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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.

Hey Everyone, Am I too late? I have been on an LBT leave since Thanksgiving. Thankfully, I did not do too much damage to myself. No weight gain but I am back at week 2 of my couch to 5k program. grrrrr. I started back on my workout plan on 12/31 and I was stumbling on the boards looking for a challenge and came across this thread. I would love to join but understand if I am too late...let me know if you have room for another. I have been working out all week and should meet my goal of 300 min cardio and 180 min strength for the week. Have a good night all.

Hello all. My name is Caroline from Memphis. I have three grown children and two of them are considering having babies. I have to get in shape! I've been steadily gaining weight for about 20 years. I'm 5'3", 263 lbs. I start pre-op diet Friday and surgery is scheduled 11/22. I'm so tired of being tired, my knees hurt all the time, acid reflux stinks, COPD and asthma are worse with weight gain, depression is worse, on days off I just want to sleep. Something very strange...since I got my surgery date I've realized how weight gain has affected my life for so many years. It's been very depressing. I want to be able to put socks and shoes on without huffing and puffing. I'm glad to have found this group and the segment for 50 and over. I look forward to starting my journey!

OMG!!! I really needed to see this post today. with some weight gain over the holidays, i have only managed to lose 22 pounds..but I can honestly say that it has not been a slow process because of the band. They say eat protein but I am sure they were not refering to a 10 piece hot wing 2 times per week. So i rededicated myself to the band as of Sunday just passed. Not dieting but making better food choices. Have lost 2.6 pounds since sunday. Exercised everyday so far on my wii and have just realized that i can't focus on what the band "will let me eat" and eat what i know I need to eat. I spent so much time trying to see what i could and couldn't eat that i slipped back in to bad eating habits..had started back frying foods and stuff.. but as I said, sunday was a new start for me and I will reach my goal of losing 15 pounds by Feb 14th....So to all of you that I am sure will find fault in what i did in the past, my response to you before you even start is "Who cares"!!! I recognized the problem and I am fixing it. Everybody has/had food issues or else we would not have needed the band. For my August buddies that started this journey with me, thanks for keeping me posted on your weight loss and thanks for all of the encouragement that you give by your posts!:thumbup:

Ok, I just found on my policy that bariatric surgery IS covered...if you're "morbidly obese" which in medical standards I am lol... So then I searched until I found the Blue Cross Utilization Management Guidelines which says the following (just more of what you posted above): Medical Policy Subject: Surgery for Clinically Severe Obesity Effective Date: 09/14/2006 Last Review Date: 11/13/2006 Policy #: SURG.00024 Current Status: Reviewed Description/Scope Clinically severe obesity is a result of persistent and uncontrollable weight gain that constitutes a present or potential threat to life. There are a variety of surgical procedures intended for the treatment of clinically severe obesity. This policy addresses those procedures. Policy Statement Medically Necessary: Gastric bypass with a Roux Y procedure up to 150 cm, laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (the Lap-Band® System), vertical banded gastroplasty, or biliopancreatic bypass with duodenal switch as a single surgery, is considered medically necessary for the treatment of clinically severe obesity for selected adults (18 years and older) who meet the following criteria: 1. BMI of 40 or greater, or BMI of 35 or greater with co-morbid conditions including, but not limited to, life threatening cardio-pulmonary problems (severe sleep apnea, Pickwickian syndrome and obesity related cardiomyopathy), severe diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease or hypertension. *Note: Individuals considering the laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (Lap-Band®) procedure must meet the above minimum BMI requirement and, in addition, have a maximum BMI of less than 50. AND 2. The patient must have actively participated in non-surgical methods of weight reduction; these efforts must be fully appraised by the physician requesting authorization for surgery. AND 3. The physician requesting authorization for the surgery must confirm the following: * The patient’s psychiatric profile is such that the patient is able to understand, tolerate and comply with all phases of care and is committed to long-term follow-up requirements; and * The patient’s post-operative expectations have been addressed; and * The patient has undergone a preoperative medical consultation and is felt to be an acceptable surgical candidate; and * The patient has undergone a preoperative mental health assessment and is felt to be an acceptable candidate; and * The patient has received a thorough explanation of the risks, benefits, and uncertainties of the procedure; and * The patient’s treatment plan includes pre- and post-operative dietary evaluations and nutritional counseling; and * The patient's treatment plan includes counseling regarding exercise, psychological issues and the availability of supportive resources when needed. For revision of a gastric restrictive procedure for clinically severe obesity, there must be documentation of a failure secondary to a surgical complication such as fistula, obstruction or disruption of a suture/staple line, and is subject to the same criteria listed above. :amen: Blue Cross of California_ Medical polices and Clinical UM Gui....pdf

Hi there! Nice to see your posts again -=big smiles=- I just wanted to reply about tanning and stretch marks. I know many are against tanning whether it is natural or done in a tanning bed, buttttttt as one who does use the tanning beds and also has the dreaded stretch marks from weight gain and pregnancy I can tell you that it really makes a difference in the appearance of them. Mine are not nearly as noticable when I have tanned. I don't want to cause a debate on the right and wrongs of tanning, but it really helps me.

Thanks everyone. Insurance criteria varies by providers. Most want it to be “medically” necessary. Surgery failure, weight gain, complications etc. I used a medical advocate to gain approval.

slight weight gains when you're in or near maintenance are very common, but I'd try to get ahead of that because it could start getting out of control if you're not careful. It's way easier to lose 5 or 10 lbs than it is to lose 50. I've been in maintenance for about five years now, and I allow myself a few lbs of fluctuation, but when my weight gets up to my "oh crap" number, I spring into action. It's all hands on deck until I'm safely back in range. If 172 is comfortable for you, maybe have 180 as your "oh crap" rate? (just a suggestion - you could make it anything). To get back down, just really buckle down and make sure you're following all the rules until you're safely back down to where you want to be. note that a 10% gain (10-20 lbs for most of us) is VERY common after you hit your lowest weight. It usually happens during year 3, but then, you lost your weight very quickly, so you're likely already in maintenance even though it's only been a year (and congrats, by the way!! That's an impressive loss!!). That 10-20 lb gain is not inevitable, but it seems to happen to the vast majority of us without much "effort" on our part. I think it's just your body settling in at a weight it wants to be (not saying that you're doomed to stay there - with effort, you can get lower - but our bodies do seem to want to settle in at some "set point" - unfortunately, my "set point" is about six lbs more than I want to be, so it's a constant struggle!!)

I am a April sleever ... I was sleeved on april 14th ,2010 and I am down 53 lbs so far ... I have been at a stall for 45 days now with ONLY 1/2 lb lost:sad0:!! Its very frustrating but I know that it will pass. I have NO hair loss :thumbup:.. My hair is actually extra thick!!!! I get plenty of protein and that is no problem.. I just have the problem with this stall. I pray that it will get better.. No weight gain , just no weight lost... I still have to work @ the weight loss with exercise and diet .. NO SILVER BULLET !!!:thumbup:

Hi! I am 15 years out from DS. I will tell you what I was told not only by my surgeon but more or less everyone in my support group. I say from my support group because when I had surgery there was no DS Surgeon in our state and everyone left the state to have surgery, hence I don't think any of us had the same surgeon other than a married couple. EMBRACE THE FAT!!!! Number one rule! If you don't see fat in your toilet your not eating enough. My skin gets extremely dry any time I cut the fat. I am shocked that you were told or assumed that low fat was great for you. Protein should be about 100 grams a day split up in 20-25 gram servings, so any fatty meat is good!!! Avoid sugar. Sugar isn't as bad for DS'ers as it is for RNY, we don't dump. However, we absorb 100% of the sugar we take in. I am also surprised you can eat bread at all. Most DS'er will have bloating and serious gas issues from bread. For me (and from most I have heard from) the gas hits at the night so you may not be aware of it. For me it has been so bad the stink wakes me up at nigh, thank goodness I can blame the dog Try going flour free for a month then reintroduce it to your body, if you have a reaction please stop. To make your diet easy for you, the order you should be eating your food, fatty meats,non starchy veggies with butter or olive oil, if your still hungry go back to fatty meat you didn't eat enough!!! Go easy on the starchy veggies. IF you need bread and desserts, no more than a bite or two. But as my surgeon says, if you still hungry by the time you get to bread and dessert your out eating your surgery! As for malabsorption, you absorb about 20-25% of fat, 50ish% of protein and 100% of sugar (carbs are sugar, stay way from carbs that are not veggies) You need to go back to experimenting with your body, bread...flour based food give me gas, bloat and in the end a lot of time in the bathroom. I also feel like I have the flu. My husband will look at the cookie in my hand and will ask me if I have plans for tomorrow and is it worth being sick on the couch for. Most of the time it isn't! I also have issues with rice, it will clog me up. I have heard of other DS'ers with that issue with rice too, but many more with flour. Sugar will cause the scale to go up. I still eat sugar, but it is a rare treat, not a daily ,weekly or even monthly treat. Mostly a yearly treat at this time of year. But I still very easy on it because to much will cause bloating and gas too. That is normal for humans who don't eat sugar, not just DS'ers. On the sugar note, if your craving sugar your going thru withdrawal or some protein drinks will cause cravings or you need to up your vitamin Bs special B12. Ok, what to eat on the go. I drive for a living so I have this down. My favorite is meat and cheese roll ups. What ever meat and cheese is on sale at the deli. In the roll up I will put a slice of red pepper or a some cream cheese or a smear of spinach dip (fat is your friend!!!) Jerky and beef sticks are great! Nuts. Costco has parmesan cheese chips, LOVE THEM! Tuna salad eaten with a fork with a cheese chip on top. I get the fatty tuna and a bit of crunch from the cheese chip. Love it! Salad with LOTS of meat. I can do chicken strips, bunless burgers, salad at any fast food place. Be careful of yogurt, most are low fat and high sugar. Actually in general avoid any food that is low fat, the sugar is crazy high. If you want yogurt, plain and add your own fruit or sugar free jam to it. You can eat fruit, pick higher fiber ones just be aware of the amount of sugar your eating. I do apples slices and berries mostly, easy to pack for the road. These are treats, not staples. Depression, I never had depression issues before surgery and was not prepared for it after. It hit me about a year out. I take lexapro now, it does not cause weight gain. I have noticed that when I eat more fatty fish, salmon or can tuna in fat (hard to find anymore) I feel better. I upped my omegas when I caught that, so now I am taking those with my vitamins. I would suggest talking to your primary about depression and then getting a therapist or councilor to talk to. Not only for everything going on in your life, you have a lot! but also for food addiction. Surgery will not fix food addiction and if you don't get a handle on it, you will eventually out eat your surgery.

Glad I helped. Don't worry about the weight gain. I at first was upset about the lbs coming back on. But I knew I had my lapband to help me afterwards. Keep us posted/updated as you go along. Nadine

Good luck!!!! I'm a former runner looking to get back to a pre weight gain and pre ankle injury running status I understand where you are. Please be careful and don't push yourself too hard. You'll get there. I'll be cheering you on. Be sure to keep us posted on your progress.

Downloaded the app on my phone and started today. Day 1 was simple. Skin around my incisions was sore a bit from the running segments. Plan to stick with it and my 2013 goal is to run a 5k with my daughters, who are both competitive runners and run track. Used to run a lot before a broken foot and a ton of weight gain stopped me. Can't wait for the first race some time in future...wish me luck!

Hi everyone! My name is Pamela and I am 27 years old. Oddly enough, I was very thin through most of my teenage years, and very athletic. I played a lot of sports in high school. As I got closer to my senior year, I noticed that I was putting on a little weight. I didn't think much about it at the time. About a year after I graduated, I got married to my high school sweetheart. By that time I had gained over 50 lbs and was at about 200 lbs. I was very concerned about how fast the weight came on. I was also having some female problems too. I went to my doctor and he did several test on me to find out if anything was wrong and the results shocked me! He diagnosed me with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). I had never heard of this before. He told me it was a hormonal disorder and one of the side effects was weight gain. He also told me that I would probably have trouble getting pregnant. My heart dropped when i heard this. I always thought when i was ready i would just be able to have a baby. It took 6 years before we were able to get pregnant and by the grace of God we now have a beautiful, healthy boy. I've tried every diet there is, I think, and nothing ever worked for me. I was 330lbs at my heaviest. I have been blessed with the opportunity to get the band. I've been banded for about 10 days and i am doing great. I am sooo excited about the journey ahead. I lost 13 lbs on the pre-op diet and have lost 16 lbs since my surgery. I know i rambled but i just wanted to introduce myself and see if anyone else has PCOS that has been banded and can tell me about your experience. Thanks for listening! Pamela Banded 9-20-07 330/299/150 :rose:

I hate clothes shopping, and fortunately, I wear scrubs at work, so don't need a lot of work clothes. I tend to do mail order, and have a roomful of clothes mistakes from things I should have returned but never did (one of my postop projects). Fortunately my best friend is a shopaholic who considers it a challenge to find things at TJ's, thrift shops, etc. For her, it's a stress reducer, for me, it makes me want to jump out of my skin. Part of me still wants to hold back some fat clothes, just in case. After years of different diets, and the inevitable weight gains afterward, it's hard to have faith emotionally. Although with the band, I gained some back but not up to my top weight. Does anybody else feel this way?

I used the preop phase to ease people into the fact that I'm making lifestyle changes. So I told them that I was trying to lose weight by replacing two meals with high protein shakes and having a low carb dinner. I also bought a 64oz water bottle and have been toting around non stop. Since I had my surgery in Mexico I said I was going to visit family with my parents (my step dad is Mexican and his family lives in Tijuana) couldn't be more perfect. While I was there I made sure everyone took plenty pictures of food as well as tourist sites so I could post them on my social media to make things seem more normal. Now that I'm back no one has noticed too much of the weight loss, the few that have I just keep advertising my protein shakes and exercising my will power when they bring in food for employees. I saw someone post once, "No one asked me the details about my weight gain or how I got there, so they don't need to know the details of my weight loss or how I'm getting there" LOL!

I would appreciate if we could keep this thread from being hijacked to a "weight gain challenge". This thread is for weight loss and those who are serious about the challenge. I'm sure all of those in this challenge will agree. -- La Madam on Weight Loss Challenge thread. I replied, "the mini-hijack was just for a few cheap laughs for those of us anticipating a rough week. To avoid offending the serious, we will move these comments to a new thread." So here it is. This is intended to be a thread where anyone can freely vent (I hope) about the challenges to weight loss. Disclaimer: If you do not want to read about people who are gaining weight, people who are worried about gaining weight, or people who may make jokes about gaining weight, do not read further. My vent: I've been losing weight steadily since my last fill, but after three weeks of immobility I'm starting a course of steroids for disc trouble. The steroids make me feel better, but I gain weight.

Keep your head up. Never know it could be water weight gain. Also maybe their scales are different that your wls office too. All 3 of my Drs say I weigh a different amount

HI leenerbups and all, I know this is an old thread, and by now you've had the surgery and I was just wondering...what happened with your extra weight gain? Did they push the surgery back? Did they do it anyway? I, too, have gained weight and was told the same thing - that I can't gain any weight. I sure hope you are still on the board! Can anyone help?:biggrin::ohmy::eek::ohmy: Thanks so much!

Way to go with moderate ketosis!! I am not doing ketone sicks yet, as I know I am not in ketosis yet. I had a much better day today. Not perfect, but I finally feel like I am getting my head back in this thing!! I am still up 5 pounds from what my ticker says, but I am a little encouraged tonight. You know this all started when I was sick and greatly increased my fluids. Well, I noticed tonight that I have pitting edema (swelling where when you push on your skin it leaves an indention) in my lower legs and ankles. So... my weight gain is most definately fluids. I am drinking lots of Water. Here my nursing diagnosis. I think when I had the virus I became a little dehydrated and then my body held on to fluids like crazy. Now that I am well I am expecting my body to figure it out anytime now and release the fluids that it has been holding on to. Sorry if that was too technical, but I am encouraged to think I have figured out what the deal it. (if I am even right??) Anyway, I am back in it!! You guys are the best. I agree with Mamato, it is sooo great to have a support system to go through this with!! YOU GUYS ROCK!!!

I know they say not to weigh the first week out because you will be upset with the weight gain from the iv,s I woke up and weighed in this morning at 342.4 and I was 344.9 when I went in on Tuesday for surgery. I pray That I keep loosing like this. Having a hard time with the protein shakes right now it soup. So peppermint tea and G2 again till tomorrow.

It is possible with the band or with GBP to eat "around" it and regain. Slider foods, high calorie drinks can cause weight gain. Either procedure is a "tool" that you must help to work and neither is a "magic wand".

You've moved from a no-residue diet to one that lingers in your gut--which in and of itself can account for a bit of extra weight. In addition, you've upped exercise. While it's too soon to be seeing muscle gain, it's very likely that your muscles are holding onto some Fluid. This happens when the muscles cells do not get enough oxygen from the air you breathe. In order to stay well-oxygenated, they revert to lactic acid fermentation--a process that produces oxygen and the metabolic by-product, lactic acid. When the lactic acid level in your muscle cells increases, the body strives to maintain homeostasis by equalizing this concentration differential. Fluid moves into the cells---causing them to swell. The body is usually very efficient when it comes to flushing out this fluid, but temporary weight gain can be expected, post-workout. Keep doing what you're doing---and don't be scared to eat. The weight IS going to come off. In fact, you're losing fat now. It's just that the number on the scale doesn't tell the whole story

Claudia, I have been on a variety of antidepresants for several years, and regardless of the sideeffects of possible weight gain-you need to acknowledge the benefits. I may have gained some weight over the several years but I really think the benefits of the medication definately outweigh the few pounds. Best of luck on your journey, remember you and your health are the most important.

Watermelon has the more sugar than a lot of other melons, if someone wants fruit, there are better options. It is not a low carb fruit. Just because it isn't as high as a pineapple or a banana doesn't mean its low carb. Not to mention it has basically no Protein. We are talking about a person fresh from surgery, not someone in maintenance. @@JMarshall Even right some surgery, Water melon is going to basically be a slider food. Full of sugar, and no protein. Any weight loss patient could sit and eat an entire watermelon if they wanted if they don't dump. It is going down a slippery slope very early on. I am almost 5 years out and I still can't eat a lot of watermelon at 1 time. I have been eating watermelon(juice and slices) since my second month. I am down over 270 pounds as of last week. Yes it can be a slider food but that does not take away it's benefits. I gravitated towards eating cold watermelon because it didn't hurt my stomach early on and hydrated me. Lots of foods are sliders but that does not mean that they are all bad. Just as we cannot blame the fork for being overweight we can't blame watermelon for weight gain. Moderation is key with everything we eat. We can't eliminate everything that has carbs or sugar , but we can be mindful of how much we take in. Sent from my Nexus 6 using the BariatricPal App