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Hi fellow Junies! Sounds like all are doing well. I get my fill on July 31st. Everything has been going great except that I have GAINED 5 lbs. I'm so depressed! I walk 45 minutes a day and have just started to introduce soft foods. I am doing what I am suppose to but 5lbs--that means I've lost only 5 since my surgery on June 10. I wanted to start school looking a alot thinner, but at this rate I not going to look to much different. My doctor will only let me walk for the next 2 wks. Since I had a hiatal hernis removed, he's keeping me low profile exercise until the end of July. Has anyone else experienced weight gain? Boo-hoo!

I tell everyone as well! I figure if they see you losing weight and keeping it off then they are gonna talk anyhow because everyone knows that 99% of people who lose weight gain it right back with out some kind of help. Don't want to be another Star Jones that was a no brainer watching a fat all of your life woman go down to nothing and lie about it on national TV.

I tell everyone as well! I figure if they see you losing weight and keeping it off then they are gonna talk anyhow because everyone knows that 99% of people who lose weight gain it right back with out some kind of help. Don't want to be another Star Jones that was a no brainer watching a fat all of your life woman go down to nothing and lie about it on national TV.

Maybe you're eating it too fast? I know that no matter what I eat, if I eat it too fast and don't chew well it will be painful. I am a slow loser but I tend to gain back easily and once I gain that pound I go into that vicious cycle of drowning my sorrows with bad food which leads to more weight gain. I talked to my Doc about this and he said to weigh myself every morning and if I gain ONE pound then to put myself on "Time Out" A protein shake for Breakfast, a SIMPLE salad for lunch and a protein shake for dinner. And nothing else! It definately works! The next morning not only have I lost the pound I gained but I lost ANOTHER! Woohoo. I'm glad to have found something that can nip the emotional eating in the bud. It stops it before it ever gets a chance to start. I feel like I'm actually starting to "heal" that connection between emotions and food.

I've been flamed many times in chat or with a post....some just feel that me saying I don't use protein powders....or diet foods....or go to a gym....or count calories....or go on a diet....is so wrong. Look, it's simple. Get the band. Get the adjustments. Get restriction. Get a reality check. Get smaller clothes. Get real. Get the band. Won't work if you don't have it. Plus, the band makes the most common sense. Cut off the pipes and you'll lose the weight...not a maybe...but will. Get the adjustments. Won't work if you don't get adjustments. Decide on a fill doc before surgery. Make sure you see 'em at 6 weeks and every 4 weeks after. Don't need a followup...cancel. But always make sure you have the appointment every 4 weeks til YOU decide you've got restriction. Get restriction. Don't be a baby! You are going to have to cut down on the quantity of food - that's the point of the Lap Band system. Don't want to cut down on the amount of food - don't get the Lap Band. So what if you slime from time to time....it's all a learning process and you need to allow yourself time to re-learn how to eat. But this isn't saying that if you vomit that you shouldn't see your doc, quite the contrary. Vomiting isn't good. But sliming, as long as you are in the process of re-learning how to eat...it's a tool. Get a reality check. This time to relearn how to eat is crucial. Eat a few bites and walk away from your food - it will always be there...you don't need it all now. Want something sweet- have it. But only a bite or two. If you can say..."nah, I'll skip that"...you are already on the right track. This is about choices. It's not easy during this time. I remember thinking I was going to DIE because I was so weak from not eating (massive amounts of food). Your body will go through withdrawal symptoms....you can bet on that. But you prevail! And remember, it's not forever. If you are hungry...eat! Get smaller clothes when you reach goal....it's a motivator as well when you walk around in potatoe sacks...makes you want to go faster. Get real. You know how you got fat, you now KNOW it doesn't take much food to fuel the human body. You now are amazed at the difference in the amount of foods you eat. You go to a buffet with your family, you get a teaspoon of everything...a sampling if you will. And you are so satisfied to finally 'taste' something...instead of inhailing. Keep your scales, pay attention to your new clothing. Weigh weekly, then every two weeks. But step on those scales at least 2x a month. And if you see weight gain, or your clothing getting tighter.... modify your diet. Maybe that soda pop put you over the edge...or you found you ate 2 pieces of your mom's sweetpotatoe pie. No worries, just modify things. Your new life is about nutrition, not dieting. Ensure you get the fuel to run your body like a well oiled machine.

Hi Marisol, Everyone is different, but I can honestly say that gastric bypass was never an option for me. Because: 1) It's a more dangerous surgery (more complications/risks possible) 2) It's permanent (unlike lapband) 3) Causes "dumping" and horrendous smells (by gas and/or "dumping") 4) Like any weight loss, if you don't maintain your lifestyle changes you WILL gain the weight back (but at least with lapband it's again not permanent, so your risks associated with weight gain are lower at least) 5) If you don't follow the proper diet (ESPECIALLY YOUR DAILY VITAMINS), you are really setting yourself up for serious problems (I have a personal story about a family member to back this one up - but I won't post it here to avoid upsetting anyone. If you want to know it, just let me know and I'll send you an email with the details) Anyhow - those are just the primary reasons I felt lapband was a choice and gastric bypass was not. Hope that helps.....

I think you had a unique situation because you needed to get off a drug because of bad side effects and having withdrawal symptoms that were not helped with the paxil. I've been on both drugs and have had good results with both. Of course one size does not fit all. I've totally gone off my meds before to go on Meridia and I remember how uncomforable the withdrawal phase was and then the un-med phase was just as bad or worse. Dizzy is one way to describe it although it's a different kind of dizzy. I also got what I call "brain sparks" which happened over a course of a couple of weeks and that is really awful. Even today if I miss a dose by 12 hours I'll get them, it's a little reminder of sorts I suppose. Recently I was researching on line because I was having those "brain sparks" and found all sorts of blogs from people describing issues they had going off effexor, so that must be one of those drugs that a lot of people have had probs with during withdrawal. Now a days if I'm going off an antidepressant I'm usually switching so depending on which drugs they are it can be done at the same time, lower dose of the first drug and adding the new one. My doctor usually informs me of the proper way to do it and I usually have no probs. I'm kind of surprised that a doctor wouldn't know about side effects on withdrawals from these types of meds. I have been on those "zombie" type drugs but mainly they were anti-anxiety types. Forgive me if I ask or re-ask if you're seeing a psych doctor or a regular doctor. Have you been diagnosed with something in particular? I think sometimes a lot of people don't like taking these types of drugs because they don't like the feeling like they're losing control of themselves. When I was first seeing my psych I believe I was crying at almost every visit in the beginning, my emotions were running rampant and I also had a very agitated side that was not good. Once she put me on my first antidepressant, sorry don't remember the name as it was a long time ago, those tears dried up and the lashing outs, diarrhea (yes that too) and the vulnerable feelings I was having disappeared. It's not to say that I don't ever cry but I cry when I'm supposed to, not all day long! I admit the loss of sex drive, plus I'm perimenopausal so could also contribute and weight gain are things that do bother me but I could not live without my meds anymore. Your doctor has to find the right diagnosis for you and the right combo of therapy and meds and of course the right combo of meds. Some people being misdiagnosed can be a problem, for example people who are bipolar and put on antidepressants. Not all bipolar people are alike. You typically think of manic highs and lows but some never have the highs only the lows so it can be tricky and if they're put on antidepressants it's not going to help and could do harm. Plus it takes awhile for you to get the full effects of the drug once you start. I went from Cymbalta to Pristiq but they are very similar in drug class and I've had the Cymbalta in my system for years but when you start it's a different situation. For some people they may have a bad reaction and need to stop like you did on effexor but there's no reason not to try another one. Some people do feel good right away and some it may take awhile. Anyway my big mouth has rambled on enough, lol. But I do hope you can find the right help for yourself and the right med that will help you feel better soon, nanook:smile:

I'm on Prozac for my downer moods with my Bipolar, it doesn't seem to make me gain weight..I had some that did though, had some that made me lose a lot too. I am also prescribed atenolol by him, it's for High Blood pressure, but I dont have HBP, he used it to help prevent migraines, helps a lot. I know it says there's a chance of weight gain on it, but I haven't had problems, but of course I only get weighed twice a month and I am on a diet. Lol.

Isn't there a whole room for mental illness where these things can be discussed and more people would benefit from. I'm not a doctor or an expert just a sufferer. I was diagnosed with a "borderline personality disorder" and when you first hear that you think they're insulting your personality, lol! I did not want to have depression or anxiety and it showed up during a good time in my life, when things were going well for me, prime of my life and I was thin, lol. It wasn't something that I could control. I have a sibling who also had it show up in his life also around the same age, early 20s and he has no weight problem and never did and I don't find mine to be weight related, it's a physical problem. Think of it like someone having a brain tumor, it's a brain disease. It's not just a painful, I'm so sad, I'm depressed, I hate my ass, my boyfriend dumped me type of situation. It's much deeper than that and it's uncontrollable fear, panic, sadness and a loss of pleasure in life! No one would wish that on anyone. One day you're fine and living a very productive life and the next day you're actually afraid to leave your house. It can be very debilitating. There's also a snowball effect that can happen where one thing affects another then another and makes many things in your life not as efficient and pleasant as they once were. It can take years of different types of therapy and experimenting with various drugs. The sad truth is that once you've been dealt "the card" I don't know that many people that are ever the same again. I've never gotten back there. It's very hard to explain unless you are living this but it can almost feel like part of your soul has died. Now I've gone through years of various therapies (still do) and that was wonderful and helped to an extent and have been on medications for many years and they keep me from jumping off a bridge or taking an overdose. Not once did I ever feel like I wanted people to surround me and feel sorry for me because of the stigma associated with mental illness I was too embarrassed to even talk about it so how could someone feel sorry for me because of my depression/anxiety when I wouldn't tell them? I have found that medications have affected many things sex drive, weight gain, constipation, but what are the alternatives? Maybe one day they'll come up with the perfect pill that won't have those side effects. I've worked with professions for many years to get through this and survive. Coming to terms with my mental illness and being able to discuss it with others who share also has helped me. I don't know why I was so ashamed but I think like some other poster said we tend to be much harder on ourselves and be perfectionists and when there is some kind of flaw, albeit we can't control, we hide it and don't want others to think badly of us. Anyway Kudos to tommaney for working on a mental health thread/social group as it will help us in two ways. One, it will help to educate people who don't know much about mental illness except for the various stereotypes out there and two, it will help the people who are actually dealing with mental illness come together for support they truly need! Thanks, Nanook.

Funny that this is the first post I found while searching lap band info. I suffer from sleep apnea and apparently have my entire life without knowing. The more weight I gained, the worse it had gotten. I had a stroke in March of 2007. It took the neurologist 8 months and 80+ lbs until he sent me for a sleep study, last resort to find out what was going on. I am only 38, which they found to be unusual for a stroke. Anyway, the sleep apnea made me feel absolutely horrible but I never realized I had it. (During sleep study one I quit breathing 158 times per hour) - Once diagnosed and put on a CPAP I feel incredible, except for the weight I have gained along the way. I met with my Ob/Gyn this morning and he made me an appointment with a local surgeon who is well respected and does thousands of lap band and gastric bypass surgeries..........I have never been heavy until the stroke. The undiagnosed sleep apnea, medications, inactivity for a lengthy period and my eating habits for several months after the stroke (dysphagia) lead to an incredible weight gain. I am NEW to this board (so hello to everyone) and am looking to have the Lap Band procedure done. I am such a chicken but know that I need help getting the weight off.

well actually we shouldn't eat until we are full u should eat until u are not hungry any longer. and most of the times after we eat 1/4 of a meal we are or shouldn't be HUNGRY any longer... Now eating until u are full is something else.... That means normally cleaning your plate... and that is what causes weight gain. Another thing is when u eat until u are no longer hungry means eating smaller meals more often.... which will result in weight loss.... Just eat when u are hungry.. and chew your food really good... Don't eat until u are full and u will be ok...

Let me know how you like that website.. I love it.. went to my support group last night and their is a weight gain due to the water weight coming back after eating real food again.. but as long as you dont gain it should start coming off.. that web-site saves me.. even if I want to cheat I know how much I can taste of something as long as I dont go over my calories for the day.. or if you want to do carbs you can set it up for that too...

Hi All, Ok..lets start with the bad news. Up 1 lb this week but it is TOM so maybe that is a factor. I sure hope so and I can share better news next week. Ugh! Funny story about TOM.....for the longest time as I was reading these threads I thought you guys were refering to Tom (the PA in Dr K's Office). I couldn't figure out why everyone was blaming their weight gains on him. I just made a mental note to never get a fill from him:-) Duh!!! Bahot...Thank you Thank you Thank you for the clothes. What a nice pay it forward. I even wore some of them to San Diego this weekend. You should all know that I learned so much about Denise by adopting her old clothes. She is so the kind of girl who finds something she likes and then buys it in every possible color. Very cute. Amazing pic of you water skiing. You are such an inspiration. You look like you are so happy out there on the water. Brandy and LA....I'm worried about both of you. Please update us as soon as you have any information. Munchkin....My 26 year old sister is a cop in Phoenix. It is very scary for me to think about sometimes, but she is very suited for it. I know what you mean about just being worried. Very brave women. Mal, congrats on your weight loss....I'm so happy that the scale is actually cooperating for you finally. I'm glad you are enjoying some of the clothes you adopted from me. Yay for free clothes! I went to San Diego for the weekend to attend a workshop on Men and Marriage. It was so amazing and I just had the best time. I have more to share but I'm running out of time here. You guys keep me so busy.....I feel like I'm behind on my homework when i don't check in for a few days. For those of you that have surgeries coming, I'm pulling for ya. I'd like to meet any of you that are traveling from out of town, so keep us posted on your visit details. Welcome to JillyPoo. You are gonna love it here! Happy day to all!

globally yours, I am jaw dropping amazed at how much success you've had with your weight loss. Keep it up!!!! Although, my expections were different with what I wanted to have lost by now, I am still very happy at the loss that I've had this year as a whole. I am just going to keep praying for some patience and understanding with how to utilize this tool in me. I'll get the hang of it. As long as I am not gaining, i will be thankful and grateful.....so you won't hear anymore griping(well, not alot) from me. Oh, i forgot to mention the reason behind the weight gain.... I have edema and have been instructed to stop taking my water pill for 4 weeks now. I started taking them again on my own and within 4 days dropped 7 lbs.....it was all fluid stored in my limbs(fingers, legs, ankle, feet). I've never used the bathroom so much in the last 3 days. I'll let the doctor know at some point that I've made the decision to start back taking the pill and why.

Essentially, everyone has said what I would say so I thought of skipping this thread, but I also know that it helps to hear from others. In addition to "ditto" covering most of it, let me just say that PCOS (and with it, insulin resistance, fertility issues, etc.) and weight gain/obesity are conspiring bedfellows. PCOS issues will make you gain weight, weight gain will exacerbate PCOS issues. It's a vicious cycle - one I hope to break with my weight loss. My periods are so few and far between (my friend Charlie calls it "natural seasonale") that I sometimes forget women have to deal with that every month. The good news: Now that almost 40 lbs are gone in 5 weeks or so... I have a period! Also, my blood sugars are completely normal... without Actos, without anything but the band supporting my new eating habits and exercise routines. My A1C was 5.9 pre-band, borderline diabetic. I went through months of hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia waves. 5 weeks, no more. The band is the best thing I did for my PCOS and related issues... even if the weight loss is first and foremost, the results and affects on other issues is reason enough.

Good on you Queen V, glad you got the courage to start posting. Sorry about your dad and your weight gain. It's never too late to start again. You will get the support you need on here. Good luck!

Yay, you are back and don't worry about that three pounds. I gained three on our cruise and it came off that week and then some. It was like some temporary vacation weight gain. lol. And you do not have a fat ass at all.. don't even girlie!! And, the bad stuff definitely goes down a lot easier than the good stuff sometimes, like chips and icecream, but I'm glad I cancelled my fill for this friday because I don't need it. I really don't want to be tighter than this at all because I want to get the good stuff down easily. My doctor said something wise to me once.. he said "don't let yourself get too tight because you will be miserable, I promise" and he is so right. I lose more when I'm not so tight and I'm just happier overall.

*PBing, sliming, vomiting, slippage, weight gain, slow process, have to be committed, severe incision pain, gas killing me, starving, hungry, port problems, taking forever to hit the sweet spont, nauseous, etc.* Granted, I'm just under 3 months out, but I've experienced almost NONE of those things. Nausea MY OWN FAULT the two times I ate too much sugar. PAIN, once when I ate too fast. The rest? No problem. No gas pain. No port pain. No slippage (at least not yet). No other issues. But even if I had ALL of those, the weight loss and improved health would be worth it. Because, bottom line, that's what it's all about. If most of us could do it on our own we would have already done so. Whatever you decide, think it through thoroughly!~

If you are having doubts, then don't have the surgery! You should have been informed by now about the risks....and you must answer: If my doc said my band could slip....would I still have the surgery? If I ....your words......... PBing, sliming, vomiting, slippage, weight gain, slow process, have to be committed, severe incision pain, gas killing me, starving, hungry, port problems, taking forever to hit the sweet spont, nauseous, etc Do I still want the band? If you answer NO...then don't have the surgery. Risks are an unkown...may happen or may not happen. But if you absolutely cannot handle anything you said..then don't do it.

I was diagnosed with PCOS last year, I am taking Actos and back on the 'ol pill,(which is ironic since I have been tubal ligated,)the meds relieve it somewhat, but i feel that the weight is more to blame for my symptoms now. I don't have menstration without the Actos now. I know it is due to my obesity, never had a problem with this before my weight gain. I quit smoking two years ago, I gained most of my weight since then. Bottom line for me, weight loss will help me tremendously.

"PBing, sliming, vomiting, slippage, weight gain, slow process, have to be committed, severe incision pain, gas killing me, starving, hungry, port problems, taking forever to hit the sweet spont, nauseous, etc." Increased chance of cancer, heart attack, diabetes, shortness of breath, being unable to do the fun things you would like to do, looking like crap . . .You can dwell on the down side, but the upside is more important for me. Yes, I have pb'd and slimed. I consider them a warning from my band that I haven't done what I need to do. If I didn't have uncomfortable results from being banded, I would still be eating like I was when I weighed 255. I've had two fills, and will never need another to reach goal. Gas pains were minimal. Surgery pain was not even worthy of the pain pills I was given; I still have them in a drawer. I'm never physically hungry except when it's meal time and I need to eat, although I still get the munchies from time to time. I have never gained weight (except for the normal variation of a pound or two during the day) since I was banded. I will reach goal within the next two months, which would be 10 months from my surgery date. I've never been nauseous, except when I tried liquid Vitamins. Bleagh! We don't often come on here to start a thread about how wonderful things are. We post when we have a problem, which means you see a lot more problems on a forum like this than you do glowing reports. Plus, many of us who are very successful are simply out there living our lives rather than obsessing about our bands and living our lives on this forum--no negative posts, please, I'm as guilty as anyone! You do have to be committed. I must admit I have little patience for people who want to cheat on their post op diets, complain they can't eat like pre surgery, and feel that the discomforts of surgery without complications is unbearable. The desire to get off the diet roller coaster and away from a life of obesity has to be worth going through a few weeks of soreness and discomfort. I do have to watch what I eat and keep a little mental count of calories every day because I am a snacker and I will absent mindedly eat too much even now. But the difference with the band is that I can stop myself, and before I couldn't. I would tell anyone in a hearbeat that the results of banding have been well worth any minor problems I have had.

I am scheduled for surgery on Friday. I have wanted this so badly for over a year - never questioned the logic for doing so and couldn't wait to get banded. Then - I spend HOURS on this forum and all I see is the bad stuff. PBing, sliming, vomiting, slippage, weight gain, slow process, have to be committed, severe incision pain, gas killing me, starving, hungry, port problems, taking forever to hit the sweet spont, nauseous, etc. It is making me think - THIS IS CRAZY! I feel like I should cancel the whole thing and try one more time on my own, even though I know it won't work. I am scared to death now and I have had all kinds of surgeries and a child and blah, blah, blah and YES - I WANT TO LIVE - but comfortably - not in constant pain and puking day in and day out....am I missing the picture here??? Are we all brainwashed into thinking we have to do something this drastic?

For me, I don't think my antidepressant (was Luvox, now Lexapro) contributed to weight gain. If anything, it helped, since I was/am an emotional eater. Back when we were trying to find a med that worked well for me, I loved Wellbutrin for the energy boost I got (works on your dopamine levels, which regular SSRIs do not). Unfortunately it did nothing for my depression, so I just cried more energetically. Weight loss has done nothing for my depression, which really does seem chemical rather than situational or related to some past trauma. I had kind of hoped that I'd be able to get off meds once I reached goal; that maybe in some miraculous way, losing weight would adjust whatever chemical imbalance is occuring, in a similar way to how my hormones are starting to balance out with the weight loss. Granted, I'm still quite a ways off from goal, but just the fact that I will probably need to up my dosage at my next re-prescription time rather than decrease it tells me this is pretty much permanent for me. In the early days, I tried several times to wean off them, but always ended up deeply mired in depression again and had to go back on. My doc pretty much told me to forget ever going off of them, that I'd likely be on them for life. It's been 12 years now. And yes, I've tried therapy. :redface: Therapy was helpful for dealing with some of my issues, but not for the depression. :grouphug: BTW, I had a friend who went on Paxil and she did have issues with weight gain. She ended up bulimic as well as obsessive about exercise. :biggrin: I think some meds do cause weight gain, or interfere with losing. Or maybe it's a combination of the med and how certain people respond to it?

I know this was addressed under the "Lapband Strugglers" thread, but I wanted to start a discussion about anyone's experience wih their past/present psych meds. How do you feel your experience with weight loss (before or after the lapband) has tied in? How to you deal with the side effects (if you have them)? I've taken a few different medications with different results. Paxil and Trazadone worked for a time but I gained about a pound a month while I was on that combo. The doctors warned me about that. That was especially frustrating because I purposefully increased my activity level to compensate, and the emotional blunting with Paxil was dramatic. Prozac didn't have the gaining side effect, but not the mood elevating side effect either! Finally, Wellbutrin, which I took for 3 years, was my most successful med. I was in an emotional place where I was motivated to be more active and, at the same time, it allowed me to at least maintain my weight. How's everyone else doing with theirs? Finding the right med can be such a harrowing journey, I wanted to put forth a place in this forum to reach out for help and validation. Also, please note that I am not purporting that psych meds that cause weight gain are some kind of blanket excuse for struggling with weight loss. I regret I have to make that explicit. Psych meds are one factor that can make it tougher for some than others, and this is a place to discuss those experiences.

Hi Karri! Saw your post and I am looking for a mentor. I also work with crazy high schoolers (guidance counselor), live in South Florida, and am 34 years old and married, no kids. I was banded 3/25/08 and have been doing decently with the weight loss. These past two weeks have been difficult - I'm up in NY for summer vacation (my hometown) and needed an unfill right before I left due to issues. You guessed it - no restriction, weight gain, and I had to see a doctor up here in NY. I am just feeling at a loss right now and need to get back on track. I feel like this is so hard to "get right" and would love to feel like I'm not doing it on my own. If you're interested, I would love to buddy up with you!:ohmy: ETA - My birthday is July 3, so I will send birthday wishes for a successful surgery!!!