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The people you've heard about and have met regained weight because they chose to eat poorly. They chose to eat the foods and the amounts of food that cause weight-gain. It is possible to gain weight after any of the surgery options. Maintaining weight loss requires changed eating habits forever. There is no magic about it.

Hello everyone I am new here and just wanted to say hi , introduced myself and tell you my story. My name is Tom ,I am 40 years old and I am from Toronto,Canada. Yes, I almost use to weight 1,000 lbs. I actually was 910 lbs at my highest just about a year ago. On December 10, 2015 I checked in to a hospital weighing 910 lbs and I am currently still here at the hospital continuing to receive the treatment and help I need one year later. My 1 year anniversary stay at the hospital was just 11 days ago and on December 10, 2016 I weighed 475 lbs . So I lost a total of 435 lbs + in one year. Now , I also had another problem. I had developed a big nasty a localized lymphedema (big tumor)in my groin area that grew to be about 180-200 lbs it self estimated. This lymphedema caused me my original reason i went to the hospital because it pretty much ancored me down to the point I wasn't able to walk ,get around anywhere but a few feet from my bed to the couch.Also with moving and trying to walk around stuff came great pain since the Lymphedema tumor had developed lots of ulcers and open wounds that were very bad and nasty. I no longer could take the pain and suffering and reached for the desperate help I needed but was terrified to ask for. So in the hospital I was put on a strict diet of 1500 calories to start for the first month or so and then eventually decreased to 1200 calories a day food intake. Also along with the help of my physiotherapist, doing any bed excercise we could in the beginning because at 910 lbs that's all that I could do. I lost 400 lbs by diet and exercise by September 28, 2016...Which is when I had my Gastric bypass surgery. So in 9 months basically I lost those 400 lbs and had my surgery. When I first came in here to the hospital I wasn't even thinking about getting a gastric bypass surgery or any kind of diet surgery etc. I came here in hopes of having something done and even removal of that lymphedema tumor that was paining me and ancoring me down. So it was all about losing weight and seeing what will happen. @910 lbs noone in their right mind would do any kind of surgery on a person unless it was life and death. So they had no plans to have anything with removal of this lymphedema growth till I lost enough weight and be safe. As I started to lose weight the talks and suggestions of having a Gastric bypass surgery came up by doctors. They thought it would help me lose weight faster now so we can deal with the Lymphedema growth surgery with lower and safer weight levels. Also they said it would help me in future to lose more excess weight and keep it off or maintain my weight at least for life if i used this tool correctly (Gastric bypass surgery). So in due time my doctor said that I've lost enough weight and approved me for Gastric Bypass surgery and with a weight of 510 lbs I had my surgery September 28, 2016. Now, with all this weight loss my lymphedema growth has also shrunk from its giant enormous size down to about 1/4 of what it use to be but it is still there and weighs bout 50 lbs still. Me and my doctor here at the hospital are expecting a special surgeon to come see me today(December 21,2016) actually about the removal surgery of this lymphedema hrowth. So hopefully he will have good news for me. Because that lymphedema tumor is still a big anchor for me and really in the way and holding me back from doing a lot of things including not being able to walk and move around in certain ways because it gets in the way. Now the hospital I'm in has a special bariatric program and there was a reason why I actually ended up picking this hospital to come to. I knew someone who's dad is a surgeon here and he directed me to have EMS and Fire to bring me here from home. Also, since I'm in Canada all hospital stay to date including my Gastric Bypass survey was covered under OHIP as we call it here. That good old free Canadian healthcare that every Canadian gets at work for me luckily. I have been truly lucky and blessed with everything from being able to get the help I needed and all the amazing people involved including all nurses and doctors and other hospital admins who have done everything they could to keep me here and help me achieve my goals to get better and walk out of this hospital on my own 2 legs. Since the surgery on September 28th I have lost 40 lbs till now December, 21 2016. Now this is due to a problem I have developed with my platelets in my blood. My immune system became overactive and started killing my platelets in my blood thinking the platelets wee some foreign objects like viruses and infections so it destroy them . Platelets in blood help to thicken or congeil the blood incase you cut yourself you wont bleed away and can't stop the blood . Or if your platelet count is very low and say you fall, hit your head you could get internal bleeding etc. So the avg persons platelet levels should be between 150 to 400 ish. That's what's considered normal apperantly. Well I had mine go down as low as 2 . Very dangerous. So they got me on some steroids to calm my immune system and it seems to be doing ok at around the country of 135. So they aren't comcerned with me about that now. Anyway, these steroids cause weight gain due to Water retention etc etc. So losing weight has been harder after surgery and it was after surgery we discovered these platelet problems. But not related to Gastric Bypass surgery. Instead of me typing everything out and explaining so much that I have to explain and tell, I have created a YouTube channel so I could tell my story and progress through my channel. I will link everything below. Now, best thing would be is to watch my very first vlog here https://youtu.be/n3CLU2ghoiM My 2nd Vlog here to catch up on my story https://youtu.be/Y3MXkp-nQJ8 Or you can go to my channel and watch everything I ever uploaded here. https://m.youtube.com/user/Boosted00 But the 1st two Vlogs are my intro explanation videos to my weight loss journey and my 910 lbs life.... I'd appreciate if you all check out my YouTube channel Subscribe to me , comment like and share . Would be a great help. I will end it here for now, in the first vlog video I have pictures of when I use to look like ,I have a picture of the size of the Lymphedema groin tumor and things in the beginning of that first YouTube video along with the beginning stages of my story. I will be adding new content couple times a week and also continue explaining my story in a new video which will be Vlog#3 and 4 etc etc. Besides that I will be adding small side videos ,some funny some serious that I have filmed in the past 5 or so months. If you have any question feel free to ask away or just comment and I be happy to reply or just read comments. Old pictures pictures I posted down below in another reply because I was having trouble attaching them here in this first post of mine , I apologise for separating them. I also will add a couple current pictures down below as well. My direct link to my YouTube channel https://m.youtube.com/user/Boosted00 My first YouTube intro vlog about my journey Add me on Instagram to follow me there too. Instagram tommy910_ Email 910lbs@gmail.com Please help me help others get motivated thru my story! Plz SUB like and share , LOVE YOU GUYS ! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Basic repeat and quicker rundown of my story here Basic story then my YouTube links down below.. I was almost 1,000 lbs....and I kept fighting and never giving up. I want to share my near 1000 lb life story and journey of how I kept on fighting and not giving up,EVER ! You must do the same and stay strong ,things will get better .KEEP ON SWIMMING #keeponswimming I would appreciate if you Subscribed to me to help me raise awareness and help motivate others with my on going success story of my weight loss journey. Thank you all. Here is my almost 1000 lb life weigh loss journey ! On December 10, 2015 i checked in to a hospital with a weight of 910 lbs. On my 1st anniversary in there on December 10, 2016 I was down to 475 lbs and counting.... Please check out my YouTube channel and subscribe to follow along. My direct link to my YouTube channel https://m.youtube.com/user/Boosted00 My first YouTube intro vlog about my journey Sent from my Pixel XL using the BariatricPal App [/url]

I would NOT have a surgery I was certain I would regret, unequivocally. I considered WLS for 20 years before I had it. I was pretty sure I could lose weight if only I just tried harder. I'm a registered nurse, brought up in the world of science, and thought I knew everything there was to know about dieting and weight loss. I even knew the statistics about the dismal failure rates, but I thought I could/should overcome that brutal reality. So, while I dieted, lost some weight, gained some more, I went to several surgeons over the years, even went so far as to have the pre-op testing completed, and always backed out. At the time, RNY was the only option, and I just couldn't get on board with the malabsorption thing (and still can't). So, I thought I might regret it, and I never went through with it. Once I learned of VSG, I KNEW it would be the right decision for me, and I have not regretted it. Lots of people say their only regret is not doing it sooner, and while I do wish I had this option 20 years ago, I do not regret having a surgery I knew I would regret.

Hello, I am 40 and live in the Washington D.C. area. I have a BMI of 35.5 or 36, depending on how I list my hieght (5 foot 2 vs. 5 foot 3). I also have weight-related Depression and very high blood pressure, so high that I've gone to the ER twice. I want the band, and want to be sure I get approved. I have Aetna. The first thing I want to know is: will they approve wls, and will they allow lap-banding. If yes, how much will they pay. I think the most efficient way to find out is to call them, but will this raise a flag that sets them looking for ways to deny? Should I simply start by going to the doc? I can def. document this weight, plus weight loss attempts that at first succeed, but ultimately fail when I gain back all the weight. Also, i am on medications for depression that cause weight gain by increasing hunger. Will that be an obstacle, either in terms of approval or in terms of success for the band? My weight definitely causes and worsens Depression symptoms, easily documented by my psychiatrist and therapist. Please forgive me if these things are addressed in existing forum questions; I have searched but haven't seen my specific concerns show up. Can anyone advise me about any of the above? Thank you!

I mentioned it to my family, not as in I was going to do it, but as something my friend did. I think people are just ignorant on all the facts. It is the unknown, they just don't understand the pain of the weight gain/loss over and over and over..... They don't realize how we live our lives and how obsessed we are with food, feeling uncomfortable, how we put our lives on hold to do this or do that, the next diet, the time wasted thinking about it.... My mom and husband are the only ones who know I am doing it, and a friend who actually had it done a year ago (and I was one of those ignorant people, who had doubts, but I kept it to myself and supported her no matter what) Now I know better and am scheduled to do it myself January 5. My mom actually told me she thinks this is to radical of a thing to do and that I should just have a butt reduction!!!!! That doesn't change the fact that I over eat. I can eat more than my husband! Even if I do Atkins, vegan lifestyle, I still don't lose because my portions are to big. In the end, only we know the pain we have suffered, the time wasted and how FREE we will feel to eat like a normal person, to actually stop when we are full, now because we physcially have to. Sometimes I think my mom wouldn't know how to deal with me thin, I think she thinks I will change. Maybe we are safe overweight for people. On the other hand, my husbnad is so happy he won't be forced to go on another diet with me. He says when ever I do another diet, he is forced to do it too! He has to also go through the emotional roller coaster ride I take every time I start something new or recycled, start to lose weight, start to gain it back.... Do it for yourself. You are the one who lives in your own skin. I am doing this for me! Audree

I'm with em1125, I wouldn't reroute my stomach and intestines for weight loss. Too many complications and a much higher mortality rate than with the lap band. I have a friend who has had RNY and while she tolerated the surgery and recovered well - she lost about 90 pounds - in the past 4 months she's put 40 pounds back on. That's almost half of the total weight she lost. Who knows when the weight gain will stop. She's rearranged her insides and she's back in the obese category. At least with my lapband, if I regain my weight I won't have messed with my insides and have to deal with malabsorption of nutrients, etc. FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE. Talk to another surgeon. In fact, talk to several surgeons. Get a wide range of experience and opinion before you make your decision. It seems like a lot of work but, honestly, do people buy the first car on the lot they look at? Or do they look around a bit first and make sure it's the car they really want? This is your body - you only get the one. Make sure you do what's best for it.

It's April 26, 2012. In 18 days, my life will change forever, and I can't wait! Let me start by telling you about myself. (Apologies if this is long-winded, but I think it will give a more rounded picture of how I ended up here!) I am 42 years old. I live in Toronto, Ontario, Canada with my husband (my soulmate...I waited until 40 to marry, and he's my forever love!), and our 2 cats, Rosie and Maize. I was born October 20, 1969, a very very small (1.9 lbs!) and 8 weeks premature. My mother has smoked during her pregnancy and I think it impacted my growth. Back in those days, they didn't have neonatal intensive care units and ventilators etc. for preemies. I was just lucky to survive! Believe it or not, I think that is where my problems with my weight began! I used to drink 2 or 3 times the amount of formula my mother's Obstetrician has prescribed for me. It was as if my tiny little body was demanding more and more food to make up for the lack of size and development during the pregnancy! During my early childhood, I was actually average size and played a lot of sports. But food was starting to be more and more of a focus. I would have eating contests with my Dad. Food was a reward when something good happened, and a comfort when something bad happened. By the time I was 12, I was universally known as "chubby" amongst my family, friends, schoolmates. Despite all this, I continued to play many sports, and excel in all of them! High school brought fresh pain and more weight. I was shunned by the boys (more of a tomboy anyways, they saw me as "one of the guys"). Girls didn't want to be associated with me...I wasn't the right "clique" material. The only thing that made high school bearable was sports (I was both admired and mocked for my athleticism....a weird combination!) and music. I was captain of almost every team I played on (volleyball, softball, soccer, field hockey), but when we went to "away" games, I would hear people in the crowd openly call me names and laugh at me. It was very painful and even if we won and I was the star of the game, I would invariably end of crying on the way home. What would make me feel better? Food! McDonalds, Dairy Queen.....the more calories, the better! Of course, I went though ups and downs. I would try a diet, find some success, lose some weight.....then invariably, gain it all back plus. In my Junior year, a group of my friends and teachers I was very close with chipped in to buy me a birthday gift. Looking back now, it was incredibly generous, kindhearted and really demonstrated how much they loved me. But at the time, I was mortified (though I put on a brave face). They had bought me 10 sessions with a Nutritionist, so I could lose weight. OMG! Even the people I loved thought I was unacceptable the way I was. It put me in a depression and left an indelible mark on my psyche for a long time. I went to the sessions and tried to lose weight and keep it off. Of course, I failed (I didn't really want to succeed and prove them right, unconsciously of course). In the end, I graduated and went on to University and then the real floodgates of weight gain started. I was 198 lbs when I started University. I couldn't afford to go to school without a full time job (at the same time!) so I gave up competitive sports (I had enough talent to make Varsity....but no time to dedicate to it!). I was working full time hours from 4 pm to midnight most weekdays, and every other weekend. No time for regular meals (I would sleep late, skip Breakfast, grab a lunch to go that I could eat in class, then rush off to work). Often eating dinner from the vending machine at work, or grabbing fast good on quick 15 min breaks. My freshman "15" was more like "50". I continued my education after University, and became a Respiratory Therapist, but developed an anaphylactic allergy to latex. At the time, this was still quite rare, and most hospital equipment, etc. was still made using latex (especially gloves!). I had to quit my profession before it even really began! Backup plan was to turn to something I already loved as a hobby. Computers. The internet was starting to really grow (1997) and I taught myself HTML and online design/publishing. The rest (as they say) is history. I am now an E-Communications Analyst with our Provincial Government (yes, a public servant!). Needless to say, this is a very sedentary job. It's contributed to my weight gain. I've gone through numerous diets and was very successful in 2006 (lost 100 lbs!) with a strict 1200 calorie diet and ALOT of exercise. In 2007 my brother (who lived on the West Coast, on Vancouver Island) was getting very ill. He had been diagnosed with Brain Cancer 6 years earlier and was really a miracle case to still be alive! His health was deteriorating and I flew out to help him set up homecare and prepare for when he would need hospice. The stress was intense, and I started to regain my weight. Later in 2007, my mother unexpectedly passed away. She simply went to bed one night and never woke up! At 73, it was very very unexpected and I was suddenly thrust into caring for my father (79 yrs old at the time) who had many health problems and dementia. 5 months later, my brother passed away. The stress of all of this loss, sudden responsibility (caring for Dad, executor for Mom and my brother's estates, etc.) sent me over the edge. I regained most of the weight that I had lost. I did manage to lose 35 lbs for my wedding in Sept. 2010, but it has crept back on and I am now at 318 lbs and miserable. My asthma gets worse with each additional pound (when I lost the 100 lbs, I went off ALL my asthma meds and I was exercising like a fiend with no shortness of breath!). I am desperate to get back to a weight where I can exercise without feeling like I'm going to die from fatigue or lack of oxygen! I'm getting my VSG on May 14, 2012 from Dr. Ramos Kelly in Tijuana, Mexico. It's self-pay and it's the best money I'll even spend on anything (especially myself!). I am psyched!

Sensy, your doctor will have his own thoughts about how much to fill, but it has nothing to do with whether you're a piggy or not. Every doctor has a personalized approach, and even docs who are pretty aggressive with a fill probably won't be that way on the first fill. And you don't want him to be. Whatever fill you get will be more than you have, and will therefore take some getting used to. You may be hungrier than you thought you'd be at this point, but if you pay attention I'm sure you'll find that you are already eating less than you were pre-band. And that's the whole and only point. Many people do gain a little weight back in the period before a fill, but it's weight that you lost on the liquid diet, not actual weight gain. It's a sort of bounce-back effect and inevitable once you are off liquids and eating solids again. Don't worry about it! Just practice eating slowly and mindfully, so when you have restriction you'll be ahead of the game. So many people are ready to jump right in with mega-restriction right out of the gate. Those are the same people who come back later saying "I can't eat at all! All that goes down is ice cream!" Learning to live with restriction and eat healthfully takes time and we have to allow ourselves that time. As a very wise woman said, this process does not have to be drastic to be effective. Sorry for the lecture--it's not directed at you. But there is no specific amount of fill that's right for everyone, so there's no answer to your question.

Hi Everyone, Things are still going well for me. I am so grateful for that, believe me. When I have read of others problems on here I cannot believe my luck. Long may it continue. Now the water weight has gone I did a proper weekly weigh in and am one pound down on before surgery. (However, you could call that 8lbs as that would include the iv fluid weight gain that has gone too) but still one more pound to take off my ticker. Hooray. Went out and about again today, saw someone I hadn't seen in three weeks and they actually said and I quote "Wow, you have lost weight in your face" Thank you thank you thank you. This is the first time someone other than me and my hubby has noticed! I do have one small problem, no, that is overstating it. It isn't a problem, just a little query I am hoping someone can help me with. On one of my incisions sites I have what looks like a piece of clear plastic wire/gut/fishing line???? sticking out. It appears to be attached inside me. Do I a) cut it off close to the skin and forget it? or need to get my doctor to take a look at it? The incision itself is healing nicely and there is no pain around it, and is not puffy or red or anything. So Ladies help me out here, what do I do next? Don't you just love the fact that we can call on each other whenever we need a helping hand. I am as I have stated before, a bit of a luddite when it comes to technology, but here I am asking help from people I have never met who may be half way around the world. Not only that, I am pretty certain that I will get a response too. So thank you in advance if you do respond, and thank goodness for technology too. Best wishes all Phoenix

Hey Guys, I'm well overdue for an entry into my blog. My original weight was about 325 lbs and I've lost over 100 lbs with the lap band. I'm definitely up a few pounds since my last post. I weigh about 206. I had been maintaing about 195 for a year or so. But I've recently gone back to a sedentary job (5 months ago) so I've put on about 10lbs. Since my job is pretty boring, I eat my way through the day. There are snacks...bad snacks at every turn. I guess sweets and cakes keep people motivated in these environments. I'm also in a new relationship, which some say may cause you to gain weight. I cook alot more foods that taste good but may not be very low fat. I'm not exercising much either which doesn't help. I have gone to see a nutritionist who gave me some tips, however, I still gained a couple of pounds after seeing her, so i sort of stopped her recommendations, which included protein bars and shakes. I think I was eating even more food and I was still pretty hungry. So I'm back to eating when I'm hungry and eating what I want :-/ . I do try to get some healthy foods in, like salads and vegetables and I definitely try to prepare as many meals as I can at home. I recently went back to my GI (gastroenterologist) to get a partial unfill. I had my band tighetened pretty tight about 2 years ago. Then I was laid off from my job, which meant I had no insurance to go back for any adjustments. I really was too tight and I would wake up at night coughing up food, which was pretty scary. I was a little torn about getting an unfill because ofcourse I didn't want to chance gaining any weight back, but after many months of uncomfortable nights, sleeping sitting up waiting for my food to digest or choking in my sleep on food, I dediced to get an unfill. My GI took out about .4cc's he told me. He wouldn't tell me how much was left in the band....I suppose he didn't want me to focus on that. I've felt better ever since. I haven't had any bouts of coughing or choking at night. I really need to get an exercise regimen on board now. That is really my focus. I was never one for traditional exercise though. I lost weight mainly through going out dancing, but since I'm involved in a relationship,I don't feel it's the best thing to do now. I may join some dance exercise classes if I can find anything I'm interested in. I would really like to do a belly dancing class. I have visited another plastic surgeon to look at a tummy tuck, butt and breast augmentation. The cost was somewhere in the neighborhood of 15 thousand dollars. So I'm putting that on the back burner for now. I may have to have one procedure then go back for another later, but it's seems safer and more economical to do two at once. It's really important to my self-image to get these things done, because I have a lot of lose and saggy skin that I feel could be improved. Anyway, that's my update for now. I wish I could post pictures, but I will make sure I do so next time. I'm satisfied with my band experience so far. It has helped me to maintain a significant weight loss over the last 4 1/2 years and I don't forsee any significant weight gain. I am pain free and pretty happy about my decision. I wish everyone well in their weight loss journey! W8tygirl AKA Kia

Hi Everyone: I hope this message will not encourgage anyone on how i feel. Just needed some support. Been banded since 12/16/11, almost a year has gone by. My weight lost was from 240 to 163. Now since them i have been depressed on what to eat. Its really hard for me to see someone eating a hamburger with a bun! Potatoes, squash, rich, eggs, green beans, broccoli and yorgurt are so hard for me to eat. It doesn't matter how i eat them or cut them, they just don't feel good. I had to change doctor due to moving from another state. I now weight 180 and i don't understand how i gained weight. It don't seem like i eat anything. I have been having a couple glasses of Bailey's Irish Cream! Can you believe i can drink this! There are a lost of days i ask myself why did i do this! Please give me some suggestions. Thanks, Kelly

@ Niki15 It's frustrating but don't fret too much over slow weight loss. I lost slowly with episodes of weight gain in between. My routine included daily exercise & following my low carb diet rules to the letter. It felt like a living nightmare. I lost the weight after 17 months but nothing I did would speed things up. Keep at it. You may not have a quick start but eventually it will happen.

Congratulations! and welcome to The Losers Bench! It is a great feeling. Glad to hear that you aren't having a lot of pain. If the Iso Pure is bothering you, try a diffferent kind. I like Unjury in the chocolate flavor. It tastes just like chocolate milk to me (I mix it with milk!). Take care of yourself. Get lots of rest. And don't be discouraged by the weight gain. The fluid will be gone soon and you will start to notice the weight loss! Again. Congratulations! Kathy D

Good afternoon love! Just wanted to reply to your comment and share a bit of my journey with u. I had a revision in December from a VBG(first weight loss surgery approved) in 2004 to a gastric bypass do to esophogus issues, heartburn and major weight gain. I lost 46lbs after revision. The vitamins I see you posted are great but expensive. I have blood check up every 3 months have been amazing and i take a Bariatric vitamin from amazon. 16.77 month. My health is fabulous. Look into amzon for vitamins love. It will really save you money and they work just as well. Please take your daily calcuim after revision and you will be just fine. Good luck and God Bless you

Hey there Audra! Read your message just now. The nurse at my surgeon's office told me to call my insurance company every 2-3 days to check on the progress. I was nice and waited a week first...lol. Anyway, my info was reviewed on Feb. 8th and the nurse that reviewed my info at my ins. co. (BCBS of TN) sent a reply back to my surgeon's office on the 16th. I definitely understand how you feel. I'm jumpin' through all their hoops too. I am morbidly obese and have all kinds of co-morbidities and I have had a psych eval many times over within the past 10 yr. of my life. However, the ins. co. told me that they needed documentation that I had been evaluated within the past 2yr and they need documentation that I had tried structured weight loss within the past 2 yr. as well. The ins. co. has been sent all kinds of medical documentation about my depression and weight gain (and weight loss) from the past 7-8 of my life but they want more so....I'm gonna give um' more...lol. Just don't give up!

I was just DENIED!!!!!! I didn't lose the 5% of my excess weight as required by my insurance company during my 12 month MD supervised diet program. I had a heart problem in the late summer (since been fixed) and went on a medication for five months that made me totally sedentary. I didn't want to do a stinking thing! And I gained 27lbs on it. My high was 371, my starting weight (the one they use) was 344. So in order to qualify, I have to be 335. Granted I've lost weight since being fixed in December (I'm now 347.6), but even with a letter from my doctor stating that the weight gain wasn't totally my fault, and even with my case manager pleading my case to the medical director for the Ins Co. I'm denied! I can try again next month... One positive thing, once it was submitted it only took a couple of hours...

Hi Alex, Havent been here in 7 months and just saw your post. I didnt know about your band slippage. I hope you get a new band soon. I just moved to Georgia from TX and cant find a doctor to do my fills. Not one so far in Atlanta who will take insurance and the ones that take cash want way too much $. So I sit with no restriction and a lot of weight gain since I have not had adequate fill since August 2006. Anyway, hang in there. Babs in GA 334/180/2-- teens???

Grilled tilapia, roasted asparagus and ... yeah ... that's it. I started my pre op two weeks early and no food funerals were had. I figured I had enough food to get me to 264 pounds and I'd eventually have anything I wanted again. No need to started my pre op with a crap load of carbs that would only make it harder and why risk (minor) weight gain just to have to lose it?

At the moment I am having a hard time coming to terms with the fact that at 45 I am now in menopause.I love being thin but I hate the fact that the weight loss screwed up my hormones so badly!And I hate these hot flushes! Of course the question of how fast am I going to age now is in my mind all the time.For goodness sake,I am skinny for the first time in 20+ years.I have planned plastics and a lot of other fun things.I dont want to start looking like a dried out old prune before I am 50.Then there is all the conflicting info on HRT.Increasing or decreasing breast cancer and stroke risk? So many studies contradicting each other that I have no idea what to do.You read about the weight gain after menopause and how difficult weight loss becomes and I think shoot,Im screwed!Makes me want to eat..lol Then there is the issue of my tea.Now I can admit I have been super bad with water,just like the exercise.But this is also because every time I start drinking more water my weight bounces up 2-3 pounds and I feel swollen.Having said this I had to get off the tea.It causes constipation when drinking it in huge quantities and I never new that.I was drinking 5-6 cups of tea (400ml cups) a day and was chuffed with myself for having found a way to side step the water...lol.But every time I come back from holiday,I get constipated.Had to look at what is different when I am gone and it must be the tea!Read up on it a bit and I think the dehydrating effect of tea made the constipation worse. Back on the probiotics and I had only 2 cups of tea today and about 2 liters of water. Now,I have about 3 pounds to get to dr's goal and have tonight decided to just do it already.I am going to cut my carbs again from tomorrow and see if it works and if it doesnt I will cut my food allowance for the day until I see results.Then I will lose 10 more pounds to SHOW THIS BLOODY MENOPAUSE that I can do it. Ugg,so my little plastics fund has increased now to include a facelift when the face actually collapse...lol O,and I will start exercising more...lol

Well let me tell you this...I have my 6 out of 6 appointment coming and I want to tell anyone with Kaiser what to look out for...it's what I wanted to know... 1. you can possibly get more monthly visits added on but cannot do anything to reduce the time in the program. 2. you should start a diet to follow immediately and let that be what you track in your food journal...unlike me, who thought they wanted to just see what we were currently eating.. I was unaware that the diet begins at that first class you attend. 3. If it applies, don't stop smoking too soon...I gained about 6lbs immediately and never found out that losing any weight gained is you final goal in the program. 4. DO NOT GAIN WEIGHT!!! I never knew there would be any weight requirement, only the classes and appointments but at my 5th appointment, I found that I must get back to my lowest weight in the program before we can move on to submitting paperwork. Which only gives me 4 weeks but if you gained more than my 6, this could be a shocker! 6. Make sure you schedule all your appointments immediately after your visits because those appointments go fast and some time they may not even have a schedule up for the following month until the 2nd week of the current month. My 6/6 appointment is 1/31/14 and we will be submitting paperwork...feel free to hit me up and ask me any questions about the process... Good Luck neighbors!!

I think yes cash pay. That’s what my situation is as I’m still considered low BMI despite significant weight gain after my band was removed.

Be careful sweet Vera with the Paxil, Paxil is what led to my demise of weight gain. I gained 65 lbs in 1.5 yrs. It slows down your metabolic rate to almost zero..however the stuff works for the mental part of it all ...I do not want to discourage you ,but just know there are other meds out there that dont have the side affect of so much weight gain and have the same affect on the mental part of it

This morning I was 194 (up 2 pounds from last week), this is the first time since by band that I have had a weight gain. The scale has been stuck, not moved went down ¼ of a pound but at my offical Friday weigh in I never was more that the previouse week. I have had a few diviations from my “diet” the past week and am not as regular as I should be so I know it’s not a real weight gain but still I am disgusted. My brain understands all of the above but the scared part of my that worries that I will fail the band is stomping around saying I told you so ..why bother with all the pain, expense to just gain the weight back go eat something to make you feel better….i won’t listen to her I had Cereal for Breakfast, cup of vegatable Soup for lucnch and some nuts a little while ago as a afternoon snack….will have a normal dinner and try ti shut up the voices in my head……wonder if my screwed up relationship with food will ever be “normal”

Oh yea, of course we all have to change our eating habbits. I am not trying not take responsiblity. Let's face it, 90% of people here who had the lapband done was because of bad eating habbits, that was the purpose behind it. Right? I have Hypothyriodism, so losing weight is hard, and I do work out and eat healthy, and when I had my lapband done, I had only lost 45 pounds, because of it. I know it's hard, so it wasn't because I was eating burgers, tacos and pizza. I eat healthy. I went from a size 24 to an 18, and my goal was to be a 14. I like being fit, and I know what looks good on me. Not everyone wants to be a size 6. I just want to be comfortable. So my eating habbits did change, but not to the extreme. So please note that my weight gain wasn't because of poor eating habbits, it just what happens when your metabolism is out of whack and trying to get it back into track. If it was just for my poor eating habbits, then I think I would have lost more than just 45 pounds in 1 year, don't you think?

Ive taken diet pills off and on during my banded years. When I ve noticed a weight gain (+3-5 pounds) I'll taken them for a week or so till I can get my eating under control. I keep a bottle of tenuate (oblong tablets) on hand for these situations! I -always- break the tablet in half, I cant stand the 'high' feeling the diet pills give me. For me, 1/2 tablet works fine and goes through the stoma with no problems. Good luck!