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Good morning fellow April Avengers! I hope you are all well. I'm feeling better today as I feel I'm finally back on track. I had to go back to LapBand 101 rules. I had totally gotten away from those rules. I went to the grocery store yesterday and stocked up on good protein and salad. Retraining myself to chew well and eat slowly. Since I had 1/4 cc taken out I've been able to eat pretty much whatever I wanted. So, I've taken the steps to avoid weight gain by getting my rear in gear!! I've also noticed the last few days that my stomach was really hurting and growling. It was like the worst hunger pains ever. They were so bad that they made me sick to my stomach. I felt like that right after surgery if I let my stomach get too empty. I finally figured out that I wasn't eating enough good protein and was having way too many carbs which left me hungry much too soon. Now that I've gone back to the "rules", it's much better. I also think part of the problem was not drinking enough water and I was getting dehydrated. I go back in two weeks to have my 1/4 cc put back in. So in the mean time it's going to have to be up to me to do what I know I need to do. By that time school will be back in session for all of us and I do so much better with a regular routine. It's been a nice relaxing summer, but I'm so ready to get back into the swing of things. Anyway, I hope you are all doing well. I've enjoyed reading everyone's posts and am glad we are all here to support each other. Have a great day!!!

Hi I just got banded last week, prior to that I bought a Schwinn adult tricycle. It's blue and I bought a more comfortable seat. It has a basket in the rear and I'm adding one to the front. Can't wait till I can ride it again. I stopped because of my left knee, I have arthritis in it and with the weight loss to come, I will be better. Right now getting over the shock of the "weight gain" after surgery LOL. Mostly bloating and air and liquid. It will go down soon. Just starting to feel decent.

been in Miami w/the Parents - back to normal tomorrow ... have played a bunch of golf/tennis the last 4 days & no weight gain even tho those fancy drinks just could not be passed by....

I worry about the weight gain too once I go to mushies. I am right there with the liquid diet hell. I too was on liquids 2 weeks prior and now 2 weeks after. I am so looking forward to Thursday so I can start mushies. I almost cheated today because I got soooo HUNGRY. I cried a little bit and I was real grumpy today, but now it is over and tomorrow is another day closer to mushies!! Hang in there everyone.

Jaylo, keep faith, When I had my 2nd fill, I also was able to eat just about any quantity I wanted, so of course, I gained 4 pounds. I also had my band done May 16, 2008. I went last Thursday 8/7/08 and got my 3rd fill, this time they gave me 2 cc because I was so upset about the weight gain, this brought me to a total of 6cc. Boy am I ever restricted. I have to eat so slow, it seems like I'm eating backwards, doesn't matter what I eat, everything hurts if you don't eat slow. I had a half cup of refried beans mixed with a lot of taco sauce to make it liquidy and melted some cheddar cheese on it with a side 2oz. of sour cream, it took me 1 hour to eat it. I have to wait at least 5 minutes after every 2 spoonfuls. However, I have now lost the 4 poounds I had gained and think that I may well be at the sweet spot. Doly718

Snuffy your advice is spot on! I have fought depression for years, ha - like since birth! Exercise really helps. I do take meds also but if I exercise they work much better and I am in a better mood. I had a real downhill snowball effect earlier in the year. I was doing relatively well at the exercise thing (crap at dieting, but that was pre-band). Not sure what I did but my back and hips (I'm hyperflexible, they pop out of place sometimes and swell) flaired up something severe and I had to start physical therapy. So I was told the only exercise I could do was what they were having me do there. A nice combiniation of pain all the time, weight gain, and not getting good cardio and I was a complete mess. I didn't start coming out of the funk again until I got over the hump of my pre-op diet and then recovered from the surgery. Back on the road to wellville now. Still having pain but of course exercise helps that too as long as I don't start thinking I am training for the Olympics again! My PCP says once I get to a weight where they'll take me seriously I can go to a sports medicine specialist. We can give each other good and correct info but you catch a lot more flies with honey as they say.

wow, what a letter, packed with questions, and realizations and guilt and everything in between. Welcome!!! I think in AA thats what they call the first step! I am less than 2 weeks post op and already, even after 2 weeks of liquids and major surgery I would not change a thing. Only regret is that this was not available to me in my 30's. I am now 52 and Thank God it's available now. This is a life changing TOOL that will help you get to a healthy weight. If your dr. doesn't agree, change Dr's! The older you get, the faster the co-morbidity issues come up. The one thing my lap band group was adament about was smoking, they will not treat you if you are a smoker, they feel it does nothing but hinder recovery. I quit a year and a half ago, and never regret doing so. I used a "magic Pill" called Chantix, that from day one was a miracle for myself and my husband. We both were 30+ year smokers, we have both quit and never looked back. I did gain weight, but that weight gain was what brought me to the lap band surgery in the first place. If I were still a smoker I wouldn't have felt I needed to loose weight, that 25 lbs I gained put me over the edge and I felt I needed help to loose. (does that make sense??) Where in upstate NY are you? I am in the Rochester area....are you close to me? I wish you luck, I hope you make that first phone call and get the ball rolling, keep up that determination and all else will fall into place. Carol

Dont be freaked out quite yet.... Our cycles are very picky... The body like everything to be steady so a sudden weight-loss could freak it out!!! Basically, our body make sure it is a good time to get pregnant before it give us a chance to... So keep track, and if it happens again, give your dr. a call just to be on the safe side!!! I finally freaked out when i went 8mth w/o a period but then again i learned i had P.C.O.S. But like i said Our menstrual Cycle likes calm and routine ... No suprises or changes.. Because if we pull a suprise on our body with weight loss then our periods we get revenge!!!:thumbup: And as far as bc, i am currently on it and i found that Yasmin works pretty well and doesnt have bad side effects (at least for me) and any minor side effects it does have can be completely alleviated by taking it before bedtime!! And no weight gain either!!! And Yasmin also has a low-dose form called Yaz if you are really worried about side effects!!

*WARNING* LONG REPLY *WARNING* First of all, i have a new non-scale victory to share with everyone because i literally can't stop smiling from ear to ear:biggrin:. I wen shopping today for last min. things for my vegas trip. And me and my friend were at JCPenny's, i was looking for some bottoms to wear and she pulled a pair of capris' off the rack and said hey Jen these would look nice.. And i looked at her like she was nuts:glare: because they looked like they would be small; and when i looked at the size (15) i thought she was even more crazy. She said they will fit and to got try them.. So i figured prove her wrong.. But instead proved myself wrong!!! THEY FIT!!!:tt2: I was shocked, not only did they fit but they look great!!! (i got the problem now of getting my mind to majorly catch up with the body change, because i got myself still in size 20 mind set...) Juli, thank you some much for your words of encouragment, I really need that as i register for classes. You always know the right thing to say!!!:thumbup: And still completly jealous about the disney world trip!!! LoL Janine, i wish you all the very best of luck on getting re-banded.. I know you will get it!!! I was so happy to see your going to do it again.. And dont be discouraged by the weight gain because it is gonna come back off .. I believe in you, You are a strong person and from previous posts of yours that i have read you always are so optimistic and determined. So i nave complete faith that you will get the band and be even more successful this time around!!!:cool2: As far as what group to be in, I would love for you to stay with the Marchies because you bring a lot of input into our group and you fit in perfectly.. And like juli said, ONCE A MARCHIE, ALWAY A MARCHIE!!! We will continue to help each other out!! Lastly, I am going for my Adjustment on monday (yay!!):w00t:. And i wanted to do something for my surgeon to show him how grateful i am for all that he has done for me.. I got him a thank you card but want to do something more... Any suggestions???? I was thinking maybe a good bottle of wine, or since im polish a nice bottle of vodka??? But i dont want to come off as being weird.. HELP!!!:thumbup: I feel and have a need to give something to someone who has done so much for me DO you think that this is a good idea?!?!?! Sorry all for the long post i had a lot to say, and at least i warned you!!:tt2: At least I made sure to keep it fun and colorful !!!:biggrin2: I know im a Dork!!

Hi Crystal, I am going through that right now. I had mine which is acutally every 24 days and now it's back 8 days early! I already get it more than the average women. Plus I don't want to go on bc because I worry about weight gain and my bf is fixed.

And just what is wrong with endless snacking and beer drinking, other than the obvious weight gain?

Great Post Jaqui! You know it may sound crazy, oh how do I say this without it coming out wrong? ... I've always felt like I would never be successful at reaching my weight goals unless I fixed all my head issues with food, exercise shoot and life in general. And every time I would start to get close to my goals I'd find myself self sabotaging it like I didn't feel I deserved to get there as I hadn't "fixed" all the other issues yet. But when people, like yourself, who I look up to as an example of Lapband success are willing to open up and share their continued struggles with food and or exercise it really helps. Not because misery loves company or that I want to feel my own failings are being validated. But because it helps to remind me that I can succeed on the scale even while I'm still struggling with the head issues. Who knows I've spent my entire life stressing and struggling with my weight. More importantly I've always assumed the "beautiful people" in life didn't have those same issues and that was why they didn't have the problems with the scale that I did. But maybe I'm wrong, maybe they aren't all that different than me and are dealing with many of the same problems with food. Maybe they have just learned to catch themselves and bring themselves back from the brink before there is any permanent weight gain. My suspicion is that the true difference between the "beatiful people" and myself is the level of guilt I associate with my slips and how that guilt tends to pull me even deeper down rather than just shaking it off and moving forward.

hello everyone. my name is della and i was just banded on monday the 4th. i am doing pretty good ,better than i thought,but i do notice a tight/pressure like feeling in my chest/upper stomach and was wondering if anyone else experienced that at all? also i weighed 286lbs day of and day after discharge i weighed 293?????? i had lost 13lbs on my pre op diet and after i have gained 7lbs!!! what is that about??? could it be the iv fluids? :thumbup:

People with insulin problems as you put it, are usually caught early on due to symptoms and diagnostic testing, I was trying to be helpful and want making an assumption. I too have a glandular problem, However, that accompanied with an eating disorder helped with weight gain. Good luck to you!

At 3 and a half years post op, with nothing in my band, I eat whatever I like. I never maintained a tight fill, because while I liked the idea of losing weight, being ill due to lack of proper nutrition didn't appeal to me. It is true that it is trial and error, but I think by far and away the single most common mistake that is being made is overfilling. By being overfilled you limit the foods that you consume to a very small feild. And by doing so, you make yourself unhappy, frustrated, and likely to rely on soft foods. The result is little weight loss, or weight gain. I know you asked what foods are troublesome for banded folk. But the truth is, nothing should be a problem. You should be able to eat solid foods without discomfort and PB'ing.

I was off a full week after surgery. I recoup pretty well, but I don't think I could have gone back to work as quick as you did. I was feeling pretty good at home 5 days post op. You should start to notice a difference within a few days. Just take things as easy as you can. When you go to the doctor tomorrow. Be sure to ask what to eat. I'm sure they will tell you, but just incase they don't, ask. I was able to move to full liquids at your stage. Most doctors give the first fill around 6 weeks post op. I didn't gain weight during this time, but I didn't lose much either. If you haven't started logging your food on one of the online sites (fitday, dailyplate, sparkpeople and I'm sure there are more) this is a good time to start. You will get hungry soon (I was hungry from the time I walked in the door from surgery) but if you record and make good selections, you should be able to maintain or at least keep the weight gain to a minimum. I hope you're feeling better soon.

man, thanks for the responses. Unfortunately Im back at 198 today! yuck! I hate that I'm gaining weight right now. I think i need to get on a more hard core diet. Previously i didnt really have to worry about going hungry because I was exercising sooo much. But now that alone isn't quite cutting it. I have started to do alot more lifting. Maybe that accounts for some of the weight gain, but it still doesnt feel good. I really hope it goes back down soon. I dont really look any different, but I feel different. Bloated. Maybe its Water weight?

Has there been any significant or small changes in your life? Sometimes we get determined to lose weight at first because of a new relationship or we are starting over again. Once everything seems comfortable we lapse and temporarily lose site of everything. I am not saying this is you, but for whatever reasons we have failed on other programs in the past, could happen here as well. Perhaps it has nothing to do with food, but more of how you are feeling about something personal in your life. I fear this happening to me one day, because I have always been an emotional eater. I have always done well with diets and lost significant amounts of weight only to put it back on because I wasn't dealing with the real issues at hand. If it is just about food, then just don't buy the things that are causing your weight gain. Distract yourself from eating by getting out of the house and being active. Spend time with friends and family. Go to support meetings and share your experiences. You aren't a failure by any means. Make a new commitment to yourself and get started. Sometimes you just have to be creative and make a new strategy when the old one fails. You are a winner in my book. Best wishes, Stephanie

Hi again...thank you all for your replies. Greythope, I'm glad there's someone who truly understands how I feel. People don't realize just how debilitating the sleep apnea is...my family used to think that I just LOVE to sleep and am a lazy fat ass. Well, that was never the case. I used to be quite active too...played soccer and basketball on teams well into my twenties. But I've always had this sleep issue and the weight gain has just exasperated it. I drive 50 miles each way to work and also worry every day that I'm gonna fall asleep and crash. People that haven't experienced this don't know how it feels....worrying about your LIFE being in danger...worrying about losing your job cuz ur always late...the list goes on. I had high hopes that this surgery would atleast help with my sleep and so far it hasn't done much. Jachut, I can really appreciate your enthusiasm for exercise, but our situations are like night and day. If you didn't exercise, you would have no excuse because you HAVE the energy. And don't get me wrong, I'm not using it as an excuse...but like Greythope said, you've never been in my shoes so you will never know what it's like. Making the time for it is not even as much the issue as even HAVING THE ENERGY to START!!!! Greythope, I guess we can only hope that with a little more weight loss every day the apnea will subside...even a little bit so that we can find the energy to start exercising. My life has been absolute HELL with this condition...frankly I'm sick and tired of being sick and TIRED!!!!!!!!! Good luck to you all and thanks for the great feedback...wishing you all continued success on this life long journey!!!

Hey there Cindy, I am so sorry you are going through this. I'm actually a bit worried I'm on the same trend. I was banded in Sep of 05 and like you lost nearly 100 pounds but ever since I had plastic surgery last fall I've been slowly gaining weight. Depending on if you add in the weight of the skin the doc says he removed I've gained as much as 25 pounds! I was closer to goal than you stated but am still beginning to get into a similar panic. After so many years of being banded I am starting to discover that running for a fill everytime the weight doesn't come off is not always the answer and in my case can sometimes be contributing to the cause. About a month ago when I went in for another fill to help stop this weight gain my doc actually ended up taking nearly all the fill out. I had approx 11 cc's in the lapband VG and he thinks that I had lived with a fill that was actually too tight for over a year. I hadn't been pb'ing but I've had bad heartburn and reflux almost nightly for over a year and had moved more and more away from solid Protein rich foods to softer carb heavy foods like mash potatoes (as they didn't give me heartburn as bad). I was also finding that I was slowly eating larger portions of food than I use to. The doc believes this is because I had stretched out my esophagus but that it should shrink back to normal after "resting" for a month or two with no fill. Sorry to give you a novel here and for not having any wonderful solutions to suggest. But I wanted you to know you are not alone and I'd be glad to "buddy" up and try to work on reversing our trends together.

Another thing to consider: Are you constipated? If food is going in, but not coming out, that can lead to weight gain, or at least not losing.

I found an article that was just published about people who eat eggs for Breakfast, and how those who do, lose more weight than those that eat carbs. This was also evidenced in other studies that have shown weight GAIN from instant oatmeal. This has got to be a carb thing... the fact that blood sugar is not spiking and dropping like crazy... Eggs are usually easier for bandsters... this gives you another excuse to enjoy... New research confirms that eating eggs boosts a healthy weight loss plan PARK RIDGE, Ill., Aug. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- A study published online today in the International Journal of Obesity shows that eating two eggs for breakfast, as part of a reduced-calorie diet, helps overweight adults lose more weight and feel more energetic than those who eat a bagel breakfast of equal calories.(i) This study supports previous research, published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, which showed that people who ate eggs for breakfast felt more satisfied and ate fewer calories at the following meal.(ii) 'People have a hard time adhering to diets and our research shows that choosing eggs for breakfast can dramatically improve the success of a weight loss plan,' said Nikhil V. Dhurandhar, Ph.D., lead researcher and associate professor in the laboratory of infection and obesity at Pennington Biomedical Research Center, a campus of the Louisiana State University system. 'Apparently, the increased satiety and energy due to eggs helps people better comply with a reduced-calorie diet.' Significant Weight Loss Related to Egg Breakfast Compared to the subjects who ate a bagel breakfast, men and women who consumed two eggs for breakfast as part of a reduced-calorie diet: -- lost 65 percent more weight -- exhibited a 61 percent greater reduction in BMI -- reported higher energy levels than their dieting counterparts who consumed a bagel breakfast (i) The egg and bagel breakfasts provided the same number of calories and had identical weights (energy density), which is an important control factor in satiety and weight loss studies. The researchers also found that blood lipids were not impacted during the two month study. They found that blood levels of HDL and LDL cholesterol, as well as triglycerides, did not vary compared to baseline cholesterol blood levels in subjects who ate either the bagel or egg breakfasts. These findings add to more than 30 years of research that conclude that healthy adults can enjoy eggs without significantly impacting their risk of heart disease. New Emphasis on the Importance of High-Quality Protein This study adds to the growing body of research which supports the importance of high-quality protein in the diet. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (AJCN) published a special issue in May 2008, which contains nine articles that focus on the value of high-quality protein in the American diet. A major finding was that not getting enough high-quality protein may contribute to obesity, muscle wasting (loss) and increased risk of chronic disease. (iii) , (iv) Jump Start the Morning with Eggs Jackie Newgent, registered dietitian and chef, stresses the importance of obtaining adequate high-quality protein when advising consumers about weight loss. 'Eggs are a good source of all-natural, high-quality protein, so they can help keep you satisfied longer, making it easier to resist tempting Snacks,' said Newgent. 'Nearly half of an egg's protein, and many of the other nutrients, are found in the yolk, so make sure to eat the whole egg for maximum benefits.' Newgent suggests these nutrition tips for a successful weight loss plan: -- Manic Monday: Make a batch of hard-cooked eggs on Sunday, so you'll have all-natural, high-quality protein meals for your on-the-go schedule during the week. Plus, eggs are incredibly affordable. At an average of $1.93 per dozen (or $0.16 per egg),(v) eggs are one of the most affordable high-quality protein foods in the marketplace. -- In-a-Minute Morning Meal: In less than 60 seconds, you can prepare an egg breakfast to help jump start your day. Simply beat one whole egg in a microwave-safe mug then cook in the microwave oven on high for 60 seconds. Slide the egg onto a whole grain English muffin. Add flavor with a sprinkling of fresh herbs, salsa, or cheese. Serve fresh seasonal fruit slices, like peaches in the summer, on the side for a balanced meal. Adults Who Eat Eggs for Breakfast Lose 65% More Weight

Jeni, glad your feeling better. Don't worry to much about a little weight gain right now, you need good nutrition for proper healing. Just get a walk that will help with those extra calories. Keep us posted. Carol

weight gain right after surgery is normal, relax, your body is healing. a month from now you should be dropping, but right now my advice is don't even get on the scale for 4 weeks.

This is premature as I don't even have a surgery date set yet - but I'm so gosh-darn optimistic about this band thing and want to put my nervous energy to good use. :cool2: About the saggy baggy skin thing - Bellies, arms, thighs, etc. What is your experience with this - Can it be prevented - before and after surgery exercises? Have many of you opted for plastic surgery? My BMI is below 40 and I don't anticipate too much saggy baggy - Heck - I've had 3 full term pregnancies before this weight gain and it never bothered me greatly. To have waistline again and be able to tie a robe around the girth and not have my tummy enter the room 1 second before the rest of me will be in itself a dream-come-true. :thumbup: And to wear sleeveless tops would be nice if the upper arm flippy floppies aren't too bad. Are there any ongoing exercises to keep this at a minimum? Any feedback from anyone? :confused2: