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Thanks guys. I've been doing a little better. I'm still not where I need to be, but atlest the weight gain has stopped.

Are you fed up with struggling with overeating, starting another d-i-e-t that you know will probably blow up on you, or wishing your pants were not so tight? Here are five simple things you can implement today to control your cravings, eat less, and thrive more. Are you fed up with struggling with overeating, starting another d-i-e-t that you know will probably blow up on you, or wishing your pants were not so tight? Here are five simple things you can implement today to control your cravings, eat less, and thrive more. 1. Sleep. Don’t keep working harder and harder. Play it smart. Women who average five hours or less of sleep per night weigh more, gain weight more easily, and crave more carbohydrates and fattening foods—and it’s not in their heads! Sleep deprivation leads to chemical changes in your body that cause overeating and weight gain (even if you don’t overeat). Aim for at least seven and a half hours of sleep per night. Not only will you be less hungry, your productivity, focus, and creativity will probably improve. You may even find yourself accomplishing more than when you were burning the midnight oil. Additional bonus: you’re likely to feel a whole lot better. 2. Pay attention to your feelings. Emotional eating—eating as a response to feelings—is a major cause of overeating and packing on the pounds. Stress eating, comfort eating, eating out of frustration and even eating out of boredom or happiness can all sabotage your weight loss plans. Develop strategies to check in with yourself and with how you are feeling so that you can respond to your emotions in ways that don’t involve food. Added bonus: when you address your feelings instead of feeding them, you will be taking charge of your life and responding to what you really need. When you do this, life gets better. 3. Carve out time for you. Stress and overload can be a direct path to weight gain. If you’re feeling time crunched, you’re likely to make the all-too-common mistake of cutting out the activities that are actually the best for you. Me-time helps you relax and unwind. It also gives you an opportunity to pay attention to yourself and what you need to function and flourish. When you meet your needs and care for yourself in quality ways, you are less likely to find yourself using food as a “special treat” or a “band aid” to help you get through the day. Practice giving yourself a five or ten minute time out a few times a day. The bonus: these short breaks help you get perspective on your day. You’re likely to feel more organized and relaxed as a result. 4. Feed yourself quality food at regular intervals. If you are trying to eat less, it can be tempting to cut back too far and allow yourself to get too hungry. Big mistake. While depriving yourself with strict diets may initially seem to create results on the scale, in the long run, eating too little leads to stronger cravings (usually for foods that will spike your blood sugar levels quickly), overeating, and binge eating. Do you find that your healthy eating plan always gets blown in the afternoon or evening? Try eating smaller, more frequent meals during the day and make sure that you are including some protein each time you eat. Bonus: when you feed yourself well, both your energy levels and your mood are likely to improve. 5. Savor. You might be surprised to find how little of what you eat you actually allow yourself to savor and enjoy. Eating on the run and multitasking while you eat mean that your attention is divided between food and your hunger and whatever else you are doing. When you eat without giving it your full attention, you are likely to eat more and not feel as full. Impose a ban on multitasking when you eat. Take your time and practice eating mindfully—paying complete attention to your food—the taste, smell, even the texture. Notice how full or hungry you are and allow yourself to enjoy the act of eating. Bonus: savoring is a pleasant activity and it tends to be relaxing. Practicing enjoying your food in this way and getting in the habit of doing one thing at a time is a great strategy for reducing stress. If you apply the concept of not multitasking to other areas of your life, you’re also likely to see an improvement of the quality of your results.

Hello all!! It's been a while since I have posted an update (that is if anyone is interested he he). I got my unfill last Friday of .5 cc's and felt immediate relief!!! But the only problem is "I CAN EAT NOW!!!" I have supposedly gained 4lbs but I also started my TOM so It may not be real weight gain just TOM gain (lets hope it's TOM gain ) I didnt go to Disneyland cuz of the rain so I was spared any fast fatty food over the weekend but didnt get to walk either cuz of the rain ...on a brighter note we have 3 days till Christmas!! I'm so excited because I am getting a Gazelle Edge Trainer!!! Wish I could post a picture for those who don't know what it is but I don't know how I can't wait for it to come then I can start working my way to a smaller me! Happy Holidays to all my LBT family :iloveuall:

I am a jolly old soul. Love to eat, cook, and did I mention eat? I long for that full feeling. It comforts me. I have lost weight off and on over 12 years. Most successfully by starving myself. Once lost 70lbs eating one meal a day. Weight Watchers and Adkins worked for 20-40lbs. I gained it all back a few months later. I always thought bariatric surgery was too extreme and that no matter how bad things were, there was always the possibility that some day I could lose the weight and be healthy by exercising and eating well on my own. Years later and heavier than ever, I realize that I am going to die on this path of gluttony. I cannot pretend to be a better person than those who take the surgical road, because in truth, it is an illness of willpower. I am sick. Those who have pursued surgery have done something. I have done nothing. Too often I speak with people I respect in my life and they view bariatric surgery a failure, because one could not diet effectively. It's a stigma that is just wrong. Why attack a person for doing what they can to survive? At the end of the day, no one can save you but yourself. These same people who will look down upon you are not going to work out with you at the gym, take time to ask how you are doing losing weight, or try to motivate you. They will say nothing until you fail, and then they happily take the opportunity to point out your lack of result. I think LAP-BAND® is a gift from God. The concept, and staff in the medical field using this option are saving lives. I only hope the insurance games are eventually prohibited. I am pursuing this surgery and will have a few more months before my insurance will consider paying for 50%. My wife is not supportive. She loves me, but with a Christian Science background in her family, she is quick to judge the medical field as a monster to be avoided. I recently explained to her I was doing this without her. I will take the money from my 401k if necessary, because I deserve to live and must do anything possible to defeat my obesity and lack of willpower. She thinks I am selfish. I think dying would be selfish, and with two kids I have to do this for them also. I am walking a lot right now. I have a 5K on Thanksgiving morning to kick off my endeavor. Small goals...one day at a time. Hoping to lose some weight on my own while I wait. I would like to think in a year it becomes easier. I would like to think the naysayers will look how happy I am, healthier and thinner, and admit they were wrong about my decision. I would envy a day in which my spouse would thank me for not giving up on this when we fought so hard over it early on. However, at the end of the day, I have to do this for me. No one else will. I am not a victim. No one else is to blame. I am just a guy with life choices, and I cannot pretend that what I have been doing will prevent more weight gain. I cannot assume a day will come where I will magically have the willpower and strength to change on my own and never abuse food again. I cannot pretend I am exempt from diabetes and heart disease. Already my health is starting to slide, and I am only 33 years old. I cannot pretend that when I do succomb to an early death on this path of denial, the people who did not believe in bariatric surgery will obstain from making aloud comments at my funeral...that I made the choices that led to my demise. So...this is a choice I make for me. A choice to live. A goal of survival and no one will bring me down or stop me. I will be happy. I will lose this weight...I will live...and this is the choice I make. I pray God will help me and make LAP-BAND® available to my life. Without this, I don't think I can change or prevent what is coming. With it I have a good shot to lose the weight and keep it off. Wish me luck! -Christopher

I was approved with UHC on my first submit. I have the lapband and esophagus issues. I went in for a fill, took a barium test and found issues with my esophagus/swallowing. Since last summer I've slowly been gaining weight. I've been eating great, excising, active, etc. EVERYTHING the same. I'm around 170 but was 135-140 since being banded (SW:230lbs) Dec 2011. My Dr. submitted me for removal and revision in early July. I was approved 11 days later for both. My insurance for the band was BCBS but UHC covers me now. I was really expecting to go through the peer to peer review. I do have high BP and now have a hiatal hernia due to the weight gain...I'm total apple shape. Stay on them! Good luck. You're doing the right thing. The Lapband is starting to show the long term affects...I wonder why there's no class action. Insurance sure knows the failure rates are at an all time high. It's even in their best interest to approve. They'll end up spending so much more, at least on me. Isn't healthcare all about preventive care? There is no way in hell I was taking it out without revising to something else. Getting to my normal weight has changed my life in ways I never thought possible. Keep me posted. I'd like to know if you win your appeal/case.

I am between 8-9 months out and a couple months ago, I'd not been as disciplined. I've been stalled or stuck in the same 5lb range for about 2months. For the last month, I've gotten back on track with what I eat and I've been killing it in the gym. Last week, id dropped 4lbs taking me to 222lbs. This week, I've been working just as hard and I've gained over 5lbs. Can someone shed some light. I'm trying really hard not to cry because it makes no sense.

I think EVERY society has ALWAYS been obsessed with food. There are numerous evolutionary reasons behind this, and I don't see any society changing it anytime soon. That's just a hard fact. However, it does annoy me that there aren't a lot of alternative things to do when it comes to socializing these days. American society in particular has become very sedentary. We like our video games, tablets, smartphones, streaming channels, and Internet. Rare is it anymore that people ask each other to hangout in the park to go walking, or after a date, to go dancing to burn off your dinner. People don't even go bowling that much anymore. Personally, I think it's sad and the more I think about it, it's pretty clear this societal change played a major role in my weight gain (I wasn't always heavy). I remember back in my middle/high school-college days, friends and I loved being active. We hiked, camped, putt-putted, and swam in public pools in the summer then ice skated and bowled in the winter. We even glow in the dark putt-putted! Places like the library or art museum would offer free or nominal fee day camps/ classes to everyone from kids to adults. We learned how to paint, sew, make pottery, and do other brain-stimulating things that didn't require staring at a screen. Yes, there's no question about it. There was always some non-food related activity we could partake in if we wanted to socialize. But things changed. A lot. Most of those places, sadly, closed or became associated with criminal activity and were no longer deemed safe. The libraries and museum stopped offering classes and day camps. A personal tragedy scared my friends and I from camping and hiking. What was funny was that some of the places that closed were actually bought out by fast food or local restaurant chains (such as our glow in the dark putt putting place and bowling alley), subconsciously implanting in our minds that guzzling down 700-calorie blended coffee drinks was the new way people socialized. I'm not trying to blame all my problems on societal changes, but it does frustrate the hell out of me. People wonder why obesity has risen to astronomical rates and I can't help but think about stuff like this.

So it must have been the chocolate although the nurse seems to think it's carbs. I guess I got lazy. I have started keeping my food journal again to keep track of the calories, carbs, protein, and now fats. Whoever said that the lap band was the quick fix was soooo.... wrong. It's still alot of work. The journal helps to make sure not only that I'm eating the right amounts of food but by writing it down it will eventually come 2nd nature for me to chose the right amounts. It's just a constant struggle. Can't hurt to try.:frown:

Lots of solid advice here. I am very grateful that I waited for breast work until I was at a stable weight. When I was at what I thought was my goal weight I was a solid C. I dropped 15 lbs below goal, and went from a C to an A in a month. So my breasts were drastically affected by relatively minor weight loss. On the other hand I am 10-15 lbs above my lowest weight, and my lower body lift has help up perfectly. So my experience also says weight loss is more detrimental that (small to moderate) weight gain.

I am so sorry to hear about your issues with your friend and your spouse. As for the friend, sounds like she was once the center of your attention and now you are focusing on you and she is no longer the princess in the middle. Sometimes you just need to cut your losses. Maybe she just needs some time, but if she is hurting you, she doesnt deserve you as a friend. As for the spouse...I think I can relate. My husband is extremely jealous and I think he was the main contributor to my weight gain because I was thin my whole life until him. He didnt want me out of his sight and worried about me having any sort of life outside the house. So he fattens me up so I dont want to go out and I am only attractive to him. He was happy. When I scheduled my surgery he kept saying that now I was going to be thin and I was going to leave him and want to go out with my friends all the time. The day of my surgery, my anesthesiologist made a stupid comment of "well, watch out because once they lose the weight they all want to go out and party all the time". That was the LAST thing my husband needed to hear. He continues to make comments and say, "dont think that you are going to start going out all the time now". I dont know how to ease his jealousy. I am doing this for me and us so that I can be a better wife and mother, have confidence to make love to him and not just quickies because I dont want him to look at me because I dont feel sexy. I am a 40 year old Mom with a 7 and 9 year old. I work full time and have a mother with a terminal illness....when the heck do I have the time to go out and if I did have the time...I am going to catch up on cleaning and sleep!!! He just doesnt get it. This is the ONLY bad part of having had my surgery. Every day he makes some kind of comment. I hope it doesnt ever get to where you are, but when a guy is jealous it makes LIVING very hard. I wish you the very best of luck with everything!!!! Tyna

I started having consults the month I reached goal (7 months post-op) with the intention of getting it done in a couple months. Turns out my doc was booked up, so I had to wait anyway. I ended up getting arm lift, breast lift and tummy tuck 6.5 months into maintenance (14 months post-op over all). In retrospect its good that there was a wait time because I ended up losing another 15-ish lbs by the time PS surgery came around. My doc did say that in terms of effect on results, weight loss results in more effect on results than weight gain. The reason being that scar tissue may not shrink as well as it expands. My PS was done in Dec 2019, and I'm supremely happy that I had it done. Having tight arms in tank tops and being able to go braless in a tube top is pure joy, lol. P.S. I had mine done in Canada, so I can offer no personal recommendations. I do hear that Columbia is an inexpensive and reliable place to consider though.

I have been moody, not depressed. However, I have been on anti-depressants, before the band was placed. I still take them. I have had no weight gain, no side effects and they help! Don't give up. You have come amazingly far!!!

During the weight loss phase most programs recommend staying completely away from bread, Pasta, potato, cake, crackers, and most carbs. I get "good carbs" from some veggies but avoid the rest as much as humanly possible. Some people can incorporate carbs back in during the maintenance phase, but for some people they are a slippery slope and can lead to weight gain through "grazing". It's common to have a stall. Don't be discouraged.

As anyone else gained a little weight during the 6 month supervised diet? I gained 4 lbs during the second month and haven't been able to lose it. I'm going into month 4 and am incredibly nervous about going through all of this just to be denied. I do have a letter from my PCP stating that I have trouble losing because my thyroid isn't yet regulated (I'm hypo). I'm 29 bmi of 40 with asthma. Back problems. Reflux. High cholesterol. Medicaid insurance. So nervous!

Is it true that increasing your cardio will make you gain weight or stall for a bit? I have doubled my cardio and keep fluctuating between 2 pounds on the scale. Is this muscle holding onto water? Will drinking more water (I average about 80oz) help? TIA!

I was banded a week before you and have not lost nearly as much weight - you are doing a great job. Weight gain might just be fluid retention - a few extra carbs over the weekend or maybe some annoying hormones? Perhaps give it another week and see if things go back to normal - you might get a nice surprise and a sudden big drop next time.

Good morning! Well here I am again. When I say I’m going to stick with something through to the end I mean it. Yes I always felt this nagging doubt before – so I’d just say I’m going to try it again... and again... This time I said I’m just going to do it and I’m going to see it out to the finish line (not sure exactly where that is yet). I’m going to get to get my body healthy and turn it into a calorie burning machine! I’m going to get my energy skyrocketing and I’m going to be able to do things I never imagined possible! I have been sticking to my eating routine as well. No, I have not been perfect – but I have been pretty darn good if I may say so. Tomorrow is my off day/free day so I’ll get the chance to let my body recuperate from the workouts and to shake up the caloric intake by pretty much enjoying 3 awesome meals and one awesome dessert. :-P I can’t wait… ha-ha!! I only get to have a “Free day” every other Friday, which is essentially my Regular Day Off from work. It’s the day I get to re-charge my batteries really. Everyone needs one of these every so often. I get to let loose, eat out and pretty much be a bum if I want. So what? I’m far from lazy – but I understand the true meaning of beauty rest! J I have been struggling a lot with the idea of taking a free day to myself every other week. I still get a little bit of a guilt feeling when I’m not working out or I’m not eating things like that on my good days. It’s all those years ingrained in me where if I were to just eat them any old time I would see a weight gain. I tend to lose fast and gain fast too. I take a lot of bad with the good on that. I notice it’s affecting me differently with this new “thought process”. I notice I’ll either gain a pound or stay the same for a few days following my free days. It’s a little bit nerve wrecking because I weigh daily. I’ve also noticed the weight is coming off quite slowly too. I only seem to lose about 1-1.5 lbs. per week. I’m not complaining really, it’s just strange for me. I’ve been known to lose up to 15 Lbs in one week! I can’t let this get into my head though and cause me to fall down again. I have to remind myself that I’m changing myself from the inside out this time. I have to re-wire my brain to become what I call more organized in my thoughts whereas eating and exercise are concerned. It’s when I am more spontaneous in my reactions to eating and exercise that I seem to lose track and end up making poor decisions. This is outside my personality trait anyway; I’m a very organized person. Perhaps that is why I always seemed to run amuck after a few months of doing really good. I wasn’t organized enough. My routine basically boils down to about 1150 – 1400 Calories per day depending on how much workout I do. My workout days run from 1.5 – 2.5 hours total per day (or more if I can muster up the energy) and 6 days per week. This may need to be tweaked from time to time as I notice my weight loss slowing. I do try to keep my body a calorie burning machine so I will do anything to keep it that way. Another thing I have noticed during my new routine and weight loss is my band has out of the blue returned. I was overly tightened before and thought this was the way to go to lose the weight. Well yeah, it worked for awhile but when you stay too tight for too long you tend to pick up really bad habits. Apparently what happens is one will move over to eating more slider foods to make up for content. It doesn’t happen overnight, but I gave it enough time and I seemed to find myself addicted to sugary sweet foods. I was never addicted to these pre-band. I was more a salty/crunchy type girl. I loved solid foods too (a whole lot in fact), I just ate way too much of it. Well my surgeon said enough was enough and “Released the Kraken” so to speak. Once I got the taste of real food again I was off like a rocket ship into space. I gained really fast after that until I got my senses back in order. That is me now, today; in order. I needed some routines, some organized thoughts. I needed my thinner body back! I was very uncomfortable. This time it’s going to be right. It’s going to be level headed and it’s going to be smart choices. I’m in it for the health, always was. I looked into the surgery because I was diagnosed with High Blood Pressure at the young age of 31. I didn’t want to be like most of my family battling that my whole life along with other illnesses such as diabetes or cancer. I lost an Uncle from HBP and he was in his 40’s. He was NOT obese mind you, but he could have been healthier. He didn’t work out and he was much stressed. I think working out is a major cure for stress. However working out was very difficult for me because I was over 330 Lbs. I wasn’t going to lose with as much as I could eat. I could eat A LOT I’m telling you no lies. I could probably out eat most guys posting in this very forum. Anyway, decision made. Now it’s time for decision complete.

I have gone through 3 distinct periods of my life where I was a very heavy drinker. This past year, I began travelling to Houston for work where a dear old friend lives, and began binge drinking again (a 40oz bottle of rum in a night, each). During that time, it was becoming more and more common to put away a box of wine every weekend at home. I drive for a living, and have never been tempted to take chances with my employment, but was using all my downtime to get drunk. The weight gain from my poor eating habits while drinking plus the drinking itself is what drove me to have WLS in the first place. I'm not sure drinking will ever be a regular part of my life again. I'm going to Italy in the winter, when I will be 5 months post op. I don't plan to indulge in Pasta or bread, and I'm undecided if I will indulge in glass of wine here or there.

I was wondering if gaining back a couple pounds is an indication that I may need an adjustment. My last adjustment was in July, I went in August but the doctor didn't give me a fill. I am scheduled for another fill on the 25th of this month. Over this Labor Day weekend I did eat differently than I normally eat. Aside from my normal Breakfast and lunch the following is what I had for supper. For example; I went to a friends house on Saturday for dinner. She served Vietmanese food. Spicy shrimp with rice and Pho (a Soup mainly made out of chicken broth, bean sprouts, and rice noodles) a bite of eggplant and literally a bite of an ice cream pie. (I might mention non of it was measured except for the dessert) Sunday my step daughter was over for her birthday, I prepared bbq baby back ribs, shells and cheese, corn on the cob, biscuits and of course birthday cake. I however, had 3 baby back ribs, 1/2 ear of corn with butter spray, and 1/2 of a biscuit, with again literally one bite of cake. Monday I was back on track eating what I normally eat and measuring portions exact. I did exercise this weekend once, 70 minutes of uphill walking (I live in the mountains). Anyhow with what I have eaten over the weekend do you think maybe that is why I had gained some weight back?

Hello Everyone, I am new to this site so I appreciate your help. I currenly have had the LapBand for a year now. I have had many issues with the Band(Including revision of portal site, intergestion, pain in area, weight gain and vomitting. I am having a new DR remove the lapband next week and I was thinking of then going to get the Sleeve Procedure done. Did anyone decide to make this decision and has any insight for me? Thank you again, Jennifer.

I am a pre-op sleever dreamer. I am almost done with my 3 months of supervised NUT visits (as that's my insurance requirements). At every visit so far, I have lost weight. I have not tried consistently to lose weight, I am just trying to eat better-exercise more. My question is, has anyone had any problems with insurance declining due to weight gain or not enough weight lost during the NUT phase of the pre-op requirements?

So sorry, however I think all of us have been in this exact same place. I was banded in December and while I feel like I've done pretty well. I also will do stupid things. This week was a perfect example. It resulted in my first weight gain. I'm so annoyed at myself, not only because I let it happen, but because I'm thinking of the left over goodies in my fridge! What is that about? Take it one step at a time. Be kind to yourself and get back on track. You can do it! Making the choice to have the procecedrue was the hardest thing. Listen to your body and the rest will follow along.

Call your insurance company. Ask if they cover revisions and what is their criteria for approval. You can’t figure out why you are gaining weight? Are you eating your bariatric food plan? Are you logging your food? Are you staying within your weight loss calories and macros? Exercise and hydration? Your not alone in having a weight gain years out. (i also had it my third year and worked it back off) 33 pounds is easier to work off than a 50 70 or 100+ gain. If you want to go the revision route thats fine. If your interested here are some links on this forum that may help. https://www.bariatricpal.com/search/?q=weight gain https://www.bariatricpal.com/search/?q=revision https://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/425354-the-importance-of-doing-the-head-work/?tab=comments#comment-4776743

Hi Everyone...I'm new to this site, as well as this journey. Tipping the scale has always been a huge fear factor for me...and yet I've managed to do it several times. The smallest I've been ever in adult years was 120lbs, and I was only 21. I managed to ride the roller coaster of weight gain in small increments and eventually skimmed the edge of the 140lb mark until I was about 26...and pregnant. By the time I gave birth to my son, I was a whopping 227lbs. The weight didn't melt away in my post pregnany workouts. It took a lot of work, appetite suppresant pills, water aerobics and a bunch of whinning. But my body finally gave in, and allowed me to maintain a more curvaceous physique where I hovered over the realm of 160-165lbs. It took time to accept that I would probably never get to 120lbs again, but at least I was comfortable. Fastforward 10 years later, and I am sick to my stomach every time I step on the scale at the doctor's office, or in my bathroom at home. I never imagined that I would weigh 200lbs or more. As of today, I weigh 236lbs, and my body is screaming at me. My once small frame is proportionately lopsided as my stomach bulges out of anything I wear. I refuse to wear pants, unless I absolutely have to wear them...and that is usually when all of my dresses are unavailable waiting to be dry cleaned or washed on the gentle cycle. This summer I found myself buying dresses as often as I could, because I was comfortable. Pants restrict me, and searching for a shirt or blouse to hide the muffin top and wide hips is not a convenience. I remember the first time the scale bypassed the 190 mark and landed on 201. I was devasted. I kicked into high gear and tried every type of diet you can think of...including Weight Watchers. I joined several weightloss clinics and received B12 shots and more appetite suppressant pills. The journey was hard and depressing. I ordered every workout DVD you can think off, including the latest and greatest Shawn T's T25. Check out the rest of my story! http://www.bariatricpal.com/user/240301-fatdiva14/

I have heard that is the first thing that makes you gain is drinking with meals. If you drink, you are able to eat more and therefore you should not do it. NOBODY was a bigger drinker with their meals than I was!!! I could easily drink 3-4 glasses of tea with each meal. I started practicing about 2 months before surgery and when I had my surgery, I was prepared. I missed it at first. Now, I am 4 months out and NEVER think about drinking when eating. I still only eat about 2 oz of food at a time so maybe that is why, but the only time I think about it is afterwards to see what time I can drink. I think it just becomes a habit and we have to break it. If drinking with meals is the number one reason for weight gain with the sleeve, I WILL NEVER drink and eat together again!!! Kelly