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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.

Do you mean 3---5oz drinks or 35 oz of drink I drink a 14oz bottle of protein 3 x's a day that's it for me I get a sf pudding, popcicle or jello in between, I have had tomatoe soup but next day I have a weight gain fluid I think I think this is all trial and erro I have talked to people who say 1 day you can eat something and the next day it makes you sick just get plenty of fluids of some kind is what I was told. Good luck at the Drs.

Hi,Clempier Hang in there, as women we get one huge roller coaster ride every month. I won't even weigh myself one week before or one week after my period becuase I know with water weight I'll be up,but then a week after my weight is back down. The weight gain even though its temporary "freaks" me out so for my sanity and my husabands i don't weigh.You are trying to juggle a lot of balls at once sister don't forget to pick your battles. God bless you, Book

Concerning WIC, let's see how you twist this "drama" around: How WIC Helps WIC saves lives and improves the health of nutritionally at-risk women, infants and children. The results of studies conducted by FNS and other non-government entities prove that WIC is one of the nation’s most successful and cost-effective nutrition intervention programs. Since its beginning in 1974, the WIC Program has earned the reputation of being one of the most successful Federally-funded nutrition programs in the United States. Collective findings of studies, reviews and reports demonstrate that the WIC Program is cost effective in protecting or improving the health/nutritional status of low-income women, infants and children. The following highlights some of the findings (pertinent references are provided). Improved Birth Outcomes and Savings in Health Care Costs Improved Diet and Diet-Related Outcomes Improved Infant Feeding Practices Immunization Rates and Regular Source of Medical Care Improved Cognitive Development Improved Preconceptional Nutritional Status Other Improved Outcomes Summary References Improved Birth Outcomes and Savings in Health Care Costs Research has shown that the WIC Program has been playing an important role in improving birth outcomes and containing health care costs.7,20 A series of reports published by USDA based on linked 1988 WIC and Medicaid data on over 100,000 births found that every dollar spent on prenatal WIC participation for low-income Medicaid women in 5 States resulted in: longer pregnancies; fewer premature births; lower incidence of moderately low and very low birth weight infants; fewer infant deaths; a greater likelihood of receiving prenatal care; and savings in health care costs from $1.77 to $3.13 within the first 60 days after birth.3,4,5 Improved Diet and Diet-Related Outcomes Studies have found WIC to have a positive effect on children's diet and diet-related outcomes such as: higher mean intakes of iron, vitamin C, thiamin, niacin and vitamin B6, without an increase in food energy intake, indicating an increase in the nutrient density of the diet;19 positive effects on the intakes of ten nutrients without an adverse effect on fat or cholesterol;14 more effective than other cash income or SNAP benefits at improving preschoolers' intake of key nutrients;14 and decline in the rate of iron deficiency anemia from 7.8 percent in 1975 to 2.9 percent in 1985 which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention attributed to both a general improvement in iron nutrition and participation in WIC and other public nutrition programs.20 Improved Infant Feeding Practices WIC promotes breastfeeding as the optimal method of infant feeding. Studies show: WIC participants who reported having received advice to breastfeed their babies from the WIC clinic were more likely to breastfeed than other WIC participants or eligible nonparticipants;18 WIC breastfeeding policy and program activities were strengthened in the early 1990's; Between 1996 and 2001, the percentage of WIC mothers breastfeeding in the hospital increased by almost 25 percent, from 46.6 to 58.2 percent; The percentage of WIC infants breastfeeding at six months of age increased by 61.2 percent, from 12.9 to 20.8 percent; and, For those infants who are fed infant formula, 90 percent received iron-fortified formula, which is recommended for nearly all non-breastfed infants for the first year of life.1 Immunization Rates and Regular Source of Medical Care A regular schedule of immunizations is recommended for children from birth to 2 years of age, which coincides with the period in which many low-income children participate in WIC. Studies have found significantly improved rates of childhood immunization and of having a regular source of medical care associated with WIC participation.19 Improved Cognitive Development Cognitive development influences school achievement and behavior. Participation in the WIC Program has been shown to: improve vocabulary scores for children of mothers who participated in WIC prenatally; and significantly improve memory for numbers for children enrolled in WIC after the first year of life.19 Improved Preconceptional Nutritional Status Preconceptional nutritional status is an important determinant of birth outcome. A previous pregnancy can cause nutritional depletion of the postpartum woman, particularly those with high parity and short interpregnancy intervals. One study found: women enrolled in WIC both during pregnancy and postpartum periods delivered infants with higher mean birth weights in a subsequent pregnancy than women who received WIC prenatally only; and, the women who received postpartum benefits had higher hemoglobin levels and lower risk of maternal obesity at the onset of the subsequent pregnancy.2 Other Improved Outcomes WIC participation has also been shown to: increase the likelihood of children having a regular provider of medical care;19 and, improve growth rates.6,8 Summary: WIC reduces fetal deaths and infant mortality. WIC reduces low birthweight rates and increases the duration of pregnancy. WIC improves the growth of nutritionally at-risk infants and children. WIC decreases the incidence of iron deficiency anemia in children. WIC improves the dietary intake of pregnant and postpartum women and improves weight gain in pregnant women. Pregnant women participating in WIC receive prenatal care earlier. Children enrolled in WIC are more likely to have a regular source of medical care and have more up to date immunizations. WIC helps get children ready to start school: children who receive WIC benefits demonstrate improved intellectual development. WIC significantly improves children’s diets. WIC reduces fetal death and infant mortality. I don't see how you can call yourself pro-life and be against WIC. Of course, you will notice that I don't call you pro-life, which you aren't, but rather anti-abortion, a BIG difference. But it doesn't really matter because people who are heartless can find numerous ways to justify it.

Thank you all for these tips. I found through my weight loss I became very obsessive and would be self conscious anytime I ate something I wasn’t suppose to : which is good and bad, good bc I’m aware, bad because I beat myself up over it. The weight gain was fast and unexpected. I started today my do over diet, I didn’t realize how off track I. W.a.s because I found myself lost at what to pack for lunch. I appreciate all your support, I forget that this is a life long journey not just a quick fix and I really do need to work at it. I’m happy you guys responded to me and helped. Thanks so much.

Well I had my 2 week checkup today and I have lost 4 lbs (I didn't know b/c I don't weigh at home). I thought I had lost more, but the nurse said 2 lbs a week is perfect. I was just eating SOOO much before the band (trying to cram it all in I guess) and now I am probably taking in 1/4 of the calories I was, so I thought I would have dropped some water weight quickly (or something!) My doc HATES weighing - he says we should only go by how our clothes feel. But I haven't been weight lifting or anything so I know its not muscle weight gained or anything. Anyway, if these 4 lbs never come back ever again and this is the last time I see those numbers on the scale I will be happy! I have my 1st fill in 4 weeks so we'll see! Anyway, anyone else feel this way? My doc says my body may need more calories to lose weight (the starving body theory). Who knows? I will just keep on what I'm doing and now I can add exercise so that should help~ Hope everyone is well!

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

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

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

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

Oh, and I'm scheduled for 6/17. (RNY - was gonna do sleeve but I decided on the RNY after talking a lot with my nutritionist and doing research) Was supposed to be May 4th, but was postponed due to COVID-19. I was feeling pretty hopeless that entire month and a half when it was cancelled (cancelled late march..), so I gained some weight. Luckily, my surgeon said no more weight gain and we can still do the surgery. My insurance doesn't have any requirements but the 6 month weigh ins. I'm 16 days away and I"m pushing myself with eating more veggies, more protein and drinking more water. It's stuff I've done before, because I lost ~80lbs on Keto a year and some change ago, but gained it all back. I figured this time, I can do all those changes I made w/keto, and the new tool of the surgery and I should be set. 🤞

Hi everyone, I was catching up on reading posts and you guys are crazy funny! I watched myself on tv last night - the show was taped right before surgery. It was good to see the change, and I could see it, although my hair is long now so that was also different. I weigh myself when I feel good or know I have been really bad so I can keep it under control. I saw Hoffman last Tuesday. I gained weight but he didn't make me feel bad. He really emphasized how much he wanted me to eat Breakfast and even said I could have sips of coffee with it if that would get me to eat. I get up have coffee and 2 gummy Vitamins, 4 benefiber chewys and my medications and I am full! I understand I have to get my metabolism moving. He also said he would like to see me loose 10 more lbs. Hey now that I said it out loud that is not to hard. I can do that.......... I think the first year is hard. You are trying to get in a routine and learning how the band reacts and works. I am looking at my 1 year anniversary next month and I think it is finally clicking. I do see a food therapist once a month and last week she used props, a heavy chain which we used as a kind of tug of war, and I think I am finally getting it. Dr. Hoffman was very happy that I wasn't blaming the band on my weight gain. I know the band works. It is the head that is still a little off balance. I don't have time to get on this site often but I do enjoy all of your insights. HOpe to see everyone at the support meeting Wednesday the 16th at 6pm in the cafeteria at Buffalo General.

Amanda- I still see my life coach once a month. I think it is money well spent. I am hoping to go to an as needed basis after the first of the year. It has been over a year since I started seeing her and she is just a great source of support for me. I think I am finally settling into my band. Quite a few people at work noticed how much I've lost and are in awe so far. It feels good to get compliments and encouragement from co-workers. I had a few rough weeks but no weight gain (thank goodness). Where the heck is Jonathan???? Shall we go to New York and hunt him down?

HI guys....I've been MIA for a few weeks, and have just read all the posts I have missed. Sounds like many of you are doing all the right stuff to get back on track. Congratulations on the re-comittment to yourself! Scrappy, so glad to hear that your healing is going well. You are an inspiration. Amanda, sounds like the trip to Alaska and the memorial for your mom all went well. Been thinking about you. I have more issues....as Fenton so kindly once pointed out I must have been really bad in a previous life.... I have lumps....on my hips....they are weird. I felt one in the shower one day a few weeks ago and figured it was a lipoma (benign fatty lump) No biggy! Well, over the next week a new one popped up on the other side that was painfull...so I took a look at work one day. Well, it did not look like any lipoma I had ever seen and surprise, surprise there were many of them. I showed a couple of radiologists and they immediatly suggested getting a biopsy. Of course life does not move that quickly.... Now after another sonogram and consults with my doctor and another radiologist I have a CT scan of the pelvis scheduled for Weds and an appointment with a surgeon scheduled for August 3rd (masses on the hip are not so urgent). They are doing the CT scan before they will do a ultrasound guided biopsy of the largest lesion on my left hip....that's the fastest growing and the strangest looking on ultrasound. Well....it no longer hurts and it seems to have slowed the growth...all good things. The worst it could be as far as I can tell is a liposarcoma and the most likely is fat necrosis (but why the heck is the fat around my hips dying/growing/hurting?????) I figure if it's not cancer of some kind, maybe it will be one more thing to present to the insurance when I want my tummy tuck. If I have panniculitis (fat necrosis) it would be a good reson for a panniculectomy, and maybe they could fix my hernia at the same time. The stress of all this combined with my mother having hip replacement surgery and my lovely husband thinking I am having an affair (HA-HA-HA) has led me to a 13 pound weight gain over my lowest weight. YUCK! Still have a very hard time with solid Proteins (empty band) and the bad stuff goes down oh so easy! Christine

And I hope he steps up and starts figuring some things out! I am a recent (3 month) PICC line user (November 29 2018- February 26 2019) although I was happy with lessing of my malnourishment symptoms and believe you me, YOU CAN FEEL A DIFFERENCE, I realize now the 1400+ calories it contained slowed my weight loss almost to a stand- still. About a pound or so a month. March 1, so right after -267 pounds , now I do not own a home scale, after ichucked one in the dumpster after it refused work right, long before surgery, when I was trying to lose weight with my diet pills and was getting nowhere fast, bet I am the only person in history to take 1 month of Phenteramine and GAIN 30 pounds! So I only weigh at my PCP and surgeons offices. Drum Roll Please- March 26 2019- 234.6 pounds, my Golden Honeymoon Months may NOT be over- they always you have just so many months of smoother quicker weight loss and then things slow down. This makes me feel better about ME, see I started out in October 2017 with a highest admitted weight of 365+ , I say "plus" because I was so disheartened by how my body was " back-stabbing" my best efforts to lose, I refused to climb on another scale. Figured the the next step would be the Farmers Equity where they weigh out feeds on a massive scale. Went through a bariatric Plan for the second time, quite a story there, went almost all the way , my job was terminated, lost the insurance that would paid it and surgeon's office failed to inform me I could have gone with my secondary which had less stringent requirments and I could have had my surgery, although I was one month short of finishing Plan # 1 requirments, this was August 2015 through January 6 2016. PCP sent me back to that place again after the monster weight gain, went through all their. specifications, jumped in and out of hoops they erected, tried to act righteous, followed their " Company Rules" only to be told in February 2018 their head surgeon. no longer felt any urge to do my surgery, would not permit his 2 or 3 partners to do it either. Yep kicked" right to the curb" after he had raped my insurances of all the monies He could get. I finally got mental closure on it, God says I should forgive the Stupid Sack,of Offal, but I shall never forget! So I transferred to OSU, the place I should have gone to in the first place. Would you believe my PCP sent me to place #1 because he thought it was " Christian- Based" and what a Giant Farce that was! Went through Ohio States requirements, there were a few extras I still had to do, but in consideration of me not filing an equivalent of "Breach of Promise suit" they were forced to release all my previous records with no detrimental observations. And another thing to my benefit , Ohio State actually liked me, pledged to work with me to make my weight loss journey and surgery a Good Thing. And on September 5th 2018 I received the RnY bypass I had been struggling to receive for over 3 years. It will be forever my Wonder Wednesday, my Day of Days when all my mental pain, all my sorrows and my feelings of unworthiness went away.And I am eternally grateful for the second surgeon, he was a better person as well as a more skilled and compentant surgeon than that poor excuse for a Human Being I first encountered. As you may have guessed I have not had the easiest of healings afterwards, I am now 73 and some things just don't heal as qucickly or smoothly as they might were I In my 20s or 30s, but THEY have been with me, supportive all the way! " This isn't working? Okay we will find an alternate way of doing it!"And although I could not have forecast these 7 months they have still contained joys and successes. I am still in IT to WIN IT and the rest of my life will be the BEST of my life. This is a vow, I am seeing Onderland ahead for me, where I can break the 200 pound barrier and in the distance shining like a beacon is my Finish Line, my Victory Lane and I am going to make it THERE! My Will is STRONG, my body? Well it may be only along for the ride but we are going to make it THERE!

This is worth posting here... Here are some snippets from recent posts on the Too Much On Her Plate blog. Click the links to read more! There will be a place to share your comments, thoughts and ideas at the end of each post. 1. Podcast: Why Smart Women Struggle with Weight Loss Last week, my friend Scott Tousignant invited me to record a podcast for his blog. The topic was Why Smart Women Struggle with Weight Loss. We covered a lot of important material, including emotional eating, tips for helping busy women trying to manage their weight while juggling everyone else’s needs, and the mindsets that can sabotage weight loss attempts. If you have 20 minutes, I strongly recommend you take a listen. 2. What Could You Do in 100 Days? I received an email this morning alerting me to the fact that there are exactly 100 days left until the end of the year. What a great time to assess where we are with our health, our personal and professional goals, and to ask how we want to spend the final 100 days of 2009. Are there changes you would like to see with your eating, your weight, or your fitness? Would you like to readjust your life balance? How would you like to spend the next 100 days of your life? For many, the holidays—and all that comes with them—will be here before we know it. (Stay tuned, you’ll be hearing more from me about this.) What would you like to do differently this holiday season? 3. The Great Plate Experiment: Week 1 Week one of the plate downsizing experiment is officially over. We’ve moved the old tired chipped dishes out of our kitchen and are now eating off pristine, white 10-inch plates (9.75-inches actually), just like Brian Wansink recommends. As you may recall, the author of Mindless Eating and his team have done research on plate size and food intake and found that simply reducing your plate size from 12-inches to 10-inches could result in an 18 pound weight loss for the average American. I promised I’d report back in and I’m here to tell you that the results so far are promising. 4. Do You Have Time to Stop Overeating? Do you have the time to stop overeating? To take control of emotional eating? To get on track with your healthy lifestyle goals? Lately I’ve been encountering many women who tell me they don’t. I’ve been hearing from women who are incredibly frustrated with their eating habits, their weight gain, their lack of progress on important health goals. I’ve talked to women who fear their family history of diabetes or heart disease. I’ve talked to women who’ve even had weight loss surgery and are terrified because they are seeing the weight they’ve lost start to creep back. I’ve also talked with too many women who have put some aspect of their life “on hold” until they can start losing weight. Their struggles with food and emotional eating or overeating are something they think about every day. 5. Free Teleseminar: One Minute Plan for Dealing With Challenges How many times have you set a goal or started down a path towards change only to fall off track because life got too hectic, you got busy, and your plan fell off the radar?How often do you feel so busy that you aren’t even sure HOW to slow down? Do you sometimes feel you don’t even have time to think let alone create a plan for success? Slowing down is hard. Stopping and listening to yourself is hard. Being mindful of where you want to go is hard. What if I told you that there is a one minute plan that could start to make these things easier? I’m thrilled to be interviewing Stacey Mayo, The Dream Queen, and the creator of The One Minute Meditation™. on Thursday, September 17 (that's tomorrow!) Our Topic: The One Minute Plan for Dealing with Overwhelm, Stress and other Life and Business Challenges 6. Business Travel and Healthy Eating October will be a travel-rich month for me and I’ve been busy this morning firming up some travel plans. Booking an airline ticket is high on my list of “not fun” activities, as is the actual airline travel. Travel days seem to get longer and longer–and then there’s the food. Maybe it’s boredom, the stress of flying, or just being out of my routine, but I get hungry the minute I get on a plane. Without pre-planning, I’m likely to be stuck with unsatisfying junk food (or nothing at all). Does traveling tend to knock your healthy eating plans for a loop? 7. How to Make Time for Fitness “How do I create a fitness program that will last—when I’m time crunched, stressed, and overwhelmed?” This is a question I’m asked all the time: “How can I fit it all in? I know I should exercise regularly but I just don’t have the time/motivation/resources/energy to do it.” Consistent exercise is a big challenge for many women. Whether you are a busy professional, a solopreneur working from home, or you are home juggling the needs of small children, consistent exercise can be a difficult habit to start AND a challenge to maintain. 8. Is Night Eating Sabotaging Your Weight Loss? The after-dinner hours are a prime time for overeating, emotional eating, boredom eating, and eating out of tiredness. Not only do the calories add up, preliminary research may support the theory that our bodies actually put on more weight from calories eaten at night. 9. Personal Health Care Reform It’s mid- September. If you’ve been telling yourself all summer that you’re “waiting ‘til September” to take better care of yourself . . . you’ve just run out of excuses. 10. Tooting Our Own Horns I see it over and over again, and okay–I live it too. We may be smart, we may be strong, we may be very good (or think we are) at doing a million things at once, but most of us aren’t very good at giving ourselves credit (dare I say, indulging ourselves in our just desserts?).

Your band can get tighter because of stress. I had this happen when I had to go to St. Louis for a few days. The trip wasn't stressful, but I never felt that I had enough time to eat. Many people notice that their bands get tighter during their period -- well, right before it and when it first starts. My theory, you ask? Alot of women retain water before their period (thus the weight gain)...I think that affects the band too. Causes things ALL OVER to swell. If you had a PB, you should back off a little bit. If a PB was bad enough, your stomach might have been irritated because of the PB making you even tighter than you were before. This is very common -- alot of surgeons recommend going back to liquids for 12-24 hours after a PB because of this. The restriction may have kicked in. Alot of people swear that they don't feel their fill until 2-3 weeks after it. I haven't ever experienced this and I personally can't figure out the "science" behind it, but so many people have said it, that I just got to believe it to be true.

Correction everyone, my BMI is 29. Just got back from my OBGYN and she let me know that I've gained 10 lbs since I last saw her 6 months ago. She is concerned with my cholesterol levels as well as my weight gain over the last 5 years. However, she wants me to try Weight Watchers before I go through with WLS. I've tried weight watchers before and it didn't work for me. I just seem to struggle with my weight and can't lose it. I'm worried about becoming a diabetic like my other family members. Anyone have a jump start diet they know of that would possibly work? I think I will try and see what I can do once again on my own for the next several months and if I can't do it, then I will opt back to the sleeve. I was just hoping to be a little smaller for swimsuit weather coming up. ????

@@Jenaenae84 Wow you are doing really well!!!! I haven't weighed yet (didn't want to get bummed out with the weight gain from surgery), going to the Dr. tomorrow for the 2 week check up & will get weighed then. I feel like I have lost a few lbs. but I'm sure its not as much as I would like! Will see! I'm a slow looser no matter what, I guess thats part of the reason I had this surgery! @@anewme2015 I'm sure you do feel lonely not feeling like you could tell everyone! I told everyone but I can tell you there is some people I wish I hadn't just because of there attitude, other's have been very supportive & usually have a story of someone they know who were very successful! That is why this forum is so great, we are here for you, going through this same journey. Some days are better than others! Hopefully the kids will understand Mommy has a belly ache! Best of luck to you when you get home!

Looks like we are all surviving the holidays. No weight gain would be a great task. Remember those holiday season when and added 5-10 # would be the norm. Just think where we all were a year ago and how far we have all come since then. Congratulations to all of us!!

Phyl, remember they have been pumping you full of fluids. Naturally you are going to have a weight gain. Right now it is about healing!!

So glad to have helped. You made the right choice; the doctor is always ready to answer any questions, no rush. Don't pass by Natalee's office without picking up a card for your pocketbook. It's about how you should feel and when to gage if you need a fill or not. ( I got to know her my last visit out there and found her to be an exceptional resource for diet, and kind of a "go to" person). She gave me this article: Think You Need a Fill? THINK AGAIN By Nikki Johnson Do you remember that feeling you had when you first had your band placed? For a while, everything was great. You didn't experience hunger, you felt satisfied with a small portion of good food, you had more energy, and you were thrilled with your initial weight loss progress. If you are like most people, your experience changed over time, Some of those feelings of hunger returned, and you stopped losing weight. You knew you needed something, so you went to your surgeon's office and asked for a "fill" right? If so, you might be surprised to learn that it is your thinking about your band, and not the band itself, that needs adjusting. The LAP-BAND Bad Word Paul O'Brien, MD, FRACS, is a skillful, compassionate surgeon and a foremost expert on the LAP-BAND System. he was involved in its design in the early 1990's and placed the first band in Australia in 1994. Since then, he has treated thousands of patients and is recognized worldwide for his expertise. When his patients utter that worst of four-letter words, "fill," in his office, they are asked to throw a dollar in the Red Cross donation bucket--a reminder that, according to Dr. O'Brien, thinking about a "fill" is just wrong thinking. How can a concept that we hear about so constantly be so very wrong? Dr. O'Brien's answer is simple: "Any adjustment to the band is something that only takes place in the context of clinical consultation--part of a relationship of trust, honesty and communication between patient and surgeon--that is much more key to the success of the patient than the precise number of milliliters of fluid in the band. This concept of partnership is the central theme of Dr. O'Brien's new book, The Lap-Band Solution--A Partnership of Weight Loss. Patty's Note: Available on Amazon.com ISBN#9780522854121 Like many people, you might assume that weight gain or a sustained plateau means an incorrectly adjusted band; in fact, you may be right. But you may be surprised to learn that weight gain sometimes results from a band that is too tight. This is part of the reason why the "fill" concept is so misleading. If your surgeon determines that you are not losing weight as you should, then discovering why that is happening is crucial. Sometimes adding fluid to the band will only make matters worse. Life in the "GREEN ZONE" Most people who have the LAP-BAND operation will have an amazing feeling of disinterest in food for the first week after surgery, before any adjustments are even made to the fluid in the band. According to Dr. O'Brien, that lack of interest in food is referred to as satiety. A related but different feeling is satiation, or the feeling you get as you are eating, precisely at the point that you don't need any more food to eat but you do not have an uncomfortable feeling of fullness. These two feelings--satiety and satiation--are what the properly adjusted band helps you achieve, allowing you to maintain your new healthier eating habits. Your careful observation and truthful sharing of your feelings and eating behaviors, combined with the expert care and training of your surgeon and his or her staff, can make the very individual determination of whether your band is properly adjusted much more accurate. In order to help create the most effective partnership between themselves and their patients, Dr. O'Brien and his colleagues at the Australian Centre for Obesity Research and Education have developed a concept they refer to as the "Green Zone". When patients are in the green zone, they experience satiety, satiation after properly-sized small meals, and satisfactory weight loss or maintenance. However, there are also yellow and red zones, both of which indicate that the band is not optimally adjusted. If your band is too loose, you will not have the benefits the band's hunger-controlling mechanism. If your band is too tight, you will have trouble eating properly and may actually gain weight because the foods you can eat more comfortable, that tend to be liquid and calorie-rich, like ice cream and chocolate, do not provide the proper nutrition. Learning to recognize when you have the feelings and eating behaviors that signal a problem can help you give your surgeon the information he or she needs to help you keep the band optimally adjusted. Thinking Adjustment Once you have eliminated the concpet of "fills" from you Lap-Band vocabulary, you will be able to let go of much of the conventional thinking connected to it. Perhaps you have heard talk about the "ideal" amount of fluid in the Lap-Band. While it may be helpful to have some idea of how much fluid is in your band, Dr. O'Brien says there is no magic number. No perfect amount of fluid will provide the best results for everyone. He says, rather, that "whatever volume of fluid is needed to achieve the [feeling of non-hunger] is the correct volume." When you notice that you are feeling hungry or are not losing weight, your body is telling you it is time to revisit your partner in weight loss -- your surgeon. your success absolutely depends on this relationship. So rather than thinking "adjustments," adjust your thinking, and, in partnership with your surgeon, find a lifetime of health! For more information about all of the themes discussed in this article, please see Dr. O'Brien's book, The Lap-Band Solution--A Partnership for Weight Loss, which is available fro Amazon.com. We also invite you to visit LAP-BAND® System Forum - Home for more information and supportive resources. You should ADD FLUID Hungry Early Big Meals Looking for food You are OPTIMAL prolonged satiety Small meals satisfy satiety Satisfactory weight loss or maintenance You should REDUCE FLUID Difficulty swallowing Reflux - hearburn Night Cough Poor eating behavior Regurgitation

Hi girls. Well, looks like I'm probably gonna lose my band :hurt: . I'm still in a lot of pain, only now it is 2 very distinct types of pain. One is what I have had all along... the crushing, spreading pressure/gas-like pain, the other is what I call the "ball of pain" that is the feeling that someone punched me in the right boob and left their fist in there. This occurs when I eat or drink anything and lasts for hours. I ended up going to the ER 2 weeks ago for this new pain. They told me my stomach was still distended (like I didn't already know that). They also called Dr Metz about this. He called me back about 4 days later (nothing like customer service, huh?) And told me that he thinks the band is pressing on the vagus nerve and is probably is going to have to come out. This scares the HELL out of me!!! I still have at least 50 pounds (my goal) to 90 pounds to go (where the BMI charts say I should be). I am so afraid I will put all this weight back on. We just started with Kaiser, evidently so did Dr Metz, so he recommended I call the head of the bariatric program at KP and ask for a referral to see him. I did this and she told me she had no problem referring me, but she wanted to talk to him first to see what his plan of action was. I am still waiting to hear back from her, too. I finally got into a gastroenterologist, it took me 3 weeks to get an appointment, while I was steadily geting worse each day. I have gotten to the point that I am barely eating/drinking for the pain. Now I am so weak I can barely stand for more that a minute or two at a time. I figured they were going to jerk me around... "Here, try this med and come back in a month" type of thing. But she was like "I can get you in tomorrow for an endoscopy" This would have been at St Joe's but admitting was already closed for the day, so we made an appointment for tomorrow at 11 AM at the Kaiser office downtown. She will be looking for an ulcer or stricture, though she told me she doubts it is either of these things. I told her of my weight gain fears without a band and asked her if I truly have gastroparesis (basically your stomach muscles aren't working to push the food through... it just sits there and rots) if a bypass would fix it (that seems to be one of the few things that works for people). She told me that if she doesnt find anything tomorrow she is going to call Natalie (the head of bariatrics) and suggest she refers me to Dr Metz for exploratory surgery <Yikes> and a bypass. She said she feels that this is being caused by something structural, and I will definetely have to have exploratory surgery, so they "might as well do a bypass while they are in there". I am reallly freaked out about needing X surgery. And if I can't have a band I will take the bypass. Now I'm stressing thinking that Kaiser will not want to pay for the bypass, since they tend to have a lot of hoops to jump through before they will pay for bariatrics. I am hoping that they will not deny this since: 1). This would be done to alleviate a very real, dangerous stomach condition. And, 2). I have "proven" myself and my commitment already by losing 113 pounds with the band. Of course, now (for the first time in probably 20 years) I am under a 40 BMI. This may come into play also. I didn't elect for bypass in the first place because of the risks and more danger associated with it.... but I guess the risks of ballooning up to over 350 pounds are pretty high too. Figures..... I decided on who I was going to go to for my PS, and to have my boobs done too. Now this is most likely going to be put on the back burner for quite awhile. Best case scenario: She finds an ulcer, and I am all better after 6 weeks of meds. I can get my band refilled and have my lower body lift. Second best case scenario: Kaiser pays for a bypass, I quickly lose even more weight, and look even better after my LBL. The last scenario: Kaiser refuses to authorize the bypass. Dr Metz removes the band and I see how much it would cost for me to pay cash for a sleeve while he's in there. There goes my plastics money..... OR ..... I go to Mexico for a sleeve or the new sleeve plication. Again, bye bye plastic surgery. :broken_heart: Sorry for the long post, and I'll post back tomorrow after my test.

WOW, this is very interesting information to know. Looks like my body did the sudden shift as you will see. I think I will be watching my moods. Well, after ending up in the ER, it changed a lot of things for me. I never want to be in that kind of pain again or have a gain. Since then, I started eating right and walking almost every night (i hope it will be every night soon). I went back to the doctor this week (2 weeks after my initial 6 lb weight gain, in which he gave me a fill and he later removed it). I stepped on the scales and loved it. Eating right, thinking positive and exercising helped me lose 14 POUNDS in two weeks. I could not believe it. I am down almost 50 lbs. I look forward to going on walks because I get a chance to think about all the choices I have made and need to make in my future. I am sure losing that much in two weeks was odd, so my goal for next month is to lose a total of 10 pounds. Keep your fingers crossed.

Still loosing and almost 6 months pregnant. No weight gain yet