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I am a little more than 8 mths out from my surgery and so I want to first say that the blood clot is not being associated with my surgery, but I have come here hoping others with some experience with a blood clot can chime in. I thought I had just sprained a calf muscle over the weekend, but learned yesterday I actually have a blood clot. I am now on 2 injections a day of Levonox and taking 5mg of Cumadin a day. The label doesn't list weight gain as a side effect, but I was googling that this morning and found TONS of people who report just the opposite. THis scares me to death! I have already gained 10# back practically overnight from the swelling in my leg and that is bad enough. I am so close to my goal and then to have this happen just sickens me. Can anyone who has taken Cumadin tell me about their experience? I lead a VERY active lifestyle and with the exception of right now where they are not letting me do hardly anything, I will return to this shortly I hope. Anyone????

Thank you for your response. I hope I am not on it very long. The Dr. says to plan on 3 mths minimum. I am going to seriously freak out if I see weight gain because of this drug!

I am glad I found this topic. as I too have gained a pound after surgery, I had lost 8 pounds and for the past 4 days ...a bit of weight gain and 700 calories the most per day...

I had the same concerns myself a few years back, as it is genetics on both sides of the family to be overweight. I am the obese one of the family on my side, and yet, I was always the athletic one, go figure. On my husband's side, he has one sister who is obese, as well as many great aunts and uncles and his mother. The rest of his family has a weight problem, but it's minimal. On my side, half are overweight, the rest are thin, and I am, as I mentioned above, the only obese one in the family. I've learned with my kids, to limit junk food intake, and teach them about healthy eating habits. Tell them why a glass of orange juice is better for them (potassium for the heart, vitamin C for colds) than Hi C, or a side of salad instead of chips with their sandwich for lunch. I find that if they understand the importance of nutrition, and not weight gain/loss, it is less intimidating to them. If you constantly get after them for having a freeze pop on a hot day, you will only make them feel guilty for having it, then they will sneak food, to make themselves feel better. Let them have that treat- it's ok, so long as they get enough exercise and eat properly most of the time! Isn't that what we should concentrate on, instead of scaring them into eating their way into an eating disorder? I cannot emphasize enough, physical exercise. I see way too many kids, obese, heavy, and skinny, playing too many video and computer games. Kick their butts outside, give them a ball, and tell them to PLAY. For that matter, join them- you'll both benefit from the exercise and fun.

Today I am up a couple of pounds from the water weight gain from salty foods and junk over the weekend. Today I am feeling more in control:clap2: , I hope it lasts., I will try hard. I went grocery shopping and bought my protein. Those out of control, need to push food into my mouth are so intense and sneaky that they are here before you know it. Missed the onset cue. :phanvan AM 3 bites cereal and millk coffee, splenda, cream

Yea, I would have to say the weight gain is from the "last meal syndrome." lol. I'm usually able to loose weight pretty quick so I'll just try to loose it before the surgery. Yea I had to get off of the birth control due to the higher risk of blood clots.

New to this app. Don't really have a support group to ask. Is it normal to gain 3 lbs in a week this soon? I had RNY bypass April 20th and this just really got me down today. Sent from my LG-H811 using the BariatricPal App

His name is Carter Lee and he was 20 1/2 inches long and weighed 8 pounds 9 ounces. When I found out I was pregnant, I was worried that I would have to be unfilled. But I talked to my doctor and she said she'll keep a close eye on him and how well he's growing and as long as he's growing fine, I wouldn't need to be unfilled. Obviously he grew just fine....he weighed almost 9 pounds and I delivered 2 weeks early!!! So thankfully I was able to keep my weight gain to a minimum. I squeezed (and I do mean squeezed) into a size 14 pair of jeans today. That's down from a size 22/24. It is so nice to be losing again. I am trying to stay away from carbs until I get another fill. It seems to be working. Thanks everyone for the congratulations. It's good to be back on this website and to read how everyone is doing.

Since I have decided to be sleeved ( I am not yet) I have gained about 15 lbs. It really is the "worst" and "hardest" 15 lbs. I regret it terrible. I had no physical ailments related to weight except for my appearence yet since my recent weight gain, my feet ache, my back hurts and now finally my wedding rings no longer fit. You would think that would halt it as this stage considering I need to prepare myself. I have asked myself why, I can not come up with an obvious answer why I continue to sabatage when I am so gong ho and excited about being sleeved. I can say there is a fear behind it for I feel it but can not quite say it is because I will no longer have food. I realize I can eat in the future, I read read read on here. Look up all types of info on being sleeved but continue to just eat. I know this surgery is not magic fix it all surgery. It is hard work and dedication. I just keep saying -this to shall pass..... focus, focus, focus. Being aware is part of growing out of it right. I am surprised but not really so many are doing this. I am so glad I seen this post. Somehow it gives me hope.

I was banded Dec 28,2012 and have only lost 40 lbs. Last month I only lost 4 lbs when before it was going so fast. I hate to ever tell my business but I suffer from bipolar disorder and the meds were what caused my weight gain of 75 lbs in 5 yrs. I don't need a fill,I am already super cautious because I seem to get"stuck" pretty easily. Is the hunger just in my head? I used to not get hungry for hours and now I find myself grazing. Not gaining weight,just not losing as much. Any advice?

AVERAGE weight loss for a band patient is 40-60% of excess weight (depends on age). This includes the people who never followed through with the aftercare or who the band did not work for/they did not work with it. Some surgeries are better for different types of people- sleeve and gastric are kind of a one-stop shop, where you go for surgery and immediately feel the effect of surgery. Lapband is progressive restriction and requires constant maintenance. I like that the band is removable if problems arise and that I still keep my stomach/intestines. The band is usually slower weight loss, but the five year outlook shows that the band is comparable with other WLS in terms of weight lost. If the band doesn't work, then I can consider more drastic options. The only real concern for me about other WLS would be that after a couple years, the stomach may relax and stretch, causing weight gain due to eating more. There is nothing else to be done if this happens except consider banding. I guess this means you need to eat right mentally from the start, even though for the first couple years you could eat crap and lose weight anyways due to the malabsorptive nature of the procedure. You must decide what kind of aftercare you want and what types of pros/cons you are willing to accept. Best of luck.

i have suffered from depression for most of my life but had been free of it for the first time ever for a little over a year before being banded. as a matter of fact, the main reason i needed to get the band is because of weight gain from antidepressants. anyway, i'm about 2 mos post op and have just been hit with horrible depression!! i read in some other threads that it can be common, but i'm wondering why. i'm thinking that it's because of the lower carb diet? i usually get anywhere from 30-50 carbs a day now, which is WAY lower than i used to eat (but eating too many is what causes weight gain for me). i exercise several times a week and am on a low dose of zoloft (which was working great before banding). i really don't want to increase my dose because it causes me to be hungry all the time and gain weight but feeling bad isn't working either. also, i definitely get in my Protein and Water every day and am taking Vitamins so it's not that. anyone else have depression after getting banded? any thoughts?

See my stats... 30yrs old about 9 weeks out. I increased my consumption this weekend to 4 oz at each meal per my NUTs instructions, and I ate kroger deli albacore tuna salad for lunch and dinner... stuck with one egg and a laughing cow wedge for lunch. Woke up this morning and popped up 3# from Sunday to this morning. Did you guys ever pop up like that? I had a little bit of broth from a pot roast my wife made, and I am telling myself its just Water weight from the salt content of the broth. I was on a good run too... down from 229-223 in about a week or so after being stalled at 229 for a week. Thoughts?

Hey all, im back, thought i was gonna die before surgery, but here i am alive and well. Just wanted to say THANKS to all who wished me luck and kind words. My dear buddy striver, hows hj, thanks for all ur support and encouragement, gifts and visits from u and ur family love u heaps and cant wait to get working with the olive oil and vinegar:sneaky::wink:. Oh and thank you Fanny for that little bit of info that helped me through my shock of weight gain, ive just got on to mushies 4 days ago and already noticed the stall and slight weight gain its reassured me that everything is quite normal:thumbup:. STRIVER uve go to teach me how to do that tikker thing, speak to u soon.

Jatherley, I agree with itsMe2033. The weight gain is most likely fluid retention and the amount you ate was much smaller than what you ate before you had surgery. Eating correctly after surgery is one of my biggest concerns. It is going to take a lot of planning on my part. I have been working a lot of hours lately and have to be prepared. I will need to make sure I have some Protein drinks at work in case I don't get out on time. I come home some evenings and am so tired so I know how cooking can sometimes be a chore. I plan to have items that cook up quickly such as grilled chicken breasts so all I have to do is heat them up. A good idea is to have some hard boiled eggs ready. You can eat them alone, in salad or put into tuna salad. You've got this. You have recognized you are not making good choices and getting back on track. Good luck. I know you can do this.

It's the strangest thing to watch and feel my body lose weight and change. I mean just the weirdest sensation. I have to wonder why I didn't feel this when I was gaining weight. As uncomfortable and as many weird sensations as I've felt losing it, you would think there would have been some tell-tale signs when I was gaining; but no. Or maybe I just chose to ignore them. So the strangest sensation to me is feeling my ummm private areas shrink. I know most overweight people have what they call a "fat pad" covering their pubic bone area.. but as my stomach shrinks and that area shrinks it's just the strangest feeling. I woke up this morning like something was "off" so I go and look in the mirror and I was right something was indeed off.. FAT and unwanted pounds. But now.. now one side of my stomach is an inch tighter than the other side. Ok so maybe all of this is an overshare but I KNOW I cannot be the only one experiencing this. Like I look in the mirror and while I never had a HUGE belly it did hang more than I would of liked stopping just before my pubic area..but now the right side is up and so is the left, just not as much as the right.. a whole inch difference to be exact. Thank the Lord for being celibate right now because ummmmmm my naked body changes on a daily basis! There's no hanging/sagging skin - THANK YOU JESUS! but the fat I do have is shifting/changing where it's deposited at as I lose it. For instance.. my bra-line incision is now in the middle of my stomach and to the left, not under my bra and centered like it was. I'm at a point where I'm SO anxious to see what's underneath all of this, I now understand why people get surgeries like liposuctions and tummy tucks... Watching my stomach shrink and get definition is AMAZING to me... especially when I really haven't been working out. I know I know.. I could be alot further on in my process but I was so consumed with other things I wasn't making time to workout like I should...and the muscle weight gain I experienced was a turn off but now I'm back at it. Doing what's necessary to burn the rest of this weight off and sculpt the beautiful body I know is underneath. I've always had a nice shape, just a big shape..an hourglass but the big ben of hourglasses....if that makes sense lol. So I'm SUPER anxious and motivated to get to the final result. In the meantime these sensations are just SO weird to me.. and when you think about it, it shows you just how amazing the human body really is. The sensation I'm experience is my skin being able to breathe, being exposed to air after being covered by layers of fat or rolls previously. First it itches and can be painful as the skin is healing but then it just heals up into smooth, soft, supple skin. It's the most amazing thing. The down side is seeing stretchmarks where I didn't know I had them.. like the backs of calves. I've always had nice legs, big, powerful, muscular, as the little bit of fat that was on them goes, I can see the traces of stretchmarks, everyone says I'm crazy and they don't see anything, but I see it, has to be in the right light but it's there.. I see it! Then again I've had stretchmarks since I was 8 yrs old... They're all old and faded and blended in with my skin. Only if I tan too much do they really show or turn red. Ok I'm rambling but seriously this journey is just AMAZING to me... absolutely, positively AMAZING.

Hang in there Dawn, I felt just like you do. I was starving. Plus I was doubting my decision to have LAP-BAND®. I started thinking "oh no another failed diet", and I paid $10,000 for this one! I chose the LAP-BAND® based on the fact that I was always HUNGRY:reddevil: and that is what was causing my weight gain. I didnt drink sodas or eat unhealthy food I was just HUNGRY:reddevil:,even after I just ate. Then I had my first fill and everything turned around. I had to really start eating slow and cut my food into 1/4 inch squares but I was no longer HUNGRY:reddevil:. The hungry devil was gone. During the month after surgery I had to tell myself "I can do anything for 3 weeks", "I can do anything for 9 more days". Resist as much as possible, dont beat yourself up for the weight gain and just try to make it for the next 9 days. Once you start with the fills and are able to eat everything will be ok! I also needed to replace the physical act of eating with a hobby. I know this sounds weird but I missed the physical act of eating. Kind of like a smoker who enjoys playing with the cigarette. Try something like scrapbooking, knitting, cut out pictures from magazines and make collages etc., they dont have to be expensive or even pretty just the physical act of doing something will replace the physical act of eating. You can do it, dont let the doubt win!

I'm Laura, a low bmi self pay who's decided to give myself a tool in my arsenal in my lifelong battle against obesity. I'm just tired of fignting so dang hard and never feeling satisfied no matter how much I eat. All of my siblings are at least 100 lbs overweight, and I'm close to being there myself. I know I could wait a few years, gain 25 lbs, and get my insurance to pay for everything...BUT...this is not how I want to live my "one wild and precious life" I'm turning forty in a few months, and feel 40 years of scratching and clawing in a constantly losing battle of weight loss and weight gain is just about enough. My surgery is the day before Thanksgiving, and I'm nervous and excited. Mostly nervous because I'm afraid that once again, I'll blow it. I know the band is not a handful of magic beans, that it is a weight loss aid, and I still have to eat right and exercise. That said, I'm so comitted to doing my part. New lease on life. New stomach, new me. hee hee.

Hi, it's been 3 years since I had the sleeve. I lost 124 lbs. , started at 287 and got to (my goal weight) 165. But now here I am 3 years later at 181 lbs. and struggling to loss that 16 pounds and get back to my goal weight of 165... I'm snacking to much and find I'm eating a little more at meals than I used to. Is anyone else having this problem? Dori

Hi everyone, My name is Deb, I'm 47 and I've been dieting on and off since I was 12yrs old. I'm 5'5", 212lbs and I will be banded on Nov 12, 2010. I've wrestled with getting the LAP-BAND® since I am barely at a weight where it can be done. I am a self pay and they have agreed to $12,600 for everything. Now I know why I've had those savings bonds sitting in the safe all these years. I've looked on the internet for folks around my size who have decided it was worth the risks and haven't found much. I have decided to take care of the problem and not spend the rest of my life fighting an endless battle. I have not always been fat but have fought my weight all my life. My weight has been a major issue for me for as long as I can remember. Now I've gotten to the point where I just don't have the stamina/heart/inspiration to stay on the diet and weight gain roller coaster. My goal weight is between 130lbs and 145lbs. Because of my age (and the fact that to much weight loss may result in wrinkles and sagging skin) I think around 140lbs will be good. Once I get there, I plan to get an inner thigh lift (I have bags), breast lift, chin lift, and eyelid surgery. I was pleased to find out I could get all of this for about $15k in Gainesville Florida (2 operations, can't do it all at once). I started the protein diet today. Dr. Brient's diet entails 4 protein shakes/bars and one high protein/low calorie meal daily for 14 days. I bought several brands with under 160 calories ea. to try. I plan to put the shake in a blender with ice and turn into a milk shake so it will take longer to drink. Very soon I will find out if it's all worth it. It may be the biggest mistake of my life.... we'll see. The closer it gets, the scarier it gets. :thumbup: I just know I've been dreaming of buying great clothes and looking fab for 47 instead of like a fat grandma.

Go back to basics Alf, under 40 carbs per day, low fat, high Protein foods. The weight gain is coming from the foods that you must be eating.. Watch what you put into your body, get an app like my fitness pal and monitor everything. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

hi am 23 and when i hit nearly 23 stone i really thought i needed to do something about it so i went to see my gp about things and i was put forward for a laparoscopic gastric band. Then in october 2009 i went to a meeting about what differnt ways there was ballon, gastric band or the bypass i went home and thought about it my next appoint wasnt til feb 2010. By then i new i wanted a laparoscopic gastric band. Altho this was a scary thought i was weighted and told what things maybe causing my weight gain. So from feb i started looking at differnt diets to suit me in the end i combined 2 differnt ones the british heart foundation diet and the free foods list altho it took me at least 3 month to find the right diet for me it was worth it in the end. i lost nearly 3 stone by the time i went back to my next appointment and the pannel team was very happy with my porogress. i had also hit a record weight loss in the clinc of 16kilos i no that is short of 3 stone but i had put a few pounds on before i lost weight after my first appointment i am so proud of myself (i also recived a letter this morning sayin i was a record breaking weight loss for the clinic which will take pride of place in my home to sppur me on the lose me weight). after my appointment in oct i was in hospital the next week for my laparoscopic gastric band to make sure i didnt put the weight back on. i am 3 weeks out of surgy and feel like am ready for this challange . the first few days were hard and i wont lie i had regrets about getting it done but after the first week everything had time to sink in and i know it is the best thing i could have done. since having the band fitted i have lost 6 pound i no that isint a massive weight loss but its still 3 bags of sugar and when you look at it that way a loss is a loss its better than putting more weight on. i am very excited for my first fill which should be in about 3 weeks time i havent yet had a date. every 2 pound i loss i can say good bye to a bag of sugar and the less sugar i eat they more of those bags i can throw!! its easy to get disheartened and feel down and at the time food looks like the best way out i have done it for many years. normally the first thing u grap is the quickest and easy food so why dont you have a look of a free food least (foods that hasnt many cals and is very low in fat) and always have them to hand or prepared in the fridge as this may help. if anyone has any advice for my feel free to email me thanks victoria xxx :cursing:

MsCarla, I was banded at the end of July 2010 and am down 40 lbs. Mine was elective surgery and was out of pocket. I had to lose 55 lbs. I tried everything and nothing worked! I decided, after long consideration that lapband was my answer. When I spoke to my 10 year old son and asked him his opinion, he told me that he loved me just the way I was, but that if I didn't love myself I needed to go through with this. He is way wiser than his years. Being that i am a full-time single mom and we do everything together I felt the need to explain the procedure to him and the implications.My Mother was a much harder obstacle to surpass. Eventually she came around. Besides my son, parents, and a couple of good friends no one else knew about my lap band. I decided I got enough criticism about my weight gain and any changes I make in my life that it was my choice. Everyone wants to know what "diet" I am on and commenting how good I look. I just smile and tell them lots of exercise and eating right. Mind you, these are a lot of people who use to call me fat and ask me if I was pregnant. She who laughs last has the last alugh. I feel wonderful and am nearing my goal and no one needs to know how I got there. Barbie

A testimonial from the website of the hospital I will be banded..... insipires me whenever I feel like I need a pick-me-up... just wanted to share. I have found that there are certain "stones" that you must claim as your own and use with almost religious zeal to keep the tool of bariatric surgery sharp and effective. I think every person who has this surgery builds their own cairn out of the stones that they discover work best to encourage them. So here are a few of mine. Stone #1—Quiet Reflection This one takes different forms for different people—prayer and meditation, transcendental sauntering, yoga, sitting quietly, being. Take your pick, but this is an important discipline as it keeps the bariatric patient in touch with the one thing that our weight and former dependence on food distanced us from—our feelings. You must think about how you feel, stay aware of how you feel and set your compass each and every day to make all of the choices that keep you feeling good, feeling lean, and feeling in control. Stone #2—Meaningful Movement Do something. For me the compliance to this particular "stone" is profoundly personal and it took me almost four years to figure out that I would exercise far more consistently if I would work out early in the morning versus in the evening when I almost always had a conflict or flagging motivation. Committing to a time that no person or event could challenge and making it virtually impenetrable from interlopers made this one of the most significant assurances for me. If I start with this stone on the cairn—even if it is just a 45 minute energetic walk—everything else seems to fall in place. Put simply, if I even reluctantly walk over and pick up this stone (no matter how heavy) and carry it to my weight loss cairn each morning, I know that I will virtually run and, with little effort, pick up the rest of the stones that day and stack them on the monument of the day's success. Make this stone anything you like—for me it is walking, rowing, dancing, or maybe a touch of light weightlifting that I should actually do more often. Stone #3—Liturgical Vitamin Ceremonies My vitamin consumption has become an almost holy symbol of my intent to honor the body this surgery gave me. I bought a tea box (a wooden box with 12 square compartments) that sits next to my favorite chair. Every morning and night I open it up to behold the vitamin selection that assures my good health. There they all are—the multi vitamin, the Co-Q10, the calcium, the Colace (still needed from time to time). I take vitamins several times a day, and each time I take one, I whisper "I am good to me." Stone #4—The Security of Staples Always, always, always have the staples you need to stay the course for good health. This takes discipline and a list (laminated and always with you). For me, the staples are hard boiled eggs, fat free cottage cheese, Montreal steak spice, Lite Havarti cheese, apples, blueberries, fat-free yogurt, and Crystal Light. These must be in my reach at almost all times or I will most assuredly make the same bad choices that caused my weight gain. Make your own list and carry a small cooler in your car everyday if you must—and I have—so that you have no excuse. Never, never go home without knowing that you have the staples you need there. I do better without too much choice. An important related "stone" to this one was a hard one for me to acknowledge and eventually convince the rest of my family to join me in honoring. I cannot have any food in my house that is not desirable for a weight-loss patient to consume. Once that first year of no appetite passes and hunger makes its inevitable return, the same temptations you once knew will be back. Even though you will feel rotten if you succumb, it is just too tempting. I find the de-temptation of the home environment and replacing it with staples (symbols of on-going health) is critical for me. Any family member frustrated by this strategy can find plenty of excuses to sneak out of the house for a non-healthy treat. Stone #5—Surround Yourself with Stone Masons This has to do with the ongoing support we all need in life to achieve any of the goals we set before us, particularly the goal of good health after weight-loss surgery. For some, this may mean participating in support groups. I have had a mixed reaction to formal groups for bariatric patients. Prior to surgery, I found the groups to be absolutely inspiring with so many stories of success transformation. They were a remarkable source of hope during a time of despair. However, not long after my surgery, I found that most support groups were negative. The participants focused on what wasn't working, what they couldn't eat, or what they didn't like. Since I had been totally prepared for the changes that my surgery was intended to bring, I did not find what I wanted in a group. Look intentionally for a support group that absolutely encourages the excitement (and yes, reality) of a body that has been readjusted completely to bring about a transformation. Yes, our cups may now be literally half full, but our lives and futures are virtually overflowing. Surround yourself with people who see it that way and, do as I did, select your own personal support team. The people on that team are your stone masons who will help you set the stones you choose in place and secure them for life. Stone #6—Celebrate and Play At least once a quarter, take a day to do nothing but celebrate. Keep a list of the things that you always said that you would do when you lost the weight—take a hike, ride a horse, go to a concert, climb a mountain, go sit on the beach and watch a sunset, shop, etc. Write down everything you can imagine and, like a bucket list, do them one by one. Plan these important days, give them to yourself and review the stones in your weight-loss structure. If you can, take the day off on your surgery anniversary and honor your good health. Stone #7—Share the Joy Take some of the new energy of life that is most certainly one of the extraordinary benefits of weight-loss surgery and give it away to somebody who needs it. Do this in whatever way the world calls you to give something back. People carry "weight" in very many ways and I think we end up with an obligation once ours is gone, to help others carry their own or lose it as the case may be. Stone #8—Lighten Up and Face the Facts The reality of my numbers is as follows. The last time I weighed prior to surgery, I was a precious but substantial 327 pounds. I would lose a total of 167 pounds, 18 of which have found their way back. Of course, this predictable weight gain is a fact that strikes sheer terror in the heart of any person who has struggled with weight loss and knows how easy and devious the return of pounds can be. However, using the stone stacking method described here, I have discovered how to maintain my weight within about a two-pound fluctuation over the past year. Put simply, the balance of stones and habits for me that I have in place right now will accommodate maintenance. What I also know is that if I want to be as lean as I have been (which I very much would), I will have to exercise a bit more and trim some additional calories out of my diet to create that outcome. These are facts, not magic and not a failure of the surgery. Just a reminder that I will have to continue to use my stones in different ways everyday for the rest of my life to sharpen the tool of my surgery and create the monument to good health that I want my cairn to be .