in 3 months and was toned and force to be reckoned with. So I know that this is a long response, but I just wanted to share with you my journey as a 2 time bariatric patient. Im 5 days out from my revision, and I have lost a total 17 lbs which is to include losing 10lbs in 3 days from preop preparation. If I stick to the diet the way my nut and my dr has set forth for me, I could very well get past the goal weight they have for me, which is 180, and thats due to my frame, and my height as an African American female. At the rate that Im going, I will have lost a whopping 80 lbs in 2 months! But because the weight loss will be slow, and if I had to guess, I would say to get to MY gw of 160 would probably take me about 7-8 months to achieve that goal. Who knows with a sustained diet and exercise, I could very well get to my goal sooner. I hope this document of a response helps. lol, but best wishes to whatever surgery you decide to choose and God speed on your recovery.

I gotta say, steping on the scales could be, in my opinion, the worst thing we do to oueselves. I had an eating disorder when I was younger. Weighed my self no LESS than twenty times a day. It was terrible. I'd be at a friends house and would go into their bathroom and would strip down and jump on a scale. I'm serious. How messed up is that? LOL. And the second the scale would go up a quarter pond i'd be in the gym sweating like a nut. Eating a half a bagel a day. That was around twenty years ago, and thank God I got over that or I'd be dead by now. So when I decided to go for this surgery one of my fears was that I would fall back into that very very bad routine. Thankfully, I haven't. Think of the other things that are going on. How well your clothes are fitting. Focus on the positives. How nice it will be to buy new clothes because you must. And my personal favorite, getting rid of old clothes cause they will NEVER fit again, God willing and my trying =) . The weight gain is probably all water. I explained to my wife once, a professional hockey goalie will lose about ten pounds during the course of one game. A pro athlete. All water weight. So if you think about it, five pounds of water weight is nothing for us. Stick with it. Dont give up hope. You are doing great!!!!!!

Hey Donna... I would have missed ya if I hadn't been off having my own pity party. Seriously girl... I know just how the whole outta control eating and weight gain situation feels... it SUCKS! Now... the pity parties are nice and all... but I think we have a better chance at pulling our butts out of a rut if we come in here and spread the joy. (((Hugs))) Patty... AN office full of kids... yikes... just the mere thought of that makes me want a big bag of chocolate! Good Luck! Rene... Smoking is evil... and stinky... and gross... and it makes your gums recede and your skin all leathery... and eventually your fingernails will turn yellow and get all clubby looking... and your breath is all hagish... THERE... I feel better all ready! Sorry to any that currently smoke... I'm sure none of the above pertains to you. :confused: Pat... Can I have the doggy bag from your lunch out. Cindy... A YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH... Okay... 3 months down... lol... I am going to lose my mind for sure! Eileen... hope you are enjoying your hookying lil hinder off! Oh... had to take my 13 yr old for her phyiscal today... LOLOLOL... she wasn't expecting to get any immunizations... WRONG. Bless her heart... she turned right back into Mom's baby girl for a few minutes! Had her little head buried in my chest and hung on to me for dear life! Off to do a couple more chores before the Cab O Mom Co. has to haul the dd to piano lessons. OHHHHHH... and I forgot to tell all of you that the remote electric fence worked like a charm for the ddog... it nearly gave me a nervous breakdown when she got nailed but let me tell you... the next time the collor gave her a warning she ran back to her human Mom lickedy split! It's so nice to let her out without worrying she will run out into a street or run off! Okay...TTFN

Soda has sugar and empty calories, and that's why they gain. Has zero to do with carbonation. But good for you. You're right, you do you. But let's not keep perpetuating the same old tired myths. You don't want to drink carbonation, then don't drink it. People who know carbonation won't cause weight gain and want to drink no/low calorie carbonated drinks, more power to them. Whatever works.

you lost over 100 pounds! You can do 20 pounds .Glad you are getting it back on track. Many of us here are battling weight gain. Get back to your bariatric eating plan high protein low carb. Log your food if you don't already. I use myfitnesspal. Hydrate hydrate hydrate! Activity and exercise. for motivation - holiday weight loss challenge https://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/405183-holiday-challenge-time-lets-do-this/

I am so sorry you are going through this. I was very close to my mother and younger sister - they died within a few years of each other. Mom was 72 and my sis was 40. It was devastating beyond description. It is one of the reasons I got up over 300# - I could cope not just with the loss but some of the trauma around my sisters illness and passing. I think you are doin the right thing by facing it up front, realizing it is a stressor/trigger, asking for help. I don't really have any tips or tidbits, for me exercise is the main destressor like you already mentioned. Whatever you do, don't let youself be fooled into trusting that food or booze will help any. The boost in feeling last such a short period of time and the consequences of over use lasts so terribly long. I like to use the analogy of the bad boyfriend, sure he is fun for a little bit but then he starts treating you bad and you make excuses and are in denial about how bad it is and before you know it... you are on the weight gain cycle. Prayers for you.

I was sleeved 9/26/12 I am on the shot had it a few weeks before my sleeve I will not be getting it again. Now I have been on it for 5 years so I do love it but do not love the Side effects weight gain slow weight loss. DH got a vasectomy today so I would not have to worrie today I was due for my shot he did this instead.

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

I can answer these questions with my experience. I just passed the 21 months out point. I'll be completely brutally honest with you and anyone that asks me. I have been maintaining my weight loss VERY EFFORTLESSLY at the age of 34 for almost a year. I have a 5lb bounce around on the scale any given week. I can tie it to my indulgences of high sodium foods, and my "girls nights out" with copious amounts of alcohol. I do not ever get in any formal exercise and have NOT for a solid year. I've had spurts here and there of working out at home for a week to 10 days, but nothing consistent at all. I honestly I do eat anything and everything I want. Here's the kicker, I don't want to eat a lot of junk food. Why? Because my body runs best, I feel best physically when I feed my body a nutrient dense, Protein full diet, BUT I eat Cookies, chips, pretzels, rice, bread, Pasta all in moderation. Of course, about 85% of the time, I eat protein first, but sometimes all I want is some veggies. I do not count anything other than protein and calories now. I keep white carbs in moderation to some degree, but if I want mashed potatoes and gravy, guess what 1/2 cup of mashed potatoes and a little gravy didn't make me FAT, 4 cups of mashed potatoes with gravy on top of a 12oz ribeye with mac-n-cheese, 3 dinner rolls, and 3 glasses of sweet ice tea made me fat. Moderation is the key. I will add that I have zero metabolic issues, nor is my body sensitive to carbs. I do not get the "eat a carb, crave a carb" nor am I an emotional eater. Therefore, going into this, I feel I beat the curve quite a bit. I was a volume eater. The sleeve will work just like any other weight loss surgery works. RNY and DS can be considered failures as well. Not one single weight loss surgery is bullet proof. So, a tool working long term is only as successful as the person using the tool. Just like a hammer to a nail. You can choose to keep your eyes open, steady your arm, and aim with precision as you go to drive that nail in with just a couple of dings, or you can wield that hammer blindfolded, with a swagger in your swing, and you'll more than likely miss the nail, hit your finger or dent the wood. Make sense? ? ? I will add that I am eating the same amounts currently that I was eating a year ago, but that quantity is double what I could at 2-3 months. The sleeve matures over time. There is minimal stretching. When I say double amounts, I was able to eat 2oz dense protein at 2-3 months out, today I can get in about 4-5oz of dense protein with a couple bites of veggies. You can cheat any of the surgeries, and the sleeve can be eaten around. I know the tricks, I employ them on occasion. Drinking warm fluids or having a glass of wine with my meal relaxes my stomach, therefore I can fit a bit more in, a bit more = 1-2 ounces of mashed potatoes, or mac-n-cheese on top of my chicken. To this day, I can NOT eat an entire chicken breast without stretching my meal out over 40 minutes. I can barely eat 1.5-2 poached eggs. What I'm saying is that there is a max capacity to the sleeve, but the restriction you have the first 6 months will change, ENJOY that time, maximize your weight loss, and become diligent with changing your lifestyle. Any weight loss surgery success is defined by either compliancy or complacency and with some mechanical failures on the other surgery types you can find that a specific tool "didn't work properly". It's a choice you make. No one else, the surgery doesn't fail UNLESS it's not performed properly because there is nothing mechanical to fail with the sleeve like there is with the band or RNY. The other issues can be metabolic issues, or carb sensitivity, or some people lose differently. Stoma and pouches stretch, malabsorption of calories, fats and carbs stop after the adaptation process occurs in the intestines, and then RNY patients are having to rely on restriction only with a stretchy pouch, a blind stomach left behind making ghrelin at a higher level vs. Sleeve patients. With the band, the list of issues with it are long, detailed, but the reasons the band can and does fail are numerous. Pouch stretching, not being able to get a decent fill, then there's the physical issues with the band itself. I can go on and on. But, I know plenty of VSG'ers that are 2-4 years out (mainly on obesityhelp.com) that share my opinion on weight regain with VSG, their experiences are pretty similar to mine. There are several out there maintaining fairly effortlessly as well, and live a life of moderation. I've seen 20-40lb weight regain on a couple of patients that are 3-4 years out, and every time, they admit, I quit eating the proper foods, life happened and I turned to my old friend for comfort, or they just gave up and expected to eat ding dongs and hos hos without consequence. Most naturally thin women I know don't eat packages of hos hos on a regular basis. Most naturally thin women do watch what they eat, and do not shovel shitpots of craptastic food into their body without consequence. At least none of my naturally thin friends can eat like I did pre-op and not see weight gain. If you have any other specific questions, please feel free to contact me. I'm extremely open and honest.

One other thing to consider (if you haven't already done so) is to have your thyroid checked. I was super active in high school but could not seem to lose the 15 - 20 extra pounds I carried around unless I went on a severely calorie restrictive diet. I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism at 17, and once on medication, I lost that extra weight in college. [Now, I ended up gaining about 50 pounds in grad school thanks to some mild depression resulting in inactivity, over eating and poor food choices. This and weight gained since is what I'm struggling with 25 years later resulting in my considering the surgery now.]

This is from a slightly different perspective, but I was in a relationship over the course of a few years when I went from being mildly overweight to morbidly obese. Part of my weight gain was for the normal reasons of poor eating habits, lack of exercise, and emotional disregulation, but the speed in which I gained was largely because of medications I was taking for a mood disorder. When I look back over that relationship, a big part of the deterioration was because of the weight gain. When you date someone who's 170 pounds and they shoot up to 250 in such a short period of time, it just changes everything. Part of it was the physical attraction, but I think more of it was how poorly I coped with my body image. I struggled with moving, I hated myself for letting it happen, and I projected that negativity into my relationship. My partner wasn't being shallow as we fell out of love, they were experiencing the pain of what it's like to love someone who doesn't value themselves. We ask ourselves on this site how we are going to address the emotional aspects of what lead us here, and we fight a battle to get to where we want to be. And when you look at all of the obese people throughout the country, we are in the minority of people who are actively fighting and winning this battle. Everyone deserves to be valued and treated with respect, but when it comes to choosing romantic partners, I don't get angry when people aren't interested because of my weight. Like others have said, we choose people who are most attractive to us, and obesity is one of the most visible personal demons out of them all. If every alcoholic had a bottle of wine on top of their heads, Id be hesitant too.

A lot of people won't ask as they are afraid that you are ill and they want to respect your privacy. If they ask I tell so they won't think I'm sick if they are friends of mine, the others I tell them I'm watching what I'm eating. My sister who had this surgery 9 years ago and has gained back some of her weight is very unsupportive. She also admitted she ate what she wanted and told me that you are supposed to eat a special way, but she wanted to eat what she wanted. I am hoping that I can be an example for my good friend who has experienced weight gain due to knees and knee surgery. She has problems with walking. I've been down this road before with the lap band and found most folks to be supportive if they are your friends. My husband and son are and that is all I really care about.