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Keeping it off is the reason I made my decision to have the surgery. Sure, I could give it another try, sure, I can lose 10 - 20 - 30 pounds, and sure, it's a very big decision. But - I am the one that has to deal with the health issues, I am the one that has to deal with the fact that 98% of obese people who lose a significant amount of weight, gain it back. Health reasons aside, as if that's not bad enough, I am the one that has to deal with the feel of not being worthy because I don't fit into the booth at the restaurant, don't fit on the rides at the amusement park, and can't find those cute shoes that I absolutely ADORE in a WIDE or DOUBLE WIDE width, and I am the one that has to deal with ME at the end of the day. Alot of people mean well, and alot of people just DO NOT UNDERSTAND. Two people at my work really ticked me off - one was a 5'7" - 130 lb "WOMAN" that had the nerve to say "LETS TRY WEIGHT WATCHERS" when I told a group at lunch that I was having lap band surgery. LETS???? Who are you to have the nerve to say that to me? Another is a body builder that knows exactly what to eat to keep every nerve, muscle and cell healthy - and kept looking at me with disapproval when he was in my office as well as giving me his 2 cents each time he could - so I finally had to tell him to back off. Point is, listen to them if you HAVE to, but don't absorb. It will hinder your ability to make the best decision for yourself. I'm only one week out - thought I was dying day 1-3 but I'm so much better now - and already have lost weight. Am I excited about being "smaller"? - SURE, but I'm more excited about the possibility of being around for my family longer, and not being on my sleep APNEA machine forever, and to stop taking the meds I have to take due to my weight. Best of luck - sorry for the BOOK, but keep your heart, and head in the right place - FOCUSED ON YOU!

I used to lurk a long time ago, after my surgery (Feb 8, 2008). I reached my goal and was fortunate enough to reach it quite quickly - all healthy eating. My Dr loves me for that! lol But, in the last year, I've had so much stress, new medical problems, which meant more new meds and weight gain side effects, that I decided to come back here t get me on track again. I need the positive reinforcement and daily reminders. It's the first time in my life that I was comfort eating. I never want to do that again. I've really beaten myself up over it. I'm fortunate enough to have an amazing supportive husband who's been with me through thick and thin (even does his own WW dieting when I really need some extra help staying on track.. and he's not even heavy!). I guess I'm just looking for an uplifting place with lots of positive people who go through what I do and know how I feel. Ok, there's my sad country song of the day. Thanks for listening.

I just had my first one too I had not one since Nov of last year my OB/said it was to my weight gain. And know that I have lost weight it has started it was kinda weird. I have been drained so tired. We were banded the same the day and you able to go mushies. My DR. has his patient on liquids for three weeks. I envy you.

Hang in there, Shellyh You will be banded before you know it. A few months is a bummer, but a necessary wait. You want to be very healthy for the surgery! Don't put too much pressure on yourself about the weight gain, either...that's why we are all here :scared2:. If we could lose it (and keep it off!) on our own, we would not need the band. I have been bouncing around with a minimal loss before I start my pre-op next diet next week. I think mentally I know I'm going to be entering a new phase of life and I will enter it with a lot of help from the band, so I'm not beating myself up over not achieving a huge pre-surgery weightloss (like I imagined back in March). It's not a race, it's a journey. Best of luck to you!

Hi everyone, I'm not pregnant I'm on birth control. I'm being careful because they said wait 18 months. I'm worried about weight gained and post pregnancy weight loss. If you could educate me on your experiences (I'm a total planner). I am trying to swallow the thought of gaining weight. Both previous pregnancies were about 40lbs but I had gestational diabetes with both. And could not get pregnant because of fertility issues after my last, I have pcos, but I'm cycling every 28 days even without bc. Can you breast feed after? I did with my son and would love to do it again. Thanks for all your information and advice before hand. Sent from my EVO using VST

I have read that one of the signs of band eroision is weight gain. Stupid question but I'm going to ask it anyways. Is the weight gain caused because you lose restriction and you can eat whatever you want or...............is there something else that makes us gain the weight? I might have band erosion, having an endoscopy tomorrow, and I cannot stop gaining weight. Yes I am probably eating more now because I have no restrictionn, but there are days when I don't eat that much and I have gained about 8 pounds in 2 weeks. I am freaking out. Thanks for your input.

Thought I would update... Day 2 and I am retaining these dang fluids. I decided to hop on my scale for my weekly Friday weigh, and put on 4 pounds... 4!!! I'm not happy. I'm kind of hoping that this is a norm. Maybe the Fluid retention is because my body is confused as to why I'm not feeding it solid food! Either way, I am NOT happy at the moment and feel bloated and miserable, and HUNGRY! I talked to my BFF who is doing this with me tonight, and she told me she is feeling the same way, so at least I'm not the only one miserable, and you know what they say about misery loving company! I'm not trying to discourage anyone, just thought I would fill you in. I knew it wasn't going to be fun, but I did not expect the bloating, and weight gain the first couple of days in.

I haven't had anything done yet, but from experience of gaining weight...Yes, your ring size will get smaller. It may only be a 1/4 size or a full size. It depends upon how much fat is in your fingers (some people's fingers are boney, mine are pretty padded like baby fingers, lol). My feet a little wider but not longer. However, I have flat feet and always have had flat feet. Some people experience their arches falling with weight gain. With weight loss their feet kind of spring back and they might be shorter. (Your feet actually flatten out a bit while running which is why they reccommend buying shoes with some room in the toes, the same principle applies with weight gain--more pressure on the foot means they flatten out). The sleeve is basically enforced anorexia. You will only be getting a few hundred calories during the first part of your post-operative period when your stomach is healing. Whenever you drop below 50% of your BMR in calories, you body will respond by burning excess fat and muscle. In obese people, the primary loss is in fat and very little muscle. Most obese people already have quite a bit of muscle from hauling their large bodies around (let's face it, our 100lbs backpacks do make us strong). This is how are bodies are supposed to work--we store energy as fat when we get extra food and we burn it off when we aren't getting any. That is how the sleeve works. There is no malabsorption of fat like alli, where the fat is blocked from being digested and comes out in your poops or uncontrollable farts.ick.

Yeah its amazing how differently I feel with the weight gain....all YUCKY! But Im on my way back down now

Hit send accidentally. LolShe said that there may be a little tweaking of the dosage but there should be no reason why I can't continue my meds. We tweak my meds every now and then anyways. I also have been going to therapy for 4 years. I highly recommend that you start some form of group or one on one therapy. It really helps. I also think that you are probably going through withdrawal. On top of everything else. I'd definitely talk to your bariatric team. Tell them your struggles. You have to get back on track. This is the window you have to lose the most weight. Yes you're challenged. Don't use it as a way to rationalize why you are not on plan. Use it as an extra boost to get THIS DONE. I'm struggling with losing weight to get surgery. I have a whole list of reasons why. Some legit and some excuses. Talking with my therapist she pointed this out to me. I've been working on my mental part of this journey. Identify the excuses, realize I am in control. Figure how to overcome my legit problems. Example. I have asthma the air quality where I live sucks right now because of the harvesting of almonds. I can't get outside much. But I can take my rescue inhailer and get my butt to the gym. Please get back on plan and don't let this chance slip by. As someone who has depression, anxiety and bipolar II I'm wondering why on earth they'd take you off meds like that. I'm assuming you're in a withdrawal state - there are a lot of newer antidepressants that aren't bad with the weight gain. As stated above, a good therapist really helps. I see one every week. But, I'm not surprised you're having a hard time if they took you off meda like that cold turkey. I'd definitely see a psychiatrist and a therapist for help. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using the BariatricPal App

If I were you I'd check to make sure there was no band erosion.....I had it and it was accompanied with sever acid reflux ( and weight gain) Shorty184

I am 33 years old, live in Washington state with my domestic partner of 12 years. I have struggled with weight and weight loss for as long as I can remember. In 2007 I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease witch came with many years of stariods and a tremendous amounts of weight gain. With the gain came a pill for high blood pressure, gurd, rheumatoid arthritis, and asthma. After taking 20 + pills a day for my autoimmune diseases I came to the point where enough was enough. So in January of this year I met with my PCP and got the refural to my syrgon. It's crazy to think I'm 14 days away from the new and healthy me. My only wish if anything is to get off all the precipitation medications. The vanity will come along with it I'm sure, but to be truly healthy is my hope.

Sorry to hear you've been in the hospital, there must be something in the air(it couldn't be we're making poor food choices,) I too gained weight for the first time , it's been my biggest fear, I guess the real test is how we deal with the weight gain. Good luck & I hope you feel better soon Peace,Mary

Most places in Mexico require payment in full before surgery. It's not a problem. Just save up. It took me less than a year to save up for mine. If you want to go that route then the best bet is to do self pay in the States. You can find doctors who will bill you out like that but you will pay far more than had you gone to Mexico. Congrats on quitting smoking. However, don't let that be an excuse for a huge weight gain.

I haven't been on BC for over a year because I had no need to be on it. Well, now that I want to go back on it I am a little nervous. I DON'T want to gain a bunch of weight back because of BC. Do any of you ladies have any suggestions as to a type that worked for you with minimal weight gain?

Hi! Paxil is a NOTORIOUS weight gainer! You're lucky you've been able to keep the 12 lbs. off that you lost. I've seen many people gain 5-10 lbs. A MONTH on Paxil. Of course, this doesn't happen to everyone, but Paxil has gained the reputation as one of the antidepressants that can cause the most weight gain. While everyone is different, have you tried Lexapro? In MOST patients it is weight neutral and in some can help w/weight loss at the beginning of use. Good Luck! Give yourself a pat on the back that you have been able to keep that intial weight loss and not gain more. One thing I will say, though, never stop taking your meds without talking to your doctor and you will probably have to be weaned off the Paxil slowly, in increments, if that's what you and your doctor decide.

Maybe you've gained muscle mass which could show as weight gain, but is totally different from gains due to fat. It sounds like you are on the right path to getting things figured out by contacting your nutritionist. But I wouldn't be surprised if your BMI has changes due to mucles mass increase, which makes weight loss seem slower than normal. Sent from my SM-N910P using the BariatricPal App

Has ANYONE else found that medications they were on was partly to blame for their slow weight loss? I am 18 mos out from banding and have only lost 12-15 pounds - and that was during the pre-op diet - haven't gained or lost since surgery. This is VERY frustrating to me. No, I am not a perfect eater, and no, I don't exercise religiously. I'm also not blaming my slow weight loss entirely on medications. However, I do take Paxil and birth control daily. Are these making it more difficult to lose the weight, than if I weren't on them? I know there is documented proof that weight gain is a side effect of birth control; however, that is not a side effect listed on my information from the pharmacy for the Paxil. Although, I have heard many, many times that anti-depressants can cause weight gain. So, if they cause weight gain, is there a chance that they are hindering my weight loss? I have given up so many things (ice cream, pop, etc.)that I feel I should have lost SOME weight by now. What do you think?? Please let me know - I'd like someone to either validate my concern or tell me I'm crazy. Thanks

I understand how you feel MissyT. I also had to have a hysto at an early age. For us that can cause it's own issues with weight loss and weight gain. If you are in a good place about it, you can do it. It's not a miracle surgery. Your not going to wake up at goal weight. It may take a year or two..if your anything like me your going to lose a bit slower. Hormonal issues can be a huge mountain to climb when it comes to weight loss, but it is possible! Best of luck on your journey, we'll be looking for you on the banded side.

As I haven't had the surgery yet, I can't comment on any of the after stuff. I can share my thought process in getting to the decision, and hope that helps. First, if you recognize you have issues with emotional eating, I strongly recommend seeing a therapist. I'm seeing one because I have some trauma to deal with around food, in addition to being a stress/emotional eater. I knew that whether or not I have the surgery, I need a healthy relationship with food. It's really helping me work through some of those issues. I'm a nurse, and know a lot of people who have had bariatric surgeries - lap band, RNY, sleeve. Many of those people had complications and problems, and a few have been really successful. I have successfully lost 30+ lbs with diet/exercise in the past and kept it off for a few years, so I believe I could be successful without the surgery, so I was seriously on the fence about it. My therapist also had the concern that I'd be trading one set of issues with food for a surgically imposed eating disorder, and that was a serious concern for me. That's really where the fabulous people here on BP helped me. I and my therapist both had the idea that the picture of highly restrictive and controlled eating was the life-long picture after sleeve. Many of the vets here shared what their life and diet looks like 2, 3, 4+ years out, and it's actually pretty normal. Diets range from about 1,000 kcal to about 1,800 kcal (women), some are low carb, some are balanced carb to Protein, and most eat "treats" when they want. Certainly not a picture of disordered eating. What struck me most was that almost to a person, the only regret anyone shared was that they waited so long to do it. I was still on the fence, until a conversation with my rheumatologist. I have auto-immune arthritis, and I was not aware that the surgery itself would make huge improvements in the hormones that drive both hunger and cravings, but also inflammation that worsens my condition. Then, losing weight will reduce the stress on my joints as well as further reduce inflammation. I know historically many of my health concerns have worsened with my weight gain, so things like my asthma and migraines will improve as I lose the weight as well. So while the surgery and weight loss will not cure my auto-immune, it can vastly reduce the severity and help the meds work better. So I went to a seminar with my surgeon, and started doing some research in the medical journals. We're learning so much about weight gain and why it's so hard to lose. It's a serious uphill battle for anyone, fighting setpoint and cravings and metabolic rate slowing. In my situation, the pain and fatigue from the auto-immune and my other chronic conditions make it even harder. So the surgery gives me a tool to help make it a little easier, especially at the beginning when I'm trying to gain momentum with all of these lifestyle changes. The surgery alone isn't enough, but it can be the edge I need to be successful long term this time. My parents will support me, but they are against the surgery. My Dad thinks I just need to buck up and have willpower. Mom is worried because my older sister who had the sleeve has a huge number of health issues, and Mom incorrectly associates them with the sleeve. Some of my closest friends are concerned because we have a friend who died several years after having bariatric surgery and they believe she had nothing but problems after the surgery which eventually caused her death. As a nurse, and now with the research I've done, I do not believe the surgery was a significant factor. I understand and appreciate their concern, and am grateful that they'll all support me whatever choice I make. But I know it's hard to hear so many voices saying "don't do it". I think a lot of people go into this thinking the surgery is a magic bullet, and they won't have to make huge changes in order to get healthy, and that they set themselves up to fail. I know I went back and forth for a long time about it, and know that it's not a magic bullet, just a tool to help the process. Right now I'm just trying to keep my chin up through the insurance nonsense, and am hoping for a quick approval and surgery in August. Keep questioning, investigating, and learning. Start doing the work needed to move to a healthier place, because you'll need it whether you decide to have the surgery or not. And best of luck!!

Hi! I'm Becky. I'm from Idaho. I'm cash pay because surprisingly my blue cross blue shield has a policy specifically against bariatric procedures. Go figure. I am set to be banded Nov 5, and I'm on my preop diet of 700 cals a day which is a but brutal, but really NOT as bad as I thought it would be. I've only been overweight/obese for about four years now. I started having seizures four years ago... Up to 5 or more a day. I lived in a third story apartment and I seized on the stairs a couple of times and crashed on the cement... I just quit going out. The meds they put me on, I was warned they would ruin my metabolism... I can't lose weight unless I eat less than 1,000 cals a day plus exercise. But the medication is one that works, and I HAVE to be free from those seizures. Being afraid of having a seizure while in the shower and cracking your head open like I did, well it's just no way to live. Anyway, I gained 90lbs ish. I wasn't leaving the apartment, because of fear of seizures.... This I didn't do anything... Laundry, grocery shopping, all of it was up to my sweet and dear husband. I stayed inside out of shame once I'd gained 50 lbs. My weight gain was the result of emotional eating, loneliness, being sedentary, and partly my seizure meds. And, well, the seizures themselves. So, that's where I'm at! Um, no kids (don't want to have them til I'm closer to goal weight), no pets, building a house... Foundation just got put in yesterday!!!! I'm a photographer. Mostly newborn babies and weddings, but lots of other stuff too! I guess that's my intro! Becky/26yrsold/Idaho. Band Date Nov. 5. 255/goal 165.

It's been just over 6 months since my surgery, and I've gotten to the point where I don't think much about eating in between meals. I do have a snack in the evening, but during the day......rarely. I can also say that I'm not cured of the obsession to eat. But what I've learned from trial & error since being banded, is that if I push it, I'll be uncomfortable. I had plication done with the band, and I really think that acts as a secondary stop mechanism. There have been times when I've certainly put it to the test, but there is no way on earth I could ever eat the way I did before. And putting it to the test isn't a binge; more like a few extra bites, or an extra snack at night. Weekends are the time I usually have a few extra calories. We go out to eat for almost every meal, and though I follow the eating rules, I may allow myself some popcorn at the movies, or a few bites of a dessert my husband might order in a restaurant. My actual meals are so small, that I haven't experienced any weight gain since surgery. There are days when I feel like it was a "bad day", but when I calculate it, I've had only 1400 calories. Maybe not good for loss, but certainly, not enough to gain. So now, "bad" has a whole new meaning. Mis is so right on about working on the psychological issues surrounding compulsive overeating. I've dealt with this affliction since the age of 6 (52 years!!), and I can honestly say, though we can choose differently in any given moment, and the addiction may feel dormant, it never really leaves. That is why we need to be diligent to our program on a daily basis. Doesn't mean we'll always be perfect, but if we're good 85% of the time, we will have life long success.

hey guys and girls just a heads up. I got a gastric bypass recently that i did not need to have. thats right you read that right i did NOT need the surgery. I have an underactive thyroid gland which can cause pcos , irregular menstrual cycles , ALOT OF WEIGHT GAIN ,very bad mood swings , feeling of depression that never goes away and many more other things. My doctors never thought about checking my Thyroid gland with the TSH , free T3 & free T4 test to rule it out before giving me the surgery or even thinking about the surgery. I did ask my doctors every chance i got if there is an alternative treatments and they just said flat out no. and now a few months later i find out from my GP that i have a underactive thyroid gland and i didn't have to have the surgery. Underactive Thyroid gland means that your thyroid is not producing the hormones needed in your body and the rest of your hormones you have are all messed up. PLEASE GUYS AND GIRLS BEFORE EVEN THINKING ABOUT SURGERY DEMAND TO YOUR DOCTORS TO GET THE TSH , FREE T3 AND THE FREE T4 TESTS DONE! you may not need a gastric bypass!

Hi there everyone. I was just wondering if anyone has ever experienced a 5 lb. weight gain suddenly?? I have lost steadily since I had my surgery (almost 2 yrs. ago), but I have never gained weight. I'm was actually down 134 lbs. before this sudden gain. I did goto a holiday party this past Saturday and I did eat a few bites of a number of different foods, but nothing that made me PB or anything. I do follow a low carb diet and don't drink any carbonated beverages so I'm stumped. I can't imagine that one night would cause me to gain 5 lbs. in 2 days. I also ate 2 chocolate chip Cookies on Sunday, but I've always allowed myself to have a cookie or two every so often. Does it sound like this could be Water weight??? I'm thinking that maybe I should do all Protein and veggies for the next couple of days. I just can't imagine that I would gain 5 lbs. in 2 days from 2 cookies and tasting a few different foods over a period of 4 or 5 hrs!!! Any suggestions or ideas are welcome. Thanks, Liz

In weight loss if we stumble we tend to then throw ourselves down the stairs. Don’t. Resist the urge to focus on the weight gain, instead focus on the loss and know you can again. Go back to basics, maybe revisit your nutritionist or get one if you don’t have one. Take it slow and don’t be discouraged. You can do this. Don’t bite off more than you can chew, instead start slowly and move to where you want to be.