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HI, One of the biggest surprises I have had since being banded June 2008, has been the ability to keep the weight off. Unfortunately I'm stuck at about #20 pounds from goal, but am down 70-75 pounds. I lost all my weight in @ 14 months. I have modest restriction, but enough to remind me of "stucks" and "sliming". Like you, I'll keep track of any weight gain, and then go back to "first principles" of the band. When I hit my plateau I got another 2 fills. It didn't do much. Sadly to say, I've not pursued the fills and have not kicked it up to the next level, but I'm working on it now. Treats around the house don't seem to matter. We live with 3 teen-age boys. It is best when I totally eliminate eating many of the treats,, (like the cheese cake in the fridge), and limit myself to small portions of my favorites, like maybe a cookie or a small brownie. I'm more of a volume eater. One thing I don't do anymore is make the rounds of the fast food places. That is certain death. I don't ever have "total pig outs"; it is like psychologically giving up. You may want to decide what 3 or 4 "first principles of banding", have helped you the most, and go back to them from time to time. It may be waiting 20 minutes to feel full, no drinking for 2 hours, no soda pop, record keeping, meal planning, lots of regular exercise, or trying to psych yourself out for "looking good' at the next family gathering. I do think you are on the right track with the regular weights and self-evaluations. My friend who gained back over 100 pounds, just stopped keeping track, and stopped thinking about what he was doing, and it was very easy gain weight. He also quit his daily walking, and his wife gained back her weight. Vigilence is the price of weight loss, and maintenance. Personally, the greatest tool for weight loss, has been a calorie diary, and planning. I've quit doing that, (until now), and things will change. There is a great satisfaction with total control. It is very empowering. For me, it lasted about 14 months, but the weight maintenance has been nearly as fulfilling. Good Luck, Brian

This is encouraging...thank you! I don’t plan on going back to eating the way I was which got me into this mess in the first place with the weight gain, but I also don’t want to stay at a cal level this low for the rest of my life if my hunger starts to come back some!

Cscake: ask your doctor if these meds can cause weight gain. Better yet, it would be a good ideal to do some research on your own, or call your pharmacist. Lots of meds do cause weight gain.

Cscake: ask your doctor if these meds can cause weight gain. Better yet, it would be a good ideal to do some research on your own, or call your pharmacist. Lots of meds do cause weight gain.

BMI of 18. He is telling you you are going to continue to lose weight for the next 6 months. Does he have you on a supervised weight gain? Over the shelf weight gainer or medical grade? What are his instructions?

Well for me is simple. During my sophomore year of high school I became depressed due to bad family situations and rape. The depression turned in to a food obsession. Ice cream never felt so sweet! Once I entered college it was all down hill from there, the drinking and eating was horrible for me. I also binged on food, kept a secret. I would eat two whole boxes of thin crust pizza and 20 buffalo wings :hurray: ouch! I also stopped exercising and that of course added to the weight gain!

Hi all, I have Wellmark BCBS of Iowa and am about two weeks away from submitting pre-approval, so just reading over the WLS coverage on their site. VSG is listed as "investigational", which is bolded like it's important, but not explained. RNY gastric bypass is listed as "may be medically necessary when criteria below are met". I am having zero luck finding a good explanation of what the difference is, on the site. Can anyone clue me in to what that means in insurance terms, and what it may mean to my preapproval application? If it matters, my BMI right now is 49.6. Also, anyone else have Wellmark Iowa (not federal) and have any luck? Thank you for any help! Here is the verbiage from the website: Medical Policy: 07.01.17 Original Effective Date: September 1995 Reviewed: September 2009 Revised: September 2009 Benefit Application Benefit determinations are based on the applicable contract language in effect at the time the services were rendered. Exclusions, limitations or exceptions may apply. Benefits may vary based on contract, and individual member benefits must be verified. Wellmark determines medical necessity only if the benefit exists and no contract exclusions are applicable. This medical policy may not apply to FEP. Benefits are determined by the Federal Employee Program. This Medical Policy document describes the status of medical technology at the time the document was developed. Since that time, new technology may have emerged or new medical literature may have been published. This Medical Policy will be reviewed regularly and be updated as scientific and medical literature becomes available. Description: Obesity is the most frequent form of malnutrition in the developed world and it is increasing. Morbid obesity (i.e., obesity with secondary serious or debilitating progressive disease) is generally associated with a body mass index (BMI) of ≥40 kg/m² (i.e. weight/height squared). Morbid obesity has a significant impact on cardiac risk factors, incidence of diabetes, obstructive sleep apnea, debilitating arthritis of weight bearing joints, infertility, psychosocial and economic problems and various types of cancers, etc. The first treatment of morbid obesity is dietary and lifestyle changes. When conservative treatment fails, a few patients may require a surgical approach. The National Institutes for Health defines potential candidates for surgery as those with a BMI of 40 kg/m² or more or a BMI between 35 kg/m² and 39.9 kg/m² and a serious obesity-related health problem such as type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, or severe sleep apnea. Additionally, persons should have acceptable operative risks, the ability to participate in treatment and long-term follow-up, and possess an understanding of the surgical procedure and necessary life style changes. Surgery for morbid obesity, also known as bariatric surgery is based on intestinal malabsorption and gastric reduction. Surgery is considered successful if weight loss is maintained at greater than or equal to 50% of excess body weight for more than 10 years. Several different gastric reduction and intestinal malabsorption procedures are listed below: Gastric reduction (gastric restrictive) procedures: * Vertical-banded gastroplasty * Adjustable gastric banding * Gastric bypass (Roux-en-Y gastroenterostomy); this can be done by both open or laparoscopic approach * Mini-gastric bypass (laparoscopic) * Sleeve gastrectomy; performed on its own or in combination with malabsorptive procedures. Malabsorptive Procedures: * Biliopancreatic bypass (Scopinaro Procedure) * Biliopancreatic bypass with duodenal switch Top Prior Approval: Prior approval is recommended for this service. Submit a prior approval now. Top Policy: The following surgical procedures for the treatment of morbid obesity may be considered medically necessary when the criteria listed below are met: * Vertical-banded gastroplasty * Gastric bypass (Roux-en-Y gastroenterostomy) with short Roux limb equal to or less than 150 cm; this can be done by either open or laparoscopic approach * Adjustable gastric banding (Lap-Band® procedure) * Biliopancreatic bypass (i.e., the Scopinaro procedure) with duodenal switch; this can be done by either open or laparoscopic approach Criteria for Coverage: * Patient is at least 18 years old And * The patient must have documentation in the medical record of failure to sustain weight loss within the two years preceding surgery and documentation of the health care provider’s monitoring of the patient’s progress toward a goal of weight loss. And * The patient must be a motivated individual with acceptable operative risk and must be evaluated by a licensed mental health provider to determine the patient's willingness to comply with pre and postoperative treatment plans, and a strategy to ensure cooperation with follow-up must be documented. And, in addition to the general requirements above, the patient must also meet one of the following weight criteria: * BMI of 40kg/m² for at least 3 years * BMI of ≥ 50 kg/m² for biliopancreatic bypass (i.e., the Scopinaro procedure) with duodenal switch Or * BMI of greater than 35kg/m² in conjunction with at least one of the following: o Hypertension requiring medication for at least one year o Diabetes Mellitus type 2 requiring medication for at least one year o Obstructive sleep apnea, confirmed by sleep study, which does not respond to conservative treatment o Documented cardiovascular disease o Pulmonary hypertension of obesity The following surgical procedures for the treatment of morbid obesity are considered investigational: * Sleeve gastrectomy as a stand alone procedure OR in combination with a malabsorptive procedure * Mini-gastric bypass (laparoscopic) * Biliopancreatic bypass (Scopinaro Procedure) * Long-limb ( > 150 cm) gastric bypass Endoscopic procedures, including but not limited to the StomaphyXTM device, to treat weight gain after bariatric surgery due to large gastric stoma or large gastric pouches are considered investigational. Bariatric surgery is considered investigational as a cure for type 2 diabetes mellitus. Subsequent bariatric procedures, including revisions, in patients who regain weight due to failure to comply with lifestyle or dietary modifications are considered not medically necessary.

Hi my name is Bonnie I'm 23 years old and I've been struggling with my weight all my life. I was diagnosed with ADHD when I was held back in the first grade, from there they put me on Adderall and I was gaining 10 pounds every month, I didn't understand because I wouldn't eat breakfast or lunch at school because the medication it would make me nauseous. By the time I would get home it would be dinner time and I would be hungry. This continued through my high school years where I couldn't even stand to be in the lunch room I would just go to the library and hang out til' lunch was over. I was still active and try to keep up the best I could with all my friends that were three times smaller than me. Finally when I was 17 years old the doctor told me it was rare but a side effect of weight gain on adderall. I stopped taking my medication and I lost 30 pounds right after that. I still suffer with the same eating habits and I've gained more weight over the years. Oh I'm ready to take this next step and better my life I can't wait and I'm so excited.

I was very afraid....and I did gain. When I started the mushies phase I gained 3 lbs starting week 2 po. It happens, but it will come off. My surgeon told me to expect some weight gain bc the metabolism is adjusting from liquid to mushies to solids. I was so mad at first, but realized that it quickly came back off.

I am a sleep Lab technician, and I also have sleep apnea. So does my husband. My husband suffered 4 heart attacks, by-pass surgery, and now has a pacemaker because of the damage done to his heart. We didn't know he had sleep apnea until after the by-pass surgery. The damage had already been done by then. He now sleeps with his CPAP every night and even during his daytime naps. After his heart surgery and before the CPAP, he was going to his appts. in a wheelchair. Now he is fishing again, even 4-wheeling on his good days. He still has a damaged heart, but he feels so much better with his CPAP. The reason the physicians want us to have a sleep study done is because you can run into problems during and after your surgery. If you have sleep apnea, not only do you have respiratory events where you have no air flow, but your oxygen level can go down drastically. That leaves you open for blood clots, heart attacks, strokes, etc. My physician says he has almost lost some patients right after the surgery because of untreated sleep apnea. I have watched oxygen levels go to 59% in some patients, and their heart rates go down into the 40's. That's not healthy folks. Sleep apnea can cause so many things in our body, from depression to weight gain. How about that? Headaches, irritability, problems concentrating, decreased sexual drive, just to name a few. sleeping with a small nasal mask is such a small thing compared to sleeping with a pacemaker or oxygen or even becoming paralyzed with a stroke. There are many companies that make CPAP masks and you don't have to wear the first one the medical supply company fits you with. Shop around, there are even nasal pillows, which is what my hubby wears now. Much more comfortable. Gel masks are great too. I tell my patients that wearing a CPAP is like sticking your head out the car window or riding in the back of grandpa's pickup truck. Sure it's aggravating, but like the others have said, once the weight goes, the sleep apnea is controlled even better. Having sleep apnea won't kill you, but letting it go untreated will cause some major damage and will kill you eventually. Reggie White (NFL player) was diagnosed with it and after his death his wife said he refused to wear the CPAP. Watching someone come in who has it and hear them say after they are titrated "WOW, I feel better than I have in years!" the morning after is the best part of my job!

I used to drink Coke Zero all day and night like a 12 pack a day. I quit prior to surgery and really don’t even miss it. I have a little caffeine now but not from soda even though my team says I am medically clear to have it again but they don’t recommend it cause of the correlation with weight gain. I have the premiere protein caffe latte every morning and occasionally I have a crystal light energy if I am feeling tired during the day. Both of those hit me harder energy wise now than a single soda used to. There isn’t anything specific that I needed post op that I wasn’t told to expects. Protein drinks, broths, puree soups, sugar free popsicles, etc. i had a pretty uneventful recovery though. Maybe others will have more to add about that.

Thank you all! I'm a little better now. I've had 2 of 4 high doses of IV steroids. (Which sucks because side effects are weight gain and slow healing! - but because it's only 4 doses it might not effect me) I'm not swollen anymore so that's a good sign. I hope to weigh myself soon and see if I've lost more weight! Or I'd even be happy to not have gained any. We shall see! And then onwards to good health and goal!!!!

Hi everybody! After finally getting enough of my still increasing weight I found this site and decided to take the leap and join. Well, where to start?! Having been BIG all my life and having to endure everyone's pitiful looks and hurtful comments for too long, plus the immense difficulty of trying to find clothes in my size that look half way decent (like, not from the 40's or my grandma's closet) yet not having to save up money to just buy a simple shirt for almost $100 (yes, Europe is expensive and different that way!) I decided, not only for convenience and my own comfort and health reasons, to get RNY surgery. At that time my weight was 335 pounds and a clothes size of 28/30. I was on the waiting list for a bit over a year before the military hospital in NC asked for volunteers to have the surgery done laproscopically, so I did and my surgery was in the beginning of May 2005. At first everything was good, the weight dropped left and right and my excitement rose with each smaller clothing size. I did NOT turn out to become lactose intolerant (thank God! since milk is my coffee!) but red meats and rice still to this day give me trouble. I hit a small bump bout 6 months in, tossing my Cookies a lot, feeling dizzy and sick whenever I moved. That time wasn't fun, but a little later they removed my gallbladder and everything was fine and dandy again. The weight kept coming off, with me surfing a small plateau in 2007 just around 240/250 pounds, but I was still happy and not too concerned since everything was going fine otherwise. Then, about 6 months later, I started losing again, but at a much slower rate. I crept down to my lowest weight of 196 pounds in September 2008 at a great size 16!!! Gosh was I happy, feeling good, sexy as heck and couldn't wait to show off my wonderful new me in nicely fitting clothes that were purchased at a regular store in the "normal people" section. The first time I was able to do that, I had a high that lasted for a few weeks!!! Anyways, then all hell broke lose around me, my personal life fell apart, then merging to become an emotional rollercoaster with extreme highs and lows that plummeted into the loss of a child in my second trimester after being told all those years before that I wasn't able to have/carry a child of my own, yet a miracle had happened! Obviously I was devastated and am still dealing today with depression and the loss I suffered. With the pregnancy I only slightly gained a few pounds (about 10) before all hell broke lose. I lost my child and my uncle on the same day, my mother had nothing better to do than to blame me for all of it, telling me how ungrateful I am and that it is all my fault. Yes, that surely didn't help me then (or now even) so I did what I did best all those years ago: I started eating. Right around Christmas 2012 I got my act together, moved back stateside, got my meds in order but my weight kept increasing, although I went back to pretty much everything as I did before I became pregnant. Yet to this day, every month I gain about another 2-5 pounds, am back in clothes size 24 and am absolutely NOT happy, healthy or otherwise enthused about it! So, if you have bared with me this far (and I gotta apologize for my lengthy introduction), I am just putting out the question to all of you, who have had RNY successfully also, lost the weight, just to gain it back. My eating habits are the same as they were after the surgery, my thyroid levels checked out normal, yes I'm aenemic ever since the surgery but OTC meds are still the same too, and otherwise nothing else is wrong physically. So WHY am I still gaining weight back slowly but surely?!?!?!? I don't wanna go back to where I was/came from and I was perfectly fine and good in my new body sized 16/18. Does anyone have any ideas what could cause this? Any ideas on what I could do to reverse the direction again? Please let me know about your experiences, since I'm running out of ideas and clues on what's going on with me... any comments are greatly appreciated!

Good afternoon, I am now three weeks out-down 25lbs and total of 38lbs since I had to lose some to make the insurance requirements. All my blood work that was done last Saturday came back great, except for my blood sugar. It was 185 for fasting. I took 3 units before bed as it was 169. My bariatric surgeon placed me on a sliding scale for the insulin. So my endo calls me. She's not happy with that number. She wants to add either metformin along with the insulin being bumped up and maybe long acting insulin at night. WTH? The reason I did this surgery was to get off all these darned meds. In three weeks, I am feeling better than I have in years because I am not on all those meds. I am actually sleep fully the whole night through. They were the death knell for me. I am walking-targeting 10,000 steps per day-last week I walked 18.79 miles. Not too shabby. But my numbers aren't budging on the blood sugars even after a hour on the treadmill and bringing my target heart rate up to 130. I don't get it. I am very frustrated. I don't want to go back on those meds as they all have weight gain! Then I may as well NOT have done this surgery. She says it to help me heal faster. Bull. I don't buy it at all. I just want to sit and cry. I am so sick of having type 2-that appears to never go away as others have. Anyone else in this boat? Nell

Anyone struggling with weight gain afterwards? I am a huge sugar addict and I worry about gaining back the weight. My bf does not like sweets so we don't need to have any in the house but my job always has some type of sweets lurking around.

HOw is it that I have gained 3 lbs in 1 day??? I want to kill someone, preferably myself

I am extremely disappointed and disheartened by my failure so far. At first everything was great and I went from 220 to 198.4 in 3 weeks. After week 3 however I stalled which I understand is just part of the process. But during week 4 I am steady gaining weight and went from 198.4 to 203.2 on a diet of 700 calories. It should be practically impossible to be gaining weight on that few calories but somehow I'm doing it. I'm so mad that I was in onderland for so little time but now I'm back in the 200s slowly getting back where I started. I truly regret this surgery because all the sickness and discomfort it causes me is for nothing.

5'6" dr's goal is 150, but I know I look best 135-140. My goal is 128 because I want to have an allowance to gain a few pounds during maintenance, as a little weight gain sounds inevitable from what everyone says. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I just got out of ER after smashing a set of scales into my bathroom mirror... I just found out that a medication I e been on causes weight gain, and although my doctors scales said I was 2 kilos down my brand new, just arrived, digital scales showed me at 4 kilos above my starting weight... 146 kilos!!! My doctors says 126... But! I try so hard, and this medication has been making me starving and so eating more and then eating junk because I feel bad for eating so much... I feel like I'm starting all over again and it's so so so long until my surgery... So, I feel terrible for you! That's a very slow loss weight, I of course think it is a build up of muscle, and definitely a problem with your metabolism- it could definitely be "starvation mode" where your body won't let go of the weight because its scared it won't be getting any more energy... How are your hair and nails? If they are in poor condition this is a big indication of starvation mode. You can good advice on how to fix this on here and from a nut. I highly recommend seeing a but you trust who won't judge you. This is a personal journey and the last thing you need sometimes is someone like your surgeon double-guessing your routine! Try doing some cardio on elliptical or treadmill 5 min fast walking, 1-2 min jogging/running, back to walking... Do this for 30-60 mins and this should definitely burn some fat... Try setting a wake- up time and eat brekky straight away, or after a walk if you want, and don't eat anything 12 hours after this time. Your metabolism starts from the first thing you eat and stops 12 hours later. Triple, and quadruple check any and ALL medications you are on for weight related side effects... Finally, find a natural therapist and try some massage or reflexology. You need to relax, you have absolutely no idea until you try this how much stress you are carrying!!! You cannot truly be healthy if you are all clogged up with rage and anxiety... You WILL be fine, you are a strong and capable person who can do this. You cannot control anything in this world, even your own body, so take a deep breath and with your breath out surrender to this life. You have nothing but time ahead... You will be fine!!!

Well, I got on the scales today and I am up 2 lbs! What is up with this? I've been steadily losing a lb. a day and now I'm up. Guess I'll have to work a little harder.

So where to start...I've feel like I have been on a roller coaster ride for the last 6 months or so. I had Gastric Bypass Jan 2015. So far I have lost 210 lbs as of about a month and a half ago. Truthfully been afraid of weighing myself lately. So I'm 36 years old, don't have any children, not for lack of trying. So I figured my chances of getting pregnant after losing weight were very positive. So went to the Dr. for check up and woman exams and all that. Well I've had abnormal results, pre cancerous in the uterus, before but Doctors always said lose weight and then we can talk about a treatment plan. So here I am 6 months ago, Test came back abnormal, they did another biopsy and the worst news I could have received. Endometrial Cancer Stage 1. So options, hormone treatment or hysterectomy. The tears came, depression reared its ugly head and my hopes of having a biological baby were crushed. So i finally accepted my fate and decided hysterectomy was what I needed to do. Well I go to my follow up appt and Dr basically tells me that I should try a hormone treatment so I can hang on to the possibility of being able to have a baby. So against my better judgement I did. 5 months later after hormone therapy, I go for follow up biopsy. And mind you during this time I tried to not think about babies and possibilities, But since I strive to be optimistic deep down , buried I had begun to hope and visualize what it would be like. Turns out the hormone treatment did nothing, Cancer is still there, no change. So yeah basically my only option is to have a hysterectomy. Again I felt like another piece of me has died. Not to sound so dramatic but ever since I was a little girl, I have always pictured myself with kids. Dr. says I have options, I can freeze my eggs, and still have a biological baby. But truth be told and me trying to be realistic with myself, That is just not an option for me. Aside from that I do not want to give myself false hope. There is no way I will be able to afford any the cost associated with freezing my eggs, surrogacy and all it entails. If I had money and was able to afford it then yes I would definitely do it. So about 3 weeks ago I had a pity party which lasted a couple of weeks, depression hit me, I stopped going to gym, couldn't sleep, basically went to work , came home and locked myself in my room. Didn't feel like seeing or talking to anybody. This week I'm emotionally in between still but I guess I have finally accepted my fate and accepted that it just wasn't meant for me to be a mother in that sense. I have a great relationship with my nieces and nephews and I absolutely in love with my furbaby Gyzmo. Yes he is a spoiled.lil doggy. I started getting back to my work out routine and trying to get back on track physically. Mentally preparing myself while waiting for my surgery date sometime next month. So now I need to concentrate on continuing to lose weight, maintain my sanity in the process of everything that is coming my way. Oh did I mention, I will be having a full, total hysterectomy, so yup you may have guessed already. That means I will be a 36 year old going through early menopause. I have done some research on symptoms and reactions. When I was 200 lbs heavier I was always hot and sweating because it would be physically exhausting for me to mover around. 200 lbs lighter I didn't have to worry about that. Now I may be back to those hot flashes and mood swings? Really? O not to mention that they say woman who have this surgery tend to gain weight after. So the odds are yet again stacked against me. Nothing new there. But I am desperately trying to be optimistic and prepare for what awaits me. I do not want to go back to the 517 lb girl that I was 16 months ago. I have tried to talk to some friends and family about what I am going through but they really don't get it. Having the WLS itself was one thing, I was getting my self confidence back but now dealing with infertility and another surgery and potential weight gain and mood changes. I fely like I needed to reach out and I guess I just want to feel like I'm not alone in this struggle. Has anyone experienced the same type of situation I am currently facing? Any insight or advice you can share with me? I'd appreciate it. I'm trying to hang on to my sanity. :-) Thanks for reading my ranting here. lol

Living in fear of anything will keep you from enjoying this journey and life. You are not on a diet anymore. You are creating a new way of life that includes new eating, drinking, and the physical and mental changes that happen also. Follow your plan and don't hesitate to reach out to your team if you have questions about what and how much you can eat. I do think most of us have a hard time seeing our own changes. That goes for weightloss and weight gain. It takes time so don't be so hard on yourself!

All these threads about the scale, and what we are eating and I'm seeing the words 'good' and 'bad' throughout them. I'm as guilty as anyone else about this but I want to put it out there that eating is not bad. Weighing is not bad. WE are not bad. We might make poor decisions about our food, or we might see weight gain on the scale, but it's not good or bad. It just is. Why is what we weigh and what we eat seen as good or bad. Why do we see ourselves as worthy or unworthy based on our physical appearance. Why am I worthy of the attentions of a man now that I'm thin and didn't feel worthy when I was heavy? Why did I punish myself by wearing horrible clothing and not caring how I looked? I know for me it was like putting lipstick on a pig...but why did I think of myself as a pig? Or a slob? Or a loser? Or lazy? Everytime I think I may not need more therapy, I know I need lots more therapy. I hate how much I despised myself before and I'm scared of how much people admire what I've done in the last two and a half years. I am constantly looking to others to determine my own worth because I still cannot do it on my own. I am moving forward in very unfamiliar territory. I have no fat to hide behind. I can't blame failure on my size anymore. I can't blame rejection on my size, I have to own my life and not look to anything negative to avoid what I do. We have to stop with the good/bad thing. If I eat pizza, it's not good or bad. it just is and doesn't make me good or bad. I want to enjoy food without fearing it. I want to enjoy my life without fearing it. I want to be physically and mentally healthy. I'm working on it, but it's still ahead of me.

Hi. I am almost a month out and I am having energy issues. By the end of the day, I am exhausted. It has, to be fair gotten better, but i just don't know how to better manage my food or Vitamins to get to somewhat normal energy levels. I have lost about 20 pounds from the day of surgery ( including post surgery weight gain ). I look different and my clothes are falling off of me. I feel like I can't enjoy the new me quite as much as I would have thought. The nutritionist told me to eat more and workout less ( which is a dream to hear ), but I don't feel right and my work is starting to suffer due to lack of interest and motivation. I feel bored, and I don't know why. I assume that it's due to lack of energy and lack of mental clarity. Any suggestions on foods that may help pick me up?