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Hi. I am 7 almost 8 mos post surgery. My weight loss has been great. Each visit I've lost weight and completely excited about it. Today I was going through some clothing that I thought were too big based off of size. Putting each item on i became more and more frustrated. Then I went and tried in things that I've been wearing all of the time now and are a little bit snug. I am now terrified that I have gained weight. Everyone around me is saying I am overreacting. But it all feels very real to me. So much so that I am just drinking Protein shakes and shrimp and vegetables. I plan on spending extra time in the gym. Anyone else going these "struggles"? What did yours end up being? What can I do? Sent from my SM-G935P using the BariatricPal App

Hi nursejen. take a breath and think for a minute how you will deal with plateaus and even weight gains. If this will discourage you, no need to broadcast it and make it worse. I see too many people on this forum focus on the scale and the number. If you can deal with it, great. If you think this tactic will keep you accountable, then go for it girl. Just remember it's only a number and there are so many other successes that have nothing to do with the scale. For me, there was nothing better than the first time in years that I could sit in a plane seat and not request the seatbelt extenter, and I could put the armrest and tray down without any issues. If I could have, I'd have told everyone on that darm plane about it, I was so excited. Don't get me wrong, do whatever works for you...just remember it's alot more than a number on the scale. Good luck and welcome to the forum.

I only gained 12 - 14 lbs with my last three kids. They wete fine. 2 came out 9 lbs and they took the othrr early bc I had a history of *** babies. I did not have the band then but I was careful on my weight gain. Congrats on your pregnancy!

I am on a Diet to drop my extra pounds I put on but did you still get approved even with weight gain? Sent from my SM-G920R4 using the BariatricPal App

Teacher, A sudden weight gain could mean you're just holding more Water weight (possibly close to your menstrual cycle?) or just too much salt the day before or the scale gods are just messing with you. If you've been exercising and working out a lot, it could be you're buildilng muscle mass. Muscle weighs more than fat. Don't let it get to you. Just keep on with what you're doing. If your caloric intake and caloric output are the same as they were before the unfill, you'll start losing again (assuming you were losing before the unfill). Hang in there. .

@@smb1966 As far as artificial sweeteners are concerned, all have their disadvantages and research suggests using them sparingly. I have been told by both my PCP and surgeon that our bodies can actually process zero-calorie sweeteners as it would sugar, causing both weight gain and insulin resistance. I try really hard to use any type of sweetener in extreme moderation. I used to use Splenda for recipes, especially for baking as it worked great as a substitute for white sugar, even the BS Splenda was a great alternative to regular brown sugar. However, I have recently discovered Monk Fruit (in the raw) and it has made a wonderful substitute for Splenda and or white sugar. It doesn't have that licorice taste that Stevia has and it is much sweeter than white sugar. http://www.intheraw.com/products/faqs/monk-fruit-in-the-raw

I was at a BMI of 25, so I was at a goal weight and there was mostly skin and very little fat to remove. I had inverted T abdominoplasty and 2 kg of tissue was removed. However, the muscle repair and tightening has resulted in further restriction than just that offered by my band and I have lost further weight due to that restriction. My BMI is now 24.1 and I am delighted. I was banded on 17th December 2007 and I had the abdominoplasty on 12th February 2010. For those considering abdominoplasty - you can't take vigorous exercise for 4-6 weeks post op and that, in addition to the pain relief drugs, can REALLY result in problems with elimination, if you know what I mean. Constipation resulted in an apparent significant weight gain :ohmy::thumbup:(and then loss - AAAAAAAAAAAAahhhhhhhhhhhhh - thank goodness).:ohmy:

I'm struggling with how much I should be eating at a normal meal. Sometimes I think that I have no idea of what I should be eathing. If I eat 1/2 cup to a cup of food, I feel like I'm not getting enough nutrients. I can eat much more than a cup of food (depending on the food, even if it's healthy food), and since the holidays, I have done just that. Getting back to small portions of dense foods has been a challenge, and the 10 pound weight gain since October is making me feel horrible. So, for a healthy meal, how much are you eating?

Usually, it's your surgeon that requires you to lose a certain amount of weight and not your insurance. I would double check to be sure.. My insurance didn't give a crap if I'd lost weight or not, as long as I'd done the MD supervised diet for 6 months. It was my surgeon that wanted me to lose at least 10 pounds to decrease the size of my liver, which in turn can lower the risk of some complications. Since your surgeon believes your weight gain to be because of depo, if it's their requirement they might be ok with going ahead with the procedure. Depo only stays in your system 3 months though. Depending on when your last injection was and when your surgery is planned, you might still be able to lose some weight beforehand.

I started my pre op diet ( shakes, 1 veg, 1 fruit and 1 starch) and lost 2 lbs per day until yesterday when I GAINED back 2 lbs very frustrating. I was really strict and careful. Anyone else have this experience?

Hi Mary Jane - I am 4 days post op and when I got home from the hospital I discovered I had gained 4 pounds. I was like you - how can this be. One of the reponses I got from my post was that weight gain right after surgery is not unusual. It is most likely due to the IV fluids.

I have fibromyalgia and my doctor suggested Lyrica to me today. She also said it may cause weight gain. Oh, HELL NO! I'll try it, but the minute my weight loss slows, I'm off it. Has anyone here had any experience with Lyrica?

THanks guys! Tomorrow will be week number 4 but the surgen has cleared me for solids. I like the advice of putting the fork down. I have been a fast eater all of my life. always the first one done. I guess im just a little nervous about weight gain. I dont wanna undo what I have worked so hard for. I guess I figure if I had the will power to not eat anything solid for the last 4 weeks, I can do ANYTHING!!! lol I am so glad I found these boards and all of you! What an awesome support system this is!!

Hi my name is stacie I live on the coast of ms I'm going for pre op blossom work this week have been approved for by pass I'm so excited can't wait wish they would give me a date already I'm a supervisor in retail an need to be at work for holidays I've read n read everything on here an other places watched you tube video I'm so ready just concern of the excess skin watched video of it really freaked me out but I have been the big girl all my.life lost weight gained it back you know so I'm really ready to.make this work an excited to begin my journey to a better me I have pinch nerves in neck on both sides an back pain hope this helps high blood pressure an joint pain my highest was 309 in 08 taking care of my mother dieing I weigh 265 now lost 10 lbs last month yea

Wondering if anyone gained weight prior to starting their Pre-Op Diet? I'm feeling so unmotivated, and have gained 2 lbs before the Pre-Op Diet. I'm supposed to begin the liquid diet this Friday, but have lost my motivation. Any thoughts

Do you find yourself stress eating, comfort eating or even boredom eating during your workday? That's emotional eating. Emotional eating is the eating that happens when you're procrastinating tackling a difficult project, struggling with writer's block, or avoiding a difficult conversation. Emotional eating also happens when we're trying to transform our feelings-like munching mindlessly in the late afternoon in an attempt to perk up or re-motivate. Emotional eating is a major cause of weight gain, weight loss difficulties, and weight re-gain after weight loss. It can be a major issue for many busy business owners and professionals who feel like they are facing a mounting to-do list, challenging projects, financial challenges, and too-little time. Before you reach for a snack-here are three ways to avoid emotional eating during your work day and build skills and awareness that will help you take charge of future challenges with emotional eating. 1. Identify Emotional Eating Lots of emotional eating happens without paying a lot of attention. When we eat without our full awareness we eat more, we often make poor choices, and we don't even fully taste and enjoy what we are eating. Don't put food where you can reach for it mindlessly. Use strategies that maximize your awareness of what you are doing-don't eat while you are working-in fact, set a personal policy of not multitasking at all while you eat. If you are feeling cravings or urges to eat that aren't hunger-driven, say what you know about what's going on-actually say it out loud (and without judgment). "I'm not physically hungry but all I can think about are those brownies in the kitchen. Something is triggering me to think about eating even though I don't need fuel right now." You might feel silly, but don't skip this step. If you are surrounded by other people and you can't really talk to yourself, pull out a piece of paper and write it down. Don't worry if you don't know anything more than "I'm not really hungry, but I want to eat." 2. Be Curious About Your Craving That urge to eat probably didn't pop up out of nowhere. The five minutes (or less) it takes to stop and explore what's going on will be worth it. See if you can identify what your craving is really about. Pull out a journal or type on your computer for a few minutes (yes, I know you're busy. Just take a FEW minutes). If you can, you might want to go for a short walk while you think. Why is eating suddenly so appealing? What was happening before you were thinking of it? What would you be doing or thinking of if you weren't focused on eating? What makes this hour different from one when food wasn't calling to you? Close your eyes, take a few deep breaths, and notice what comes to you. If you figure anything out, be direct with yourself and put it into words. "I'm not hungry but I'm focusing on eating candy. I just realized it's because I'm really stressed out about this presentation I need to get done and I'm worried about whether it will be good enough" If you hit pay dirt here, you'll now find you have a different problem. The problem isn't really about eating or not eating, it's figuring out how to take care of yourself and the feelings or issues you just identified. Sometimes, simply identifying the real cause of your hunger will be enough to shift how you feel. Sometimes you'll need to move to a strategy that addresses the real need or issue. 3. Create Options It's much easier not to turn to food if you have a plan for what you can do instead. Take the information you have gathered and start developing a list of everything you can think of that you could do to take care of that feeling or need in addition to eating. It's not about NOT eating, it's about figuring out what you can do INSTEAD. Take a break, switch tasks, drink a glass of Water, go wash your hands and put on lotion, commit to spending fifteen minutes on the task you are avoiding....You get the idea. Put the list somewhere where you can see it and can add ideas as you think of them. Don't censor your ideas for being unrealistic or impossible. Write down every strategy (big or small) you can think of to do in response to worry or anxiety or tiredness or boredom (or whatever you have identified). Make a commitment to try two of those things, this week when the emotional eating urge hits and tweak your list as you go. Are you a smart, busy woman struggling with emotional eating, overeating, and balancing work and life? Claim your free psychologist-designed audio series: “5 Simple Steps to Move Beyond Overwhelm With Food and Life” at http://TooMuchOnHerPlate.com Just look for the yellow post-it note at the top of the page Melissa McCreery, PhD, ACC, is a Psychologist, ICF Certified Life Coach, emotional eating expert, and the founder of http://toomuchonherplate.com, a company dedicated to providing smart resources to busy women struggling with food, weight and overwhelm.

You're getting ahead of yourself. The band absolutely has to be loosened. Being unable to tolerate even small amounts of liquid is bad. The alternate is being hooked up with IV. I have no idea what will happen once the band is loose for a while. That's why I say you're getting ahead of yourself. Speculating and worrying about events that are still in the future will only make you more and more miserable. It's not always easy, but try not to think about it at all. Just take each step with the doctor and see what happens with each. How much Fluid comes out depends on how little remaining will be best. Expect quite a bit. Put effort into eating as you should to avoid or minimize weight gain. Above all is dealing with whatever is going on with the band.. Your weight is secondary right now.

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.

Before you consider reducing your use of shakes, I suggest keeping a journal of all of the food you eat (even if only a small taste) and the quantities, so you can calculate exactly how much Protein you are eating. If you truly are getting 75-95g of protein or more, then you can probably reduce your use of protein shakes as @@Veronica_mm said if you are able to maintain your 50g of protein a day with other foods. I would also caution you that very soon now, when you reach the solid foods stage, you are going to have to stop the "nibbling". Grazing (as @@James Marusek can tell you from a recent study he was talking about) is a major cause of weight gain, and that goes especially for WLS patients. When you are on liquids and purees, eating small portions constantly is fine, and even necessary to get in your minimum protein because the pouch is so small, but when you are getting into real foods, you should be moving towards discrete meals with nothing but Water or water substitutes (Powerade Zero, Crystal light, etc.) in between. Also, it's important to know what you are grazing on. Are you grazing on yogurt, cottage cheese, tuna or other high-protien foods? Ok. Are you grazing on whole fruit and veggies? Not as good, but still probably ok. Are you grazing on canned fruit, crackers, nuts or other foods with lots of carbs or fat? Probably not good. Finally, if your grazing is due to real hunger, not just "head hunger", then you might want to try adding a bit more protein to your normal meals. Protein should keep your hunger down longer. However, if you are not really hungry, but just satisfying a craving, then you may want to think up of some things to get your mind off of it, or possibly see a therapist to work on that. If not dealt with, the head hunger can really derail your success.

Hi there! Congratulations on having your surgery. Yes, it is absolutely normal. The reason you are heavier is because of all the fluids they put in your veins the last few days. You will lose that very fast and then some. Your tummy is protruding from the gas they pumped into you to expand your stomach for the surgery itself. The more you walk, the faster this all just disappears. They should warn you about the weight gain post surgery and they don't. I remember being really angry about that because I worked so hard to lose 13lbs before surgery and gained it all back in 2 days in the hospital. Just know that it is all fluids and it will go away quickly. Right now you need that because it gets hard to get all your liquids in. I hope you have a safe and speedy recovery!

I have been "lurking" here for about 2 months. The posts I have read have helped me prepare myself for this wonderful journey. I have tested all of the clear Protein options I can find, and have my stock ready for post surgery. I have tested all of the other Protein drinks I can find and have a good idea for those as well. I have a wonderful husband who has put up gallons of chicken stock so that is taken care of. I have been on the high protein diet for 3 weeks and have dropped 20 pounds. I feel ready. I feel serene. I feel blessed. I am 43 years old. I have been heavy since I had my child when I was 18. Prior to that I was a nice teenage weight of 120. While I was pregnant I gained 60 pounds. After that it was a myriad of things that contributed to the additional weight gain. I reconciled my self to being heavy sometime ago. I tried dieting, weight loss pills and doctor directed programs. I decided to take this step because I want to be healthy, My weight is damaging my joints, my feet and it's time. I want to thank you all for being do honest and genuine here, it has helped me very much to be able to share your journeys. My surgery is the 21st in TJ. I can't wait! Rinda

Hi guys, I had Lap Band surgery in May of 2009 - wgt 260. Then due to complications with the band it was removed in February of 2011 - wgt 170. Since then I have gained 40 lbs - wgt now 210. I am trying to be optimistic.... Can anyone tell me if they had their band removed and how much weight they gained after? I am not sure if this is average, above or below... Thanks so much for the feedback.

Ok I'm extremely frustrated right now and would like to know if anyone has had a similar experience. I was banded in Sept of 2009 and had several fills and all of a sudden this past December I lost restriction. I was supposed to have close to 9ccs in my band and when I went in for a fill I only had 2cc so they determined I had a leak. My Dr. just assumed the leak was in the port and didn't offer to do any testing to confirm it. So I went in for a port replacement 2 weeks ago and just had my follow up and fill appointment today. The PA was having problems finding my port so she had me stand up for an xray and then asked me if I had done anything strenuous. I replied no and she then told me my port was flipped!!! How in the world can I have a flipped port when the Dr. just put it in 2 weeks ago?! Furthermore, I am self pay so the replacement surgery cost me $2300 out of my pocket and I'll be damned if I'm paying for the same surgery AGAIN because I now have a flipped port instead of a leaking one. The most frustrating part is the weight gain. I've gained 10-15lbs since I lost restriction and was looking forward to getting back on track and now I'll have to get surgery all over again! I haven't had a chance to speak with my Dr. yet but I look forward to raising some hell when I do. I've been generally dissatisfied with him throughout this whole process as it is.

Signs and symptom hypothyroidism may include: Fatigue Increased sensitivity to cold Constipation Dry skin Unexplained weight gain Puffy face Hoarseness Muscle weakness Elevated blood cholesterol level Muscle aches, tenderness and stiffness Pain, stiffness or swelling in your joints Heavier than normal or irregular menstrual periods Thinning hair Slowed heart rate Depression Impaired memory It could account for some of your recent weight gain. It appears to be testable and treatable. http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hypothyroidism/basics/definition/con-20021179

In one word.....NO. We all have similar stories, weight loss/weight gain/weight loss/weight gain. I will finally be successful and healthier than I have been in years due to the surgery. It will be saving my life. I am no longer diabetic, I should be off cholestral medication within a few months and my fatty liver disease with reverse and I will not eventually become a canditate for a liver transplant somewhere down the road. Not counting the potential heart disease that runs in the family and the knee replacment surgeries that would have to be recommended. Best decision I made in my life other then getting married to my husband and my 2 wonderful daughters.