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I am at a standstill in weight loss, was counting my calories and watching carefully what I ate, keeping away from carbs and sugars, and getting 800-900 calories per day. I went to my nutritionist and she went through my food log with me, and showed me how on the few days I went over the 900 my notes show how hungry I got (my margin notes say "HUNGRY!!! So Hungry!!!") She said this is typical, she sees it with anorexic patients all the time--it is the body's way of saying "hey, you're feeding me! Do this more! I NEED this!" She says, absolutely, I MUST have 1200 to 1300 calories in a day. She showed me research about how the body shuts down the metabolism when you starve it with lower calories. So now I am working hard at getting my minimum of 1200 calories in per day. I know that my weight gain has been from years of doing this to myself, eating at the wrong level of food intake, as I have always been a "starver" in the goal of staying thin (which obviously hasn't worked!) So, 3 meals per day, all solid food (no Protein drinks, slider foods, etc.), protein first, some carbs with every meal, and 1200 to 1300 calories per day, those are my goals. I'm still learning, though, finding it hard to get the calories up to that level.

I'm 2 1/2 years out from getting banded and having trouble. I started gaining weight and being able to eat more. When I went in to see my doc two weeks ago he seemed completely unconcerned about my weight gain and merrily sent me to get a fill. But during the fill there seemed to be a problem, swelling and perhaps a slipped band (the nurse didn't say slipped but the xray sure looked like it). They sent me home unfilled and on 2 weeks liquids. I was going to go back today but on Friday sent an email to a clinic much closer to my home that also does VSG just in case I need to consider more surgery. The coordinator called me right back (she's banded) and we talked for a long time. They take my weight gain and swelling seriously and want to do another fleuro and possibly endoscopy to see what's going on. And it turns out that they're a provider under my insurance (my surgeon isn't any more). So fills and any additional things I might need will be covered. Plus it's near my home and not two hours away. The coordinator said that VSG isn't covered but replacing the band is. They do VSG but insurance won't pay. They do lots of band replacements and the smaller bands like the one I have seem to be the culprit although I'm not clear why. So I'm headed in tomorrow for an appointment and to find out more. It was a huge relief to find a practice that really seemed to care that I have gained weight and also ready to do more testing to find out what's wrong. For those that might be interested I'll report back what I find out... Britt

You can also click my picture and go to my website and find my first fill on video. Its day 27. So, you just had your first fill. Not so bad, right? For the remainder of the day on your “fill days,” you should stick to just liquids: clear and full liquids. The band around your stomach is a little tighter so it may take a day or two for your body to adjust, so taking in only liquids for the day can prevent the possibility of anything getting “stuck” at the band site. Everybody’s fill volume is going to be different. And the amount of fills you get will vary from person to person. So, don’t compare yourself to others, thinking “why does she have only 5cc’s and I’m at 7cc, etc etc?” It can take a while until we reach the sweet spot of filling your band with just the right amount, to where you can still eat but feel comfortable and satisfied after a small amount of food, and continue to lose weight. Which brings us to the rules of how you should be eating. It’s not just “what” you eat, but also the way you consume your foods and liquids. For the most of us, we’ve been raised in the Clean Plate Club of America, with membership only granted to fast eaters. That behavior has got to change. Remember: SLOW, SMALL, and CHEW THOROUGHLY. When consuming foods and drinking liquids, take your time and slow down. Where’s the fire? When we eat too fast, we often end up eating too much. And when we finally feel full, we’re grossly stuffed. Sound familiar? Being so full, we have to excuse ourselves, unbutton our pants just so we can breathe. If you eat too much, over time, you may stretch your pouch. And stretching your pouch leads to a larger stomach that can hold more food. More food = more calories = weight GAIN. It takes about 20 minutes for our brains to register satiety. Once you train yourself to slow down, put the fork down between bites, and savor the food, you may find yourself being comfortably satisfied with less food than usual. Try it. After a couple bites of food, ask yourself: Do you feel full and satisfied with the amount you just ate? If so, this is a good stopping point and it’s time to step away from the table. For solid foods and liquids, make sure they are in small amounts. No more pelican mouth. If you eat too large of a bite, chances are that you probably won’t chew it well enough. This increases your chance of food getting lodged at the band site. The next thing you should do would be to locate the nearest sink/toilet/trashcan/whatever receptacle because what just went down will most likely want to come back up. Think of a funnel. Only small pieces can pass. Too large of anything: food, liquid, pills can clog up your pipe. With each bite of food, chew thoroughly. Now that you’re reminding yourself to slow down and take small bites, don’t forget to chew your food up quite well. Your stomach shouldn’t have to do much digesting. The food should be broken down well enough prior to entering the stomach. By chewing your food thoroughly, you decrease the likelihood of food getting stuck and increase the ability to tolerate more foods like beef, chicken, bread, etc. And also, chewing your food thoroughly will help you slow down the pace. All of this will come naturally, it just takes some practice. Keep reminding yourself and you’ll realize why it is so important to modify our eating behaviors. Lin Lin Shao, RD LD Bariatric Dietitian

Karen, First, I am so sorry for the pain you are feeling after your surgery. Back pain is never easy. I certainly hope that it can be resolved. Next, please don't let yourself feel "guilty" about gaining some weight. Managing your weight while you are in pain has got to be very tough. Most of us got to be obese by self medicating with food. That has to be very tempting for you now. Last, please get to your band doctor and have him/her get you to restriciton. You shouldn't have to go through this alone. Your band doctor should be understanding of your situation and should NOT make you feel guilty. Don't be ashamed to ask for help when you fall down. What's important is what you do from this day forward. Forget about any weight gain and start fresh today. Best of luck!!

I don't know if it is bad for the metabolism to eat at night, unless you are eating and going right to bed. I am concerned about the fact that I am eating less, but I gained 2 pounds instead of losing. I don't eat much at night, instead lunch is my biggest meal. I bought some cottage cheese just in case it is my lack of protein causing both the hair loss and the weight gain. I am running out of ideas as to what to eat. It is tough since I am not used to restriction, so I don't know what is going to go down with no problems. I am tired of fish.

Helene, We have an awsome God! I knew he would prevail and keep you safe. Welcome Back! The weight gain is more from swelling of the tissues in your abdomin that have been cut and sewed and the maneuvering of your various organs. That weight will come off in a few weeks or maybe even days. Keep coming back here for your support but as indiogirl says, you need to take care of yourself and heal first. I was frustrated trying to find you. I had remembered you saying who the Dr. was that was going to do the surgery. I actually did a lot of research on Australia and have now decided I really want to visit Australia some day. Seems like a really cool place. Hugs, Susan Powell

Being supportive will help for your daughter, but I wouldn't make too big a deal out of it so that she starts feeling more self conscious. It is getting to be springtime now and there are plenty of reasons to get out and be active. Perhaps you could make it a family thing. Also, cooking at home can make a huge difference. Convenience foods are rarely if ever the healthiest. Eliminate junk food as well and support healthy eating. I would never make it about weight gain/loss as much as just healthy living.

Hello, I will be banded on April 16th. I'm doing it for the same reasons you mentioned. Lose weight, gain it back plus some. I'll bet that next to the secondary medical and health issues associated with obesity, most people have been banded because they too have struggled with the yo-yo diets and frustration of losing weight and then regaining with added pounds. Check with your insurance to see if the surgery is covered and what the criteria is. Straight up; what it all boils down to is Banding is forced portion control for those of us who are unable to reach and maintain a healthy weight on our own. I confess, I fit into that category and I know the consequences of my current weight, so I'm happy to have this surgical option. Best wishes!

Today at around 7 I will be attending my seminar. I'm nervous not really sure what to expect of what will happen. I need this, I don't just want it I need it in order to survive. I had a nightmare last night and now I really don't know what effect the rest of my personal affairs will have on my surgery. I bring this up only because with the weight gain many things have changed in my life. I was athletic in high school, very active, and focus on the tasks that I had to complete. With the weight gain myself esteem seemed to evaporate. I allowed myself to do and engage in activities that I knew were more damaging to my mental and emotional well being. I guess one of the areas that have really been affected has been my love life. When I was what society thought was acceptable I never really had a trouble finding someone to love or be attracted to me. It seemed as if men were more interested in me as a person. Now it seems as if I live my life as a sex toy to be played with at the whim of men. I know that this might nit be true. And I also know that this has alot to do with me as a person but I can't help but wonder. I have come a far way in knowing who I am and what I want. I don't want to continue being the fat girl, the sex toy the person that gets used. I have fought hard to hang on and rebuild the sancitity of normalcy that is my mind. I guess this is turning into some kind of confusing rant so I'll try to wrap it up. My new life is being embarked upon.

Today at around 7 I will be attending my seminar. I'm nervous not really sure what to expect of what will happen. I need this, I don't just want it I need it in order to survive. I had a nightmare last night and now I really don't know what effect the rest of my personal affairs will have on my surgery. I bring this up only because with the weight gain many things have changed in my life. I was athletic in high school, very active, and focus on the tasks that I had to complete. With the weight gain myself esteem seemed to evaporate. I allowed myself to do and engage in activities that I knew were more damaging to my mental and emotional well being. I guess one of the areas that have really been affected has been my love life. When I was what society thought was acceptable I never really had a trouble finding someone to love or be attracted to me. It seemed as if men were more interested in me as a person. Now it seems as if I live my life as a sex toy to be played with at the whim of men. I know that this might nit be true. And I also know that this has alot to do with me as a person but I can't help but wonder. I have come a far way in knowing who I am and what I want. I don't want to continue being the fat girl, the sex toy the person that gets used. I have fought hard to hang on and rebuild the sancitity of normalcy that is my mind. I guess this is turning into some kind of confusing rant so I'll try to wrap it up. My new life is being embarked upon.

Ok, need some suggestions. I went to the doctor today and they put me on another antibiotic, breathing treatments every 4 hours, and steriods. Any suggestions on keeping the steriod weight gain down?

I first noticed I could comfortably cross my legs and keep it there at an 18. Thank goodness even with my weight gain I can still do this!

Hello ladies!!! I hope you all had a wonderful day. Mine was fabulous. I just have to share. Before I do let me warn that this may be very LONG and RAMBLING and at times seem odd, but like any good story, I have to explain the whole thing.... My dad passed away almost 3 years ago. This threw me into a horrible depression. 1 week after he passed, I found out I was pregnant with Jai. I didn't want a baby that wouldn't know her grandfather, I didn't want to bring a baby into the world period, in 4 months I gained almost 40 pounds and just didn't give a rats patoot about anything. My world was falling apart. Jeff, bless his heart, tried to help and told me about this book "The Secret" and I was ready to try anything so I bought it. It was supposed to have THE answer. THE secret to life summed up in 200 pages. Well I got through the first 10 and said, "Like hell!!! How dare this woman say...." I was ANGRY. Well, I never picked the book back up and pushed it all out of my mind. Now while I was packing for this trip I came across my books on cd and was looking through to find something to listen to and here was "The Secret" that I must have bought at some time but never opened. Well, I'm in a much better frame of mind (not great but much better) and thought that I'd give it a go. If i hated it I could always turn it off. I have to say I've never had such an amazing journey as this trip across the state. It was below zero but my car ran wonderfully, the roads were perfect, someone pumped my gas when I went to fill up, the kids got along and were happy. (okay...aside....the kids can't have their happy meal toys until they eat their main "dish" and they know that. Well Nick ate his and was playing and Jai refused. I gave them to here a few times and she kept tossing them aside. Well nick says "Mom, I ate Jai's nuggets. Can she have her toy now?" That's how well they were getting along) It was epiphany after epiphany in the car today. I took a long hard look at my life as a whole and saw this "secret" played out over and over and over. I could see this "secret" in my spiritual faith. It wasn't contrary to it, it added to it. It was beautiful. Now the "secret" isn't this simple panacia to placate. It isn't wishful thinking. It's a way of living and I can see the work that it is going to take to bring about change in my life. But I'm worth it and I'm willing to work at it. So....what does this mean to you? I don't know. That depends on where you are in your world. I would recommend the book. I would urge you to give it a shot, but it's about ME, not you. EXCEPT....there was this part about how diets don't work....because we are focussing on the WEIGHT we want to lose, not on the outcome that we expect. We don't have our eye on the prize on a diet. We focus on the weight and that is what goes...but also what comes back...because it's our focus. If we change our focus to the healthy life we desire, and HEALTH is what we are striving for, the weight loss will follow naturally without the weight gain that accompanies a diet. It may seem like a very minute difference, but it makes so much sense...and I believe it. Okay...enough rambling. If you made it through that, bless your soul. If you want to know more about "The Secret" I highly recommend it. I've not felt this at peace with the world since I let go of my father over 15 months after he passed. Hugs ladies. I love you all. You are beautiful women and make such positive impacts on my life. Bless you.

Oooooo!!! A package??? Wheeeee!! I haven't had a package in a long time! Thanks, Suze! I noticed my son has gained weight since living with us (since Jan.)!! Wonder what that means??? Of course, I've been making all kids of high calorie comfort foods for him...he's 6' and weighed about 145!! Looks like he might be pushing 160 now which I am much more comfortable with! He was tooooooooooo skinny and it made me worry. guess that would explain my own weight gain, eh? I know ya'll must think I'm a little nuts to worry about 1.5 or 2# but I'm serious when I say it is almost impossible for me to lose it once I've gained it! So even though I don't have big swings in my weight it just creeps up and up and up a wee bit at a time. I'm TRYING to do better simply by not snacking ...it's a start anyway. I wish TracyKS would come back to us. Makes me sad and I miss her.

This reminds me of that episode of "King Of Queens", where Doug lost weight. Suddenly the whole dynamic of the relationship shifted and Carries was NOT happy. She had always been "the hot one" and Doug had always been grateful that she stayed with him - what with his having a weight problem. Now, women were flirting with him and he was getting attention from everyone, commenting on his achievement and buff new bod. Carrie tried to sabotage his diet by tempting him with high calorie food that, previously, Doug had enjoyed and which had contributed to his weight gain. Though the comedy of the situation was highlighted, I actually found the way Carrie acted very nasty and passive aggressive. Yea I know it is just a show, but this goes on all the time in real life, with partners showing their insecurities when the other partner loses weight. Not with everyone, but some partners display this behaviour, as witnessed by this thread.

Hi ladies. Just a quick check in. Everyone yell!!!! STEPH GOTTA FILL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Bad news was the weight gain since November but PA wasn't too harsh since I've been unfilled since beginning of November. This winter has been super harsh. I'm going to get it off though. Not too stressed. It is going to happen. Liquids for 2 days. today and tomorrow I'm traveling cross state so it will be fine to be on liquids. Okay...very tired and back is very sore. Yes, Janet, I know you need to lecture me about the snowmobile incident...but I did ask doc if it was okay and he said it was alright. Okay...gotta get to bed. I will try to answer the other things tomorrow. Pills are getting me dopey! Hugs to everyone.

I knew it was coming. I knew I hadn’t lost any weight, or not nearly enough to be pleasing to myself. Sure enough, I’d lost a mere 5 pounds in the past six weeks. Despite the reassurances of the nurse taking my weight that almost everyone had the same difficulties due to the weather being so cold, I knew I could do better. My appetite had been on the increase, and consequently, my caloric intake on my FitDay.com report showed a gradual increase. So, I went in today for my visit, determined to have maybe a couple of cc’s just to nip that trend toward weight gain in the bud. Nope! Once these pounds come off, they are not going back on by golly! See ya! Buh-bye! I’d only lost 5 pounds, but about 4.9 of those pounds was pure fat! Now, that’s a reason to Celebrate. I might have lost more, but Dr. Baptista’s nifty machine said I had Water weight issues. Yes, I did, mostly in a swollen left ankle from doing too much this past weekend. Told ya it was a nifty machine. Finally, that incredibly handsome doctor with the soulful brown eyes and the talented hands (Get your minds out of the gutter! I’m talking about his surgical skills, thank you!) appeared. He seemed to agree that I needed a nudge toward the sweet spot. Thoughtful man that he is, he also remembered I’m needle phobic. He took the time to reassure me while swabbing my port area with alcohol. It was somewhat painful, but more weird than uncomfortable. I hate needles. I am a certified needle phobic with a tendency to faint when shown a hypodermic, much less have one coming at me. Sure, it stung. I expected that. I didn’t expect the second stab of pain when he found the port. I think he used a butterfly or something. My tits were in the way, and I have the good sense not to look down in case I do see a needle. (wry grin) Whew! No matter what, I was glad that part was over. Yes, I’d do it again, if necessary. I knew that immediately. It wasn’t THAT bad. He put some saline in. I was okay with it, and I could feel the change in pressure a bit. That was cool. Then doc had me drink some water and tell him when I felt “full” and when I felt the water go away. I never really felt full, and never really felt it go away. He said I needed more restriction. By the time I drank close to 16 oz of liquid, I had a whopping 4 cc’s in the band. Apparently, I needed more restriction than I’d guessed and that explained why I hadn’t lost. All my loss up to now had been low carb diet and habitual dieting, not a restriction. What a shame. I really thought I’d been close to my Sweet Spot. Oh, well. If millions of others can fiddle with their band until they find bliss, so can I. Well, I’m on liquids for the next couple of days. Fine by me. I’ll pop by Wal-Mart and get some more Meal Replacement shakes. It’ll be interesting to see what happens when I’m allowed solids again. I don't feel anything much when I drink a meal replacement shake, but I'm burping like an adolescent boy with a carbonated soda. :laugh:

Ah ha, that explains my weight gain. It's the trophy! I'm not setting it down though, too many people trying to get their hands on it.

i have fibromyagia also ...although i have never had a weight problem until i began a medication for fibro...lyrica...i am concerned that if you have have a by pass surgery and begin taking lyrica for your fibro you may gain weight again...some Water weight and some just regular old weight gain...i gained 40lbs...30 of it was in the first 3 weeks of taking the medication...i just thought this was something you should be aware of...wingnut49421

I thought I would stop by and say hello. I've been enjoying reading through this forum and reading up on some of your experiences. For example, I had no idea that I'd pretty much never get to drink diet soda again! Fascinating! Anyway, I got banded on Feb. 27, 2009 so I'm about 9 days into this. I started my Medifast pre-op diet on January 2nd at 224 (I am 5'2) pounds and I have lost 24 pounds so far. I'm only a pound from my "triple digit rollover!" I've a had a little history with yo-yo-ing weight. I was pretty much large all my life, but when I was 21 I decided to go to a doctor and get some help. He put me on a medication diet (Phentermine, Adipex) and I lost 50 pounds! I felt the best I have my whole life. I then moved to New York to go to graduate school and moved away from my doctor and started to gain weight gradually again. I tried SO HARD to keep the weight from coming on. I went to the gym 6 days a week (combination weight training and cardio). I had a personal trainer. I watched what I eat. I counted calories, carbs, fat, Protein, etc, like a maniac (kept everything written down in my food journal). I saw, oh, six doctors to try to find someone that would help me, to no avail. I tried everything I could to lose weight the "normal" way, the healthy way. No matter what, the weight just piled up. Finally, I asked my regular doc if she would recommend Lap-Band surgery, and she said yes since I have tried everything else to try to lose weight. I just barely scraped by on the minimum BMI requirement (40) so the bariatric center accepted me, and my insurance agreed to pay for it too! Like I said, so far I'm 24 pounds down, and I'm feeling VERY HOPEFUL that this will help me finally lose weight and embrace a life and lifestyle that I desperately miss. I am extremely active and love all kinds of sporty things like volleyball, rollerblading, mountain climbing, hiking, canoeing, etc....my weight gain has kept me from enjoying some of these things that I want to do. Hopefully this will be a year of change for me! I look forward to getting to know everyone here!! Here's a pic of me just for general reference:

Your weight gain will probably turn out to be fluid, because to have such serious medical issues you could very well have been de hydrated so it wont be fat, keep up the good work, water aerobics sound good, I even gain weight/fluid when I go swimming I know it sounds strange but my skin absorbs water, if I weigh before a bath and straight away after, with nothing to eat or drink in between I can gain 3lbs easily but its only fluid and temporary and is gone by the next morning. Happy days

Count me as another roller coaster victim! I'd always been heavy, but after meeting my (now) husband, I put on another 40 lbs of "happy fat". We went to Cedar Point to ride roller coasters shortly after my weight gain, and walked up to the latest roller coaster. There was an operator at the entrance who stopped me and said, in a loud voice, "Miss, why don't you sit down on this sample chair to see if you'll fit." I was mortified by his comment and the large crowd listening, so I made up a quick lie, saying that I'd already been on the ride and fit just fine. He gave me a doubtful look and let me proceed. In my mind, it hadn't occurred to me that at 250 lbs I might not fit. After waiting in line for 2 hours, we were almost ready to be seated. The operator was loading a car with people, and I noticed him starting to argue with a man who was just a little too big to wear the seat belt. I looked at the man, then looked at myself and realized that I was about the same size as him. Surrounded by hundreds of people waiting, and with nowhere else to go but climb in the next car, I nearly panicked. When it was our turn to load, I pulled on the belt with all my might and barely managed to fasten it. The operator came over to check and I could tell he was about to argue that there wasn't enough slack on the belt, but I gave him a desperate look and he just passed by. Thank goodness. Nevertheless, it ruined the rest of the day, and I haven't been to a theme park since, to my husband's dismay. A positive thing that's come out of this long pre-approval process is, for the first time, I'm starting to tell my husband about a lifetime full of these embarrassing and anxious incidents. He's always been thin, so he hadn't realized what a terrible head-game it is to be obese. He's more thankful now than ever that the band might be a way to end it all.

Hi all. Wow. What a thread. I'm 34 y/o and my dad has 22 years sobriety. His older brother went into treatment shortly after him and has been sober ever since. Their dad, my Pop, has kidney issues due to alcohol, and his father died due to alcohol. So it definitely is in my family. I was 12 and turned 13 while he was in treatment. Happy birthday Cori! As mentioned by Green, my house was full of parties and fighting. My mom was 14 and my dad was 22 when they got married. They were 5 months pregnant with lil ole me. So the odds were stacked against them from the get go. My lil bro and I both knew what beer was, pot and it's accessories, heck we even knew that the white stuff was used in one of the rooms and to stay out when it was. There was lots of fighting. Lots of verbal and emotional abuse. I don't think there was physical, but Mom has admitted in the past that it probably bordered on physical abuse. If my bro and I were woken up during a fight, we'd get up and get dressed and go get each other and be packed and ready to go if Mom walked out. As far as Dad's alcoholism, we never knew what kind of mood he'd be in when he came home from work. Starting at least half an hour before he'd get home, we'd all change our mood and just sit waiting to see how he was going to be. Whether we could have fun or not. I've never been a Daddy's girl. I was always jealous of the girls who had that special relationship with their Dad. I've always loved my dad but I hated him for a very long time. 2 weeks before he went into treatment, he left us. I saw him a couple times and it was very hard. Then his work said either he got treatment or he was going to lose his job. While my dad was in treatment, in order to see him, we had to attend a program of our own. At the time, they only had Al-Anon and Growing Tree (for kids 11 and under). I went to Al-Anon one week with my mom, but I was 12 years old. Everyone there was in their upper teens or adults. They couldn't relate with me. So after that I went to the Growing Tree with my lil bro. But yet again, I was too old for that. So I mostly was like a helper with their activities. I didn't have any counseling of my own. After Dad got out of treatment, we stopped doing anything. So I never really dealt with my feelings about his alcoholism. He still scared me for many years. At times, I still have that feeling. Even though I know he'd do anything in the world for me. While he was in treatment, was the first time he told me he loved me. I still have the letter. Mom and Dad's relationship improved over time. Their 35th anniversary is in June. They're happy. And the fact that he was in treatment seems to be a thing of the past. I will say that because I never dealt with my issues about my dad's alcoholism back when I was a kid, it had definitely affected me later in life. I have Cerebral Palsy. I just basically walk funny. I use crutches now and then if I need some added support. No big deal. I've always had a weight problem. I've always had a problem with depression. But because of the kind of house I grew up in, everything was kept to just the family. So a bright, happy smile was always on my face, no matter how horrible I felt. When I was 22, I had moved into my best friend's apartment, a couple hours away. One extremely depressing, lonely night, I considered suicide. I didnt do it, obviously. But it was my lowest of lows. After a few days of not being able to put a smile on at all, and my best friend being worried, I finally called Mom and Dad to tell them. Mom answered and got mad and tossed the phone to Dad. He and I have never really been able to talk. We've had maybe a 3 heart to hearts ever. We talked for over an hour, and I told him how I blamed myself all these years for his alcoholism. "If he hadn't met my mom when she was so young, and if she hadn't gotten pregnant with me. If I hadn't been born with a handicap." I felt his alcoholism stemmed from all that. Even though I knew our family history. He said it was by no means my fault. I believed him, but to this day, part of me feels like it is. When I got a little older I did start dating someone for about 10 months who had been sober a while and still attended AA meetings, so I started going to Al-Anon while he was in another room with AA. I'll admit, it helped me then. I stopped going to meetings when I broke up with my ex. I know my depression and weight gain is due to lots and lots of issues but I think a core part of it was my dad's alcoholism. Even though he's made amends in his own ways, the feelings are still there. The main thing I got from it was that I didn't have my first drink until I was 21. And even though my brother and I know how to party and can get pretty drunk (definitely a thing of the past for me now!). Neither of us made a habit of it. I maybe have drank 6 times a year, 1 big blowout. Wow, what a ramble. I hope you don't mind me going all over the place.

I hear ya. I was desperate too and did not read anything for many months nor would I believe the weight gain was due to the Lyrica. It did help with my pain until the excess weight caused severe arthritis in my knees get so bad that I got baker cysts behind both kneecaps, swelling and severe pain in the knees to the point that all I could do was lay in bed. It was worse than my spinal problems. My knee surgeon said weight loss was the best bet as I was too young for knee replacement and he refused with the weight issue anyway. That was after I already had quit the lyrica and dropped 15 of the pounds, but we all know how difficult it is to take off the weight once we put it on. I hope you can be successful losing weight taking it, since you have the band, if it helps you that much with your pain. And, I bet there are people on this board who take it. Keep bumping this thread up and eventually those people will see it and perhaps they can help you with suggestions on how to take it and lose weight too!! Good luck to you!