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Hi guys I've not been on here for a while, I just seem to have had hardly any time to myself since starting back at work a couple of months back. I'm nearly 19 weeks pregnant now, can you believe where the time has gone?!! I'm starting to show a bit now, but I think it's also down to the chocolate cravings I seem to be having - typical! Why can't I crave celery or tomatoes!?! Well, I had 0.5ml out when I first found out I was pregnant which took me back down to 6ml in a 7-9ml band. I was glad I did as the band tightening with the wrenching down the toilet! When I got to 13 weeks and the nausea had past I had the 0.5ml back in over 2 fills. I do have a bit of restriction but not great. I was tempted to have a bit more in just to stop me from eating too much but I think it'd be pointless as I just need to start eating the right stuff and not give in to my chocolate obsession! In the last 19 weeks, I lost about 5lbs in the first 12 weeks but they seem to have gone back on now. But I am pretty much the same weight now as pre-pregnancy but I suspect I may have gained a couple of lbs the last few days. But at this stage with Harrison I'd put on at least a stone may be more so I am pleased to in effect not have put anything on. Wendy at WLS was happy for me to lose 20lb of fat throughout the pregnancy but I just don't think that's going to happen. But I'd be happy with just a moderate weight gain and then start again after the baby is born in March. It doesn't help because our fridge freezer is broken and keep losing it's 'coolness' so I can't put much in there. The fault is really rare and it's been a nightmare getting it sorted and sourcing the part. I should all be fixed in another couple of weeks so I can start buying more and freezing stuff again. Hubby went back for another 8 weeks last week (was 3 weeks waiting for his visa so we had him home for nearly 2 months which was fab!) so it's down to cooking for myself which I find hard. Any ideas for easy suppers for one?!! Anyway I'll stop babbling! How is everyone, I've not had time to go back and read any posts unfortunately. I just hope everyone is doing well and their eating is more in control than mine!! I'm putting this last few days down to comfort eating too since hubby went back to work! :confused:

glad you got things sorted out sher your back on track now,as for the weight gain i must think i will never eat food again and im eating all my favourite stuff,i think ive gone up another 21 pound lol.As for the vivid dreams,i have panick attacks if i worry too much before i sleep,as i normally think about getting banded in the evening,so i listen to paul mckenna I CAN MAKE YOU THIN lol the weight is still comming on but his voice is soo relaxing it helps me fall asleep,good luck hun im just getting my bag ready,and the stuff i will need,i like to pack early chat soon:thumbup:

Heather, that's horrible. Your price is more realistic, but still I know how hard it is to come up with that money last minute. I'm in your boat. Luckily, I don't think mine's an emergency. Occasionally I lay in bed and panic that the tube is loose and digging into an organ, which is why I am getting the contrast this week to check the status. Once I find out what's going on, I'm sitting on it till I can get the sleeve. I'm on the other end of the spectrum, I'm just gaining weight. I'm sad and weepy all the time too, but I can't pin point the problem. Weight gain, money, failure in general, and I think maybe too late PPD. I am going to my PCP this week and getting some anti-dep. for the time being. I am glad you're ok now, it's all behind you.. and you didn't plan on having any more kids right? If I wasn't planning to have a baby #2, I would be more willing to just fix my band. But, I'm not real confident about band & pregnancy, and the prospect of going through this again. Or any more revisions for that matter. Wicked was awesome of course.. Carson did good at his g'parents, except when we went to pick him up apparently their dog had just barked right behind him and scared the daylight out of him. I was rocking and soothing him for 30m and he still would burst back into tears. Brought him home, bathed him and re-packed and he stayed at my parents last night. I am getting in the shower, then heading to their house for our cook out. Hope everyone's enjoying the day off!

This cannot be sugar coated so here it goes. First forum post in my life but seriously need to talk about this. My short story first. Had the band, lost 110 pounds. Got down to 117 and felt amazing. Then it sucked. Irritated my stomach and the let out and fills and throwing up and weight gain got old. So transitioned to sleeve on 12/12/16. Started at 162, 155 day of surgery and down 143 and stalled. Ok no problem. Stomach feels great. BUT tonight had the most horrible experience going to the bathroom. I have no kids but I'm pretty sure this was similar to giving birth. Hard. Stuck. Extremely large. After an enema , and drinking a laxative and three long camp outs in the bathroom and very loud grunts and screams, I was relieved. My friend had the bypass and the same thing happened to her and I took her to the ER. I was never told it would be this bad by my staff???!!! This should be in bold letters on all paperwork! I've read some places on different things to do but would like advice on best intake regime to keep this from happening. I take a probiotic but should I take a daily Fiber or laxative and what is best? Anyone else go through this??? Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Here's another surgeon opinion: My guy is more concerned about weight loss rather than weight gain after plastics. He said a 15 lb weight gain would make a negligible visual difference, but 5-10 lb loss would/could likely result in skin folding along the scar incision. At the time of my consult, I was 127 lbs and he was not concerned about more weight loss because he said "You don't really have anything left to lose". Well surprise! I've gone down 13+ lbs since I saw him last. We'll see what he has to say next week at the pre-op appt. P.S. A small part of me (a VERY small part) is low-key considering postponing the surgery to give me more time to be at specific weight for a longer period of time. This coupled with the fact that as time goes on, I don't seem to be bothered as much with the state of my skin as I was before. I'm totally walking around naked and don't mind it one bit (Mr. is pleased). ALSO, my plastics priorities are changing. Now I want a butt lift, I think! I guess this is why (some) people say to wait a while after reaching goal to go down the plastics path...

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?).

I too loved my steak experience and will pursue it more often now. 🙂 Sorry to hear about your PCOS. I have a colleague with PCOS and it causes weight gain for her too. She is very frustrated because she eats so healthy and can't lose. I forgot to mention that during my short vacation back to my home town I also went to the Melting Pot to celebrate my Mother-in-laws' 80th birthday. If you haven't heard about this place, it's a fondue restaurant--lots of courses. My husband and I split a plate of meats, I had a few bites of his salad. The killer (and my favorites) are the cheese and chocolate fondue courses. I had two pieces of pretzel bread dipped in cheese and for dessert one brownie bite and one strawberry dipped in dark chocolate. I was happy I could enjoy the meal with the family. I don't do a lot of breads and zero pasta, but because the meal is over three hours, I was able to eat a few of my favorites. This was a wonderful feeling...to be able to eat small amounts of foods I enjoyed. I finally feel as if I'm getting the hang of this lifestyle!

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!!

The report below came from John Hopkins health Alerts. Thought you all would be interested in it A revealing study published in the International Journal of Obesity (online edition, June 27, 2006) highlighted 10 reasons why Americans are fat. The study explained that too much food and a lack of exercise are not the only factors contributing to obesity. They identified 10 other possibilities: Weight gain factor 1. Less sleep. We’ve gone from an average of nine to seven hours of sleep a night; sleep deprivation is linked to a more robust appetite. Weight gain factor 2. Pesticides and other chemicals in foods. These substances can change hormonal activity, which can boost body fat Weight gain factor 3. Air conditioning and heating. We don’t sweat and shiver as much as our ancestors, so we don’t burn as many calories. Weight gain factor 4. Fewer smokers Nicotine is an appetite suppressant. Weight gain factor 5. Greater use of medications, such as antidepressants and diabetes drugs, which have weight gain as a potential side effect. Weight gain factor 6. Population changes. There are now more older people as well as more Hispanics in the United States, and these groups have higher rates of obesity.[/font] Weight gain factor 7. Older birth mothers, whose children are more prone to excess weight gain than the offspring of younger mothers. Weight gain factor 8. Genetics. Obese moms may pass the trait onto their children in utero. Weight gain factor 9. Higher body weight = greater fertility. Heavy people produce more offspring than thinner people. Weight gain factor 10. Assortative mating. Heavy people tend to mate with each other and produce heavy children. <!-- google_ad_section_end --><!-- / message --><!-- sig -->

I hear you Lisa. Fortunately, my weight gain is due to happy stuff...Corey and I are having fun with food, and it's hard for me to get the genie back in the bottle. But I've been told by my doctor and others, that I need to drop a few lbs. and I know that I want to be at around 125 lbs. I'm creeping way too close to 140 and that's bad....really bad. So...I can tell you already that I'm still in Florida on 11/26 and in Philadelphia on 12/3. I might be able to do 12/17. I have plans for dinner with a friend in Flushing and I might be able to do both dinner and a meet up depending on what time you guys typically meet and of course where. If Corey isn't working that Saturday, I might even find myself on LI at his place. I suspect though that he'll be working and in the city by me....which means my taking the LIRR out there and then taking it back to Queens. Let me check with Corey...and let me know what time you think you would meet and we'll go from there. I don't even know if the date works with everyone else....

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

I went from a 50H to a 36H now. I had a breast reduction in 2003 but they got bigger again after having by son, gaining a lot of weight, and breastfeeding. I was hoping weight loss would get me down to a DD or so, but no such luck. [emoji24] My cup size never did change in the past with weight loss or gain though, just the band. The only time it did was after the weight gain after my reduction. I was a 42DD after thag surgery until my pregnancy and went up to an H. They aren't as big as before my reduction at least! It is SO cool being a 36 band too! Sent from my Pixel 5a using BariatricPal mobile app

@ms.sss Wow congrats on your surprise vacation. Get bikini fit before you go, You deserve to indulge and enjoy. You know yourself best. Try to be ok with a small weight gain. You can trust yourself to work it off after you get back. I am just checking in after a short vacation and family wedding. A fantastic time was had. I was 130 at the start of vacation and I’m now 143. A bit over my ten-pound bounce range. Clothing is tight. My body is not used to the craptacular food and alcohol choices over the last week. I feel sluggish and not myself. I appreciate how good I feel when I eat on plan. Looking forward to getting my weight back in range.

Bell, I am getting banded in 2 weeks. I have been researching the band for over a year. You are asking some great questions. Different people get banded for different reasons. I have absolutely no problem losing weight. I never have. Unfortunately, I am even better at gaining it. I am getting banded for portion control. I look at the band as a tool for stopping or slowing weight gain. I think I will be successful with it because I usually eat the right things, meat and potatoes. Just too much of them. I will do my part by losing the weight when I can and the band will play its part but keeping me from gaining it back when my willpower dwindles.

I DID IT!!! I finally broke though to the 120s! So excited this morning to see 129.6! I want to maintain between 128 - 132. I feel like I am there! At six months old I was pulled off formula and put on skim milk due to excessive weight gain. I do not remember a day in my life when I was not trying to lose weight or thinking about how out of control my weight was. I have to say that NOT wanting to lose more weight is really a foreign and kind of scary feeling! I guess it's going to take time to get used to it! Carol

@@Bronxmerci Oh sweetheart I am so sorry. I have fear too, I know I just have to make good decisions and eat things that nourish me and not harm me. Some days the decisions are easy and others they are much harder. I know I have already discussed my fear of weight gain when I am ready to start having babies with my friend and boyfriend. I know I am not ready to face that yet. Please continue to reach out to us. You can do this, you can be healthy and gain weight. food does not equal weight gain and weight gain does not equal fat. Pregnancy needs food for nutrients and needs weight gain for health. There is healthy weight gain :-) I know it scares me and I can't imagine how you feel but one day at a time girl.

Hi, Well... taxes are done and we don't have to pay too much. Well, Earl thinks so, but I'm happy with the bottom line! That is a big load off my mind! Used H & R Block software and it really wasn't that hard. Went to neighbor's today (Judy) and she walked me through 2 more hearts.... one from scratch, the other, the gold one I made 2 weeks ago and then had to take 40% of it apart because I found a broken bead down in the center.. I think I can do one on my own now. Swavarski crystals are expensive and it takes 74 of them to make a heart, but, they are so pretty. Want to make one for each sister and my Mom and two daughters and daughter-in-law. Don't know if the granddaughters would really appreciate it. But, I went over there about 11:30 a.m. and by 12:45 I had one done! Next one is going to be an iridescent capri blue! Linda.... wasn't concerned about the beads, just need my "stackers" back. I think I'm going to put in an order to FireMountain for some more beads. But I really need to get at the rests of my unfinished projects, too!! iPad and new laptop were purchased with some of my insurance money from the accident. Will save the rest for our next vacation. Haven't yet played with the new laptop. And maybe not tonight because we're going to a performance at the clubhouse tonight. http://www.freddiepelletier.com/index.html We've heard them before but not for a few years. Very talented, and funny! I think we're going early for ice cream! Not a good idea! I had a big weight gain at TOPS yesterday. Back on track w/exercise and food. But they usually have skinny cows or low cal option. One week from today we will be in Cabo! Leave next Friday morning at 7a.m.

Janet, I still can't beleive that the 'before' pic was you. You looked good then, but 'wow' your 'after' is know down gorgeous. Your short story is perfect, there is a spelling error in the 3rd to last paragraph where you say 'bad' instead of 'band. But you said eveything perfectly. So you have a 'slip' with the cheeto puffs, Toss the rest of the bag and drink lots of fluids this weekend to get rid of the extra salt. With that much salt, naturally you are going to show a significant weight gain. But is will ge Water weight nor 'fat weight'. Hugs on the furry issue. Miss Molly wakes me up on a regular basis. Needless to say, I am tired this morning, typing with my eyes closed. Well Janet, enjoy your workout. I'll think of you trapped at the gym. TTFN

So I had some news from one of my dear friends...she is expecting. I am happy for her but I won't lie and say a part of me is envious and I even got teary. My last miscarriage was 3yrs ago which is what pushed my weight gain way over the edge. I know I have to wait awhile before even allowing myself to think about pregnancy and I will be 33 in a few days so...I know the risks will only get higher. I'm trying to think of how I'm using this yr to work on me and then can go from there. I went fabric shopping today after work and picked out some cute cheerful fabric to start working on a baby quilt. Trying to count my blessings. My sweet only child will be 10 on Sunday and he is truly my blessing. Every year i think how blessed I am to have that tiny preemie baby healthy & happy with me. So...goals for July...(1) lose 10lb (2) start running again (3) rock my 33rd bday Thanks for letting me vent!

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

Hi y'all, I am only two months out but have already had to deal with a two week period of not losing an ounce and a few days of actually gaining 3 pounds. From my own (still quite early) experience I think we need to be careful about what "gaining" weight means. I think we will all have small fluctuations. I think a true weight gain is an increase in weight that does not go away even after time (hmmm, how much time? I am not sure) has past. I suspect we all had weight fluctuations before surgery. The sleeve is a procedure not a magic wand. Life's old rules still apply (pre-menstral blot, constipation, water retention after a high salt meal, etc. etc). These were cause for temporary weight gains for me in the past. I suspect they will be for me still.

When I was prescribed Spironolactone for PCOS-related acne by a dermatologist when I was 20 he told me that it would likely cause a weight loss, and it did. At first. I was elated with the medicine because I lost about 10 pounds on it, saw my pores shrink and my acne vanish, and it caused my periods to stop for a few months (which at the time was something that I saw as a blessing rather than a worry). The honeymoon period ended but I hadn't realized it because the effects of the medicine were really insidious. Over time it contributed to substantial weight gain, sleep disruptions, fatigue, and a plethora of other problems. I started reading more reviews of the medicine on various boards and discovered that many other women had similar experiences, with positive effects at first followed by gradual negative ones. My endocrinologist had me wean off it last year prior to surgery. She said many women, especially those with endocrine issues, have experienced weight gain, depression, and other problems, and that it shouldn't be taken long-term but frequently is. My blood pressure has actually been much better since going off of it, and my skin actually looks much more youthful and clear without the drying effects of the medicine. I sleep better, am more energetic, and have definitely had an easier time losing weight. I would talk with your doctor about your symptoms and discuss whether it's a medicine you absolutely need to take.

Water weight gain, hormonal changes. Really what is 5 lbs when you've come so far? Now if your talking 20 or 30 then that's another issue. I really don't think that weighing yourself every day is good for your psyche anyway(imho)

I'm thinking of quitting drinking altogether. I'm 7 months out, I never drank much before and with the no eating and drinking I chose to keep drinking. So I'd drink ALMOST the whole bottle of wine but I don't get drunk fast like they say we do. I don't want to have one glass because hey, what's the point? I never considered myself a food addict, I ate when I was bored, but when I had a food I really liked and bought it once in awhile I would gorge on it. I'm not even a fan of the taste of most wines until the second glass. Transfer addiction. Sadly my mom had this happen with her bypass. She lost the weight, started drinking and became a raging alcoholic for years. Now she's 5 years sober. (12 years post op) But she also put on 40 pounds in that process and with guilt of the embarrassment and also recently losing both her parents she is struggling to get it off. So...anyway I know I won't be one of those people who can have that one glass of wine, I drink to get buzzed which always ends up in la la land and eventually weight gain. Nope. Done. The only place I will miss having a drink is weddings because they are awful sober. Did one 2.5 months post op, that dragged on and people were crazy drunk. So I said I'm thinking of quitting drinking in the beginning of this post, yeah as I've wrote about it and processed it more I'm definitely quitting.

I saw the surgeon last Wednesday. He said he would do either the gastric bypass or sleeve on me but said that in both operations after three years the stomach stretches and weight gain is almost certain. Know two people who had the bypass who weighed over 350 lbs have both regained all their weight,even after one had loose skin removed. I'm not paying £10K for this and have decided to pursue other weight loss options. I'm pleased to hear that others with the sleeve are doing well and can only say-long may it last and best wishes.