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Also May 5th for me - I'm still meant to be on weight loss rather than weight gain, and I won't know until Wednesday if I'm on a pre-op liquid diet, though I've been doing the liver shrinking thing since October, and it's pretty far reduced from what it was, but still bigger than the doctor would like it. For pre-op, I've been doing Optimum Nutrition, and the flavor isn't bad, but it's kind of heavy. I discovered Premiere Protein, and it's probably my favorite shake out of the ones I've tried (a few), and I'm going to be sticking with it post-surgery if I can. I've seen a lot of different brands recommended, both around the internet and on this forum. Body Fortress, nectar, Any whey, Syntha-6, Premiere, Click, Chike, Celebrate ENS, Isopure, and a lot of posters on forum have seemed to swear by unjury. Good luck to everyone going in on May 5th!

First of all, congratulations on being a survivor! My husband was also abused from 5 years into adulthood. My weight gain was from severe depression and insecurities. Plus, I love food. It was my best friend, so I thought. My doctor told me I had to weigh at least one pound less than the date we met the first time or my insurance wouldn't pay. I gained during the first four of six monthly visits. I ended up losing the weight I gained and now I'm on my liquid diet and I'm below the cut-off, so I'm good. Check with your surgeon about the weight gain. Docs and insurances are all different. Best wishes to you. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using BariatricPal mobile app

Hello fellow November bansters. I was banded on November 15th. I have lost 12 lbs. since the surgery, 18 total. I went back to work 8 days after being banded, but it was only for a day and a half because we were off for Thanksgiving. The first two weeks were worse than I thought they would be, in a sense of pain and discomfort. Week 3 (now), I'm feeling no pain. I still have to bend over slowly and cannot sleep on my left side for more than 30 minutes though. I'm on soft/mushy until next week and then I can start on solids. I'm scheduled for my first fill on 12/9/10. So far, I have stayed satisfied with protein shakes and 4 oz. of mushy food. I had my 2 week appointment yesterday and the surgeon said I will start getting hungry soon because the swelling will be gone. He seems to be more agressive with fills to help prevent any weight gain. I'm nervous about having my first fill next Thursday. I hope it all goes smoothly! Good luck to all of you and Congrats on your weight loss so far!

If I'm reading your post right, no interest in drinking is not the same as unable to drink. Put yourself on a schedule to get your fluids in and keep drinking whether you eat or not. The 1.5 pound weight gain is probably because your body needed the IV fluids you were given. Don't let that stop you from drinking. Know that you must have water in your body in order to continue to lose weight and do so safely. One of the most important things I learned was that our body will eat muscle if we aren't providing it with the building blocks it needs (protein, water, vitamins) and it can cause major problems if the body decides that the heart muscle looks tasty. I've lost over 100 pounds and have some weakness in my heart despite being religious about the protein, water and vitamin routines. You must do what your body needs, even if you don't want to do it. Set yourself an alarm clock and drink an ounce of water every 15 minutes or so until you get to a point where you can do it without thinking about it. Do whatever it takes.

Hi, I just went to the doctor today and he said we could try to get insurance approval but he didn't seem optimistic. I'm 5'3" and 210 lbs and my BMI was 37. I have United Health Care for insurance and the coordinator said they're a tough company. She told me go to my doctor/s and get a 5 year documentation or the weight gain. From what I read on many websites the comorbidities that I had were depression and high cholesterol but I guess they're not that serious because the doctor told me if I had high blood pressure or diabetes I'd get approved with that BMI. This is very frustrating.

I've battled since I was a kid with my weight. It seems like my entire life has been a diet roller coaster and I just want to be healthy and live a long life for myself and my family. I have finally decided to move forward with having the gastric sleeve surgery-not a light decision to be made to say the least. I've thought about it for about a 1 and a half now and made myself wait and try to diet and exercise just ONE more time about 5 months ago before reaching the decision to have the surgery. There have been a few times in my life where I was driven or made to be physically fit and those times were successful for me. I look back on them and realize that I didn't let food rule me and I was quite active as well. I want that ME back so badly that I feel like I need to do something extreme and permanent to make it happen. What I didn't realize when I was a young kid, teenager and after having my first child is that I wasn't obese or even fat like I'd been led to believe, even though I saw myself as overweight. As a kid I was really just a normal kid with a mother who constantly badgered about weight which in turn gave me a huge complex that at 34 years of age I'm still experiencing. Only now, the overweightness is a fact. As a teenager I was active-never a skinny minny , but I enjoyed sports and was thrilled when I became a cheerleader for my junior year just by wanting to do it and trying hard. After highschool my diet wasn't the best, but I managed to join the military right before entering into a weight bracket that wouldn't be accepted. I did it to motivate and better myself. When I say a weight bracket that wouldn't be accepted for my height and build I mean I was literally one pound away from the "un-accepted" category, so still not extreme at this point in my life either....150 was my weight. But....mentally felt like I was 30 pounds overweight. Now that I look back on this moment in my life I realize I needed to pick back up on exercise and I'd have been just fine. Well, bootcamp did that for me without an issue:) I was lean, sexy and super fit for the first time in my life and I loved my body. I got married soon after bootcamp-and got pregnant during the honeymoon! Yay....on came the weight. I gained 91 pounds with my first son. Lost down to 185 after I had him and felt like the biggest cow ever-stretch marks included. Again, I look back and think-what the heck was your problem girlfriend? You looked great and just needed to exercise and eat right to be fit and lose about 30 pounds. At this point in my life my mother was back in the picture and had harped my entire pregnancy on my weight gain (several times a week during my pregnancy I hear her thoughts on my progress) and thereafter too. Not good for moral-and it didn't help that we lived with my parents for the last trimester and a few weeks after the birth of my son as I transitioned out of the military. I kept the weight (dieting a few times and losing about 15 or 20 pds) for about 3 1/2 years before deciding to have my second child. The first delivery was hard because of the weight gain and inactiviity and I knew that I wanted to do better for myself and my body and went on a very healthy weight watchers diet and exercise regime to lose the weight before getting pregant again. I was successful! Lost the weight, got pregnant, gained a decent 50 pounds and considering I exercised until the last month I was quite proud of my success. After having him it took me about a year to get "fine" again. And wouldn't you know it-I can't think of one single word of encouragement from my mom during my "fine" times....just sayin. It wasn't until he was 3 years old that I started gaining weight back again. I let a few pounds come on during the holidays around 8 or so and still thought I looked great.....then a few more....then a few more....before I knew it I was at 187 and looking in the mirror still thinking it's ok you can get it together....then a few more....a few more.... a few more....I just lost the will to keep on the diet lifestyle and 4 years later I'm at 242.2. I'm starting to feel it take a toll on my health too. T ype 2 diabetes, high cholesterol a double chin that I hate and just generally longing for so much more than this. Of course my mother's been at me strong for the last two years-she took a break when I got the nerve to tell her to be be quite about it already a few years ago. I've tried 3 or 4 times in the past year, (starting to lose count) to diet and exercise and will lose 15 or 20 pounds and then I quit the changes gradually and get back where I started. I want permanent changes and I can't think of what else to do other than the gastric sleeve. I'm at the end of my rope so to speak and have firmly decided to go through with this.

I had my band done in Oct last year and starting in Nov, began having these horrible pains once or twice a month that would last anywhere 4rom 15 min to 12 hrs. I thought maybe I was getting food stuck but I find out 5 months later that it's been gallbladder attacks. I ended up having 2 b admitted a week after I was diagnosed with gallstones in the ER due 2 the fact that I had another attack that weekend at which time 5 stones had passed through and became stuck in my common bile duct. ouch !!!! :eek: I had my band unfilled so they could do an endoscopic procedure 2 remove the stones, then 2 days later had the gallbladder removed. I was in the hospital 4 a total of 4 days..one of which was my birthday. What a way 2 spend it.:thumbup: During my time in the hospital, I wasn't allowed 2 eat or drink for about 4 days. That was rough. Prior 2 going in for all of this drama, I had been stuck 4 about 3 weeks at the same weight which is typical 4 me. I'll not loose weekly but instead every 2 or 3 weeks, then 2 or 3lbs will come off. A couple of days after the gallbladder removal 4 lbs came off. I thought, finally. A week later another pound, a bonus. Must've been the 4 day starvation. But now about 3 weeks post op, I've put back on the 5lbs. granted my band isn't filled but my diet hasn't changed. What the heck's going on? I've heard that people sometimes put on weight after this type of surgery but I'm already on a low fat diet and I have a band so why did I gain? I'm gonna get refilled halfway 2 what I was this Tues. I'm gonna b sure 2 ask my Dr. if weight gain is normal and will I gain more. I hope not, I'll b so mad !! Anyone else have this happen 2 them?

I am here at the dr office. And I have seen a weight gain of two pounds. This month I have really been a slacker. One day of exercise if that and not watching my food as well as I should and it shows...... I need to meet my goals or I may fail. So sad....

Hey there ... Quick update on a few things. I got on my fancy FitBit scale this morning. I have officially lost the alcohol induced weight gain from my Florida trip plus a little bit more. As a matter of fact, my integrated FitBit app tells me I have 14.7 more pounds to lose to hit my goal of 169. A couple thoughts on that 169. First, I must tell you that the weight is falling off at glacial speed. Which means very, very slow. I am still really trying to stick to the plan that has brought me this far, but the results are far more frustrating than when I started this adventure. Sure, I get it. More ass, more weight loss. Less ass, less weight loss. Statistically speaking, a half pound loss of smaller ass is the percentage equal of a full pound loss of fat ass. So I got that going for me. But I am not doing this to amuse some pudgy mathematician. I really don't give a rat's patooty about a percentage loss. I'm in the game for poundage! The excitement of hitting the home stretch to 169 has been tempered down quite a bit since Dr. X gave me the news back in December that he wants me to go for 150. If you remember, he also told me that we have another year and half to go. New goal date is May 15, 2015. Yes, this kind of took the wind out of my sails. I think I mentally took a breather and took my eye off the ball a bit. Maybe that's why I have been hovering here at the 183ish level for a month or so. I need to get re-motivated. First off, my travel schedule is definitely counterproductive to to maintaining a strict diet plan. Yes, I do really well choosing my food options. I choose healthy foods and reasonable portions. However, these healthy choices are the choices that people make when they are trying to maintain their weight. Not the more restricted menu a weight cutter should be making. It's not that easy when you're dining out for every meal for a week straight. And then there is Al C Hall. There is no way that more than several adult beverages a day is good for weight loss. I know it and you know it. But while I am on a precious vacation, I have to imbibe. Ya know, just to be polite. This is why I settle for maintaining my weight while I'm jet-setting. So here I am. I'm under 15 pounds from my original goal. Working through a hectic travel schedule and trying to maintain my weight. That's not the plan. My plan was to be 169 by May 15, 2014, and I am gonna stick with that plan. That means I'm going to have to change a few things. Honestly, I really need to get more active. It's super hard to get motivated when you're ball deep in snow. Yeah, I'm using the treadmill a bit. And I hit the weights occasionally. But it's not enough and I know it. I enjoy walking on a beautiful summer day during a rousing round of golf. Working the treadmill and staring at the wall, not so much. Maybe I'll try the Shred that Lap Band Girl is always touting? She is my muse. She is always reminding me of what it takes to get to your goal and maintain it. Suffice to say, sitting on my backside is not in the equation. That's it for now. Same goal - 169. Same goal date May, 2014. Same plan? I'm going to have to think on this one. More activity is definitely on the schedule. And maybe I'll cut off one of my now thinner legs. Buh Bye JT Fat Fanatics! Email your comments and questions to: mccgolfer99@gmail.com I will answer all questions and, who knows, your pithy comments might make the blog!

i was banded on the 15th and when i came home tuesday evening and weighed myself, I was 7 pounds more heavy than i was the day of surgery. Today which is two days after surgery, im still the same. Did anyone else go through this as well and know what it is caused by??

Thanks everyone for replying! I actually dread going to the doctors now because of the weight gain. I also cannot exercise, I keep hurting myself. My knee feels like it is full of rice krispies and actually went out on me twice yesterday. I guess I am really going to have to have a talk with him. Maybe I can get him to refer me to physical therapy in a pool. That would be easier on my body. I feel so discouraged. I thank you all for making me feel like I am not alone. If anyone wants to talk regularly let me know, It would help me alot. Thanks Kim

My surgeon required pulmonary and that doctor required the sleep study. They are looking for sleep apnea or other sleeping issues. Interestingly enough, lack of sleep is a huge contributor to excess weight gain. The body doesn't get enough rest so it hordes fat because it wants to conserve energy stores. Anyhow, some require it and some don't. I will say though that the sleep study was probably one of the worst nights sleep I had. The place I had to go to was soooo noisy. I could hear people snoring, the staff using a microwave, toilets flushing. I went home and took a 4 hour nap.

Ouch, sorry to hear this. Yep, I think that you're probably going to want to reward yourself with some coverup work once you're at goal. None of mine really had a huge impact with my weight gain so they look just fine with my loss. The only one I worried about was the one on my neck...I thought it might get saggy with the loss since my face was so bloated before. But I didn't have an issue so there you go. Good luck and I say worry about it later. If you decide on plastics after that will also impact any tattoos placed in certain areas so wait until you're sure you're done with your body before you get new ones or start coverups. ~Cheri

I had my bypass done back in 2014 and lost over 200 pounds. I had then entered a rather toxic relationship and became pregnant. I ended up leaving him but shortly after I had a miscarriage and fell into depression. I had gained some weight during the pregnancy as per normal... but after the miscarriage, I blew up like a balloon. Its been 5 years and I gained back 100 pounds in the time of 15 months (During the pregnancy and after the miscarriage). Have any of you had issues with gaining weight back years later? I would appreciate any advice you can give. I have had the hardest time trying to get it back off.

Good morning all! I am looking to see if anyone has gone thru the same thing as I am now. So I had my sleeve surgery in Jun 2016 weighing in at 255. After the surgery, I lost down to 135 within the first 2 years because I was very strict in staying below 20 carbs daily and working out. After the 2 years though, I was getting to a point where my face looked sunken and I just felt like I definetly didn't want to lose anymore. The problem was that by sticking to my diet, I kept losing a few pounds each week. So I started to add more carbs back slowly. Over the last year though, I have gained about 15 pounds. I now am planning to go back to my orignial diet to try and lose the weight. Did anyone have any issues with weight gain? If so, were you able to get back on track and lose weight? I'm just worried that my body won't get back into that mode of losing weight like it was after the surgery. Any suggestions? Thank you all!

The above post offers great advice- I second it. I also encourage you to excersise- it not only works wonders for weight loss but also will help with your anxiety, it's a great stress reliever. Start out slow and gradually increase your intensity/duration. It took me about 4 months post op before I hit the gym. It has now become habit. I admit that I haven't grown to love it, some days I have to really make myself do it. I do weights with a trainer 3 days a week and that really helps keep me on track. I highly reccomend it if you can afford it. As far as eating, I would start out with eating the right foods, low carb, low fat, high protien. Lots of lean meat and veggies. You can worry about portions a little down the road. I am also wondering if you need a fill, or are you relying on "sliders" and that's caused the weight gain. Best wishes!

An endoscopy several months ago revealed inflammation from my esphagus all the way to my duodenum and noted a potential band slip. There was no mention of a haitel hernia. An endoscopy is often used to diagnose or confirm a haitel hernia. Even with no fluid in my 11cc band I was unable to get anything down that wasn't the texture of yogurt or cottage cheese. In the planning for my surgery, my surgeon was of the opinion that the band itself was the problem and had likely created irritation and scar tissue and thus would have to go. He also felt that he'd likely need to repair the herniated area he repaired during my original surgery plus remove scar tissue. I was cleared for an overnight stay in prep for a series of post-surgical tests. I was the one who pushed to save my band for fear of weight gain and it was my WLS who advised me that there was a less than 1% chance that that would happen and that given my reaction to the band, replacing it was not an option. Thus, I was really surprised to be going home that same day with a haitel hernia repair. Nothing was done to the band or the port. There was no post-op testing. WebMD is saying full liquids for two weeks post haitel hernia repair; my discharge papers say nothing beyond, "progress to regular diet". My husband swears the WLS told him I could eat a regular diet two days after surgery! Meanwhile, even coffee is doing the "stop & drop" on the way down. I've got reflux. Attempts to swallow a protein shake give me pain across my shoulder blades. I don't want to believe that this is a money making effort, but let's just say that this practice is known for knowing which insurance carriers are likely to pay without question and tailor the treatment accordingly. I would not be at all surprised to be back in the OR several months down the road having it removed. Meanwhile, my follow up appointment is next week and I've already been told that it's time for me to get a fill(!?!) plus they've started laying the ground work for potential revision to gastric sleeve. Covering all the bases except the one that really matters - my health and well-being.

Almost had a full blown panic attack when I got on the scale this morning. I've lost 120 lbs. I am 17 months post op and for the last few months my weight has been stable. I normally fluctuate from 162-164, which I think is mostly water weight. Two weeks ago I started doing crossfit and got on the scale today expecting to be on the lower end of my flux or even slightly lower. Instead I weighed in at 165.4. I know it's not much, but it's got my anxiety through the roof right now. My husband doesn't really get it and thinks I'm nuts about freaking out about a pound. Needed to get this off my chance to someone that can relate to the fear of gain. I'm just so confused by how this happened when I've upped my exercise level.

I had 2 kids, then did a tummy tuck after losing the pregnancy weight gain and I had a great looking stomach, with stretch marks gone and even a four pack. I then had two more pregnancies over the next few years and my stomach went flat again and it was a great result to see the tummy tuck held up so great. No added stretch marks for me and no pouch. The four pack went away but the rebound was awesome. Hope that help, Good luck. M.

:cheeky Marsha, I have PCOS and was diagnosed as Insulin Resistant 5 years ago and I've been on Metformin - prescribed by a Repro- Endo/ they seem to have a better insight for women with either PCOS or IR. Mainly because both conditions are due to hormone inadequecies which cause irregular cycles, excessive weight gain, increased glucose levels, etc. Especially if you are pre-disposed to diabetes like me (my mother had type 1 diabetes and died from complications to long term diabetes 35 years). I want to be banded as the metformin hasn't helped me one bit with the weight loss, but it has helped in reducing the side-effects/symptoms of PCOS. I've tried a variety of daily dosages 500mg once daily, twice daily, and currently three x's daily. But nothing works on the weight loss. The higher the dosage the impact worsens - upset stomach, runny stool, cramping, etc. I agree that metformin works best when Carbs are significantly reduced and Proteins are the bulk of your meals. Exercise is key as well - but nothing will beat the positive impact the band has. I'm still awaiting approval from BCBS (insurance) as I cannot afford the procedure on my own. Try switching your Protein intake and make sure that you consume 60grams daily, exercise 60 min daily 6-7 days a week, and most importantly drink your Water and lay off the carbs and the weight should come off. Most folks that are on metformin for PCOS are usually taken off the meds after banding as they glucose levels normalize. The same holds true for type II diabetics, from what I've heard. Talk with your endo about it- if you don't have one you like - get another one by all means. It's your life we're talking about. Good luck and keep us posted.

@Sweetsoul oh how I understand how hard it is. I am 7” shorter than you. I can’t excercise due to chronic illness but I understand avoiding the gym. In all reality exercise does not help with weight loss. Building muscle (which I cannot do) helps burn fat, but I meant to say is I’ve been here before and I fought so hard the first time and it’s hard, I was losing my ability to taste food and I wasn’t getting hungry or full signals but I felt that needs to just want something good, something rich with flavor, strong taste. Never was a snacker either, love salt need salt fo orthostatic intolerance. I tried vegetarian back then too when I couldn’t tolerate meats. I had been doing extreme low carb and calorie counting to lose weight And I finally did but it was extreme under 10 net carbs and very low calorie. but wanted to add more vegetables and vegetarian foods. I was feeling sick. And guess what my weight crept up. Somehow I managed the best I could but always on the brink of gaining until I eventually ended up having drastic weight gain. Maybe because my gallbladder went bad and I wasn’t processing fats but I was eating more greens, kale salads, vegetarian foods and 800 calories yet gaining, no snacking, I felt like a total failure. And I eventually was able to seek out gastric bypass surgery. And have had to recreate my way of eating. I’m finding salt and fats an issue now and vegetables even though I relied heavily on them before I can’t eat much salt and will need to treat my orthostatic intolerance some other way. But you are right in your approach to understanding the problem. I feel you I do. It’s my fear long term so I’m working so hard on what my long term habits need to be especially as things change. Don’t be afraid to reach out to your surgeon and the nutritionist you worked with too and re-evaluate where you are now. I know it’s easier said than done I’m afraid of my surgeon visits after some issues from my own surgery. That they don’t understand my medical issues outside of surgery. But you won’t know unless you take the step. try to find other things to compensate for what salt offers. It’s hard. I hope my response isn’t too forward. To obnoxious. You came pretty far and maintained well and maybe at some point you can take a step further don’t worry. I’m slow in moving forward with food, I have food issues. You are fairly tall too and some people are naturally curvy. I just know you didn’t fail especially because you are giving it good honest evaluation and thought.

My doctor helped me make the decision. He said I was a candidate for RNY or Sleeve. At first I was going to go with sleeve. During one of our appointments two things changed my mind. 1 the chance of weight gain is higher with sleeve. 2 he said the chance of leaks after 2 weeks are actually less with RNY. Besides taking care of the diabetes those two things changed my mind.

To take your questions one at a time: 1. Is gaining weight normal when you start to eat regular food again? Yes, when you've been on liquids for a while (pre-op + post+op), you empty out your alimentary canal and this accounts for probably 5-10lb of the "weight loss". You probably would have noticed a marked decrease in the amount of matter eliminated from your system. When you start to eat regular food again, you refill yourself and this will appear to be a 5lb weight gain. Don't worry about it - it's normal. 2. I'm worried about stretching my pouch. I haven't gotten a fill yet. Is it possible to stretch the pouch before the first fill? Stretching the pouch is something that happens through significant over-eating over a prolonged period of time, i.e. always eating the the point of absolute fullness (as far as the band allows) and doing it often. If you haven't had a fill yet, it is unlikely that you will have restriction, so you won't be filling your pouch much at all -the food will be going straight through into your main stomach. The likelihood of stretching at this time is very small. 3. How would I know if I did stretch my pouch? It's hard to tell but if you had a fill test (i.e. they take out the Fluid in your band, measure it, and replace it) and the test showed that the band was very full and you should have restriction, yet you were still eating large meals, that might be an indicator - not a definite, just an indicator. 4. Is there any way that it can be fixed or if I ever do/did will I have ruined my chances at this working for me? Yes, in the event that you stretch your pouch, there are several remedies that can be applied before you have to even start thinking you might have "ruined things". One simple remedy is to do the "5 Day Pouch Test". Search this site for threads on that - there are dozens. 5. Would someone know if their band slipped? If so how? One of the common symptoms is being able to eat a lot in the day but getting severe reflux at night, i.e. when lying down/sleeping. 6. Do weird things cause the band to slip or is it simply overeating or something like that? There are several causes but you'd be better off asking your doctor about that one.

Well, the change that caused the weight gain was me getting sick. I was on severe steroid regimens that caused my weight to double in less than a year. So yes, I feel completely different - since I don't have the underlying illness going rampant and no more steroid treatments, I feel completely different. I tried to never let my weight define me. But in that, I did let it control me a bit. I didn't wanna be the fat girl in the room. I didn't wanna be the one that, my husband's friends would look at him quizzically after meeting me, wondering why he's with me. So I isolated myself a lot. It was actually pretty easy to do because when I was sick, I couldn't go places with people - I had such a poor immune system and getting sicker was not something I was going to contribute to. So after I started rebuilding my immunity, I just didn't change that. Now, I'm still not wanting to meet a whole lot of new people, or even see people that haven't seen me since I've been sick, but its getting better. I'm a very social person normally, so its getting harder and harder to resist going out and having fun. I've made plans for the future - the next 6 or so months. If i hit goals, or even come close to them, I'll go ahead with them. And I really want to go ahead with them so I'm going to stay on track and hope my body does the same.

If you want to do the sleeve, don't wait until you are experiencing symptoms of stomach inflammation. I had a pretty severe erosion and they would not convert me to a VSG at the time I had my band removed because my stomach and esophagus were severely inflamed. Now, my health is greatly improved, enough that I can do the sleeve but I was hoping I could keep my weight stable without a 2nd surgery. Unfortunately I'm having trouble with weight gain since being disbanded, despite my best efforts. I know how you feel with the frustration of really trying hard and not getting the results you deserve. Sounds to me like getting a revision to a VSG would be a good way for you to go, just don't wait to decide and find out they can't do it until you heal from the band removal. I definitely stuck my head in the sand and didn't face up to the fact that my band was gradually going bad until things got really, really bad.