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So, I am completely new to blogging but thought I'd give it a try. I'm hoping that by putting my thoughts, fears, and hopes down, it will help me through my journey of weight loss. If in the process, it happens to help any of you who stumble across my writings, then that's even better!! First of all, although I have not always been obese, I have always been "chubby" and/or have struggled with my weight and had an issue with food. I am an emotional eater. I eat if bored, angry, depressed, happy. . . you name it, and I'll eat for it!! I come from a very Italian family who solved everything with food. I recently came across a diary I kept when I was in high school. Most of the entries were about me complaining about how fat I was and if I could only lose a few more pounds I'd be able to fit into a bikini!! I couldn't believe how fat I thought I was when looking back I know for a fact that I was 120lbs at my heaviest in high school!!! Most of my weight gain came about after a miscarriage, losing a baby when I was 23 weeks pregnant, then from my first and second successful pregnancies. I ballooned eventually up to 252 lbs and this was way too much weight on my 5'3 frame. My back hurt, my knees hurt, I had high blood pressure, pre-diabetes. The list goes on. I tried many different weight loss programs, diet pills, gym memberships, etc. Nothing worked. I finally got up the courage to go for Lap Band. This is my physical, mental and emotional journey. First off, I was banded on 3/1/13. Liquids one week, pureed one week, soft solids one week then. . . regular food. Lost about 18 pounds. No problems to speak of until I went for my first fill on 4/9 when my doc found a kink. . . literally. He could fill but not aspirate! Apparently, my tubing had kinked he believes due to intra-abdominal pressure within the first few hours or days of banding! So, he only filled about 1.5 ccs. Went 4/11 for an x-ray, and lo and behold. . . staring right at me is a very sharp kink that of course, my doctor and the GI fellow both could not manipulate manually to unkink! Fast forward several weeks, and here I am again fresh out of surgery on 5/3 where I had to have the port replaced. Luckily, it wasn't as invasive as the first surgery, so I am not experiencing any of that wonderful chest, back, shoulder pain, etc., Basically, just pain at the incision site. This poor site has already been used 3 times! Originally to remove my gallbladder, then for band surgery #1 and now #2! Any more incisions in that area, and I think the scar will stand up and slap me!!! Now I'm on liquids until Tuesday when I see my doc again. He filled my band to 3ccs. Total weight loss so far is about 24 lbs. I'm hoping all will be well this time. We will see!!! I'll update again after I see my doc on 5/7. Wish me luck!!

I will start with a little, tiny bit of information about myself. My name is Allyssa, I am a 20 year old girl from Alberta, Canada ! I operate heavy equipment as my occupation for now in the beautiful oilsands (haha). I like to longboard, party and do pretty much any typical thing any 20 year old nonsense a 20 year old gets into. I first began my struggle with weight at the young age of 8 years old, being an asthmatic I was put on hardcore steroids very young that caused a whopping 30 pound weight gain in just a short month and a half. With such a dramatic change, so quickly, I turned to food to cope. By time I was 13 I weighed 150 pounds. By 17, 220 pounds. Hard to believe, hard to imagine, even harder to deal with. I was bounced from Jenny Craig, to Herbal Magic, to stress filled, painful no food diets, and intense workout. In my opinion Herbal Magic was the only diet that worked. I went from 220 to a small 160! It was a fantastic loss, and I was doing so well, when I stuck to my program. With being such a young age, it was hard to stay away from alcohol, and occasionally eating what I wanted. This past January I unfortunately lost a very important figure in my life, which caused me to plummet to the very low that made me re-gain most of my weight. In just a month, I had reached 180 pounds. So February I had decided I want the gastric sleeve, so I hit the internet in search of a doctor I came to a conclusion that Mexico was where I would have my surgery. My surgeons name is Dr. Roldolfo Natera. And my surgery is Hosptial Star Medica. Finally booked for June 1/2012. I am a little nervous as I assume anyone would be. I am looking for support, advice, and knowledge from anyone who has also , decided to have surgery in Mexico, I would like to know all about your experience, dealing with the hospital stay, healing time, diets etc. Thank you so much.

Thank you - I am so ready for this - current weight 274 - I'm 6"1 and have 2 herniated disk which caused most my weight gain - but always big.... Tired of hating looking in the mirror so I'm ready Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

:smile2: WOOOHOOO - I just picked up my report and CD of fluro from the radiologist and the f/u GI showed that that band was in place, no dilation and no evidence of hernia. This radiologist did my films a bit different then the last rad, this one did it all standing up and filmed each time I swallowed and tracked it as it went down. The other had me do all different kinds of positions. Part of me wants to doubt, but I am keeping faith that this is Gods answer, because I am going on a mission trip to Spain next month and would have had to cancel if I was going to need surgery. I still have to see my surgeon for the "final" answer and get his interp of the report and films, but for now I see this as a negative. I update after I see him to see how we handle the fills. OH and not weight gain either!! For 2 weeks no fill & total of 30+ days I have had very little restriction. :tongue2:

I had a lapband placed in March of '09, complete unfill November of '12 and then removed in February of '13. Now waiting to have sleeve surgery on May 7th. I start my 2 week liquid only diet later this month. As the date gets closer I am excited and nervous at the same time. I have regained 30 pounds since having the complete unfill in November of '12. Now starting to have blood pressure issues again due to weight gain (was on meds prior due to weight) and I feel sluggish. I just want to feel full of energy and motivated again!

I had my band put in feb 9 th, 2009 and have gone from 325 pounds to 200 pounds ...Recently I gained 20 pounds back and have found myself to get sick 4 outta 5 times I eat now....Been trying to identify suspect foods....Pretty much the only kind of meat I eat is fish, no beef or chicken.....I haven't drank any milk for over a year now...just use almond milk... I worked out the first 3 years of my band being put in...Last 2 years I've limited my exercise. I'm wondering because of my weight gain if I have tightened the band too much ? Anyways, by not being able to keep anything down , I believe I may fix the problem soon . Has anyone else experienced the inability to not keep anything down? I would like to be able to eat again and am grateful when I can.

Hi friends. I had a hysterectomy yesterday and was weighed before surgery---187. Today, 199. What the heck???? I am so upset.

Papa - this is a great list. I have saved it so I can re-read it when I need a refresher. I think the 2nd mistake could be expanded to include the need to understand why you got into the situation where you needed WLS - what your inappropriate behaviors were (portion control, carb addiction, etc) and what your triggers were.etc. This may take going through conseling to find out and address them. If a person doesn't figure out what drove them to end up where they were before surgery, I think they are likely to end up there again in a few years. People who have significant weight gain never address the underlying issues. They figure out how to abuse their sleeve and meet those unmet needs. The sleeve to me is only one of the tools I am using to end up being a thinner, healthy person. Best of luck in getting to your goal, Papa Jack. You are doing outstanding!

1st Mistake: Not Taking Vitamins, supplements, or Minerals Every WLS patient has specific nutritional needs depending on the type of surgery you have had. Not only is it a good idea to ask your surgeon for guidelines, but also consult with an experienced WLS nutritionist. Understand there is not a standard practice that all surgeons and nutritionists follow in guiding WLS patients. So, it is important to do your own research, get your lab tests done regularly, and learn how to read the results. Some conditions and symptoms that can occur when you are deficient in vitamins, supplements, or minerals include: Osteoporosis; pernicious anemia; muscle spasms; high blood pressure; burning tongue; fatigue; loss of appetite; weakness; constipation and diarrhea; numbness and tingling in the hands and feet; being tired, lethargic, or dizzy; forgetfulness, and lowered immune functioning. Keep in mind, too, that some conditions caused by not taking your vitamins, supplements, or minerals are irreversible. 2nd Mistake: Assuming You Have Been Cured of Your Obesity A "pink cloud" or honeymoon experience is common following WLS. When you are feeling better than you have in years, and the weight is coming off easily, it's hard to imagine you will ever struggle again. But unfortunately, it is very common for WLS patients to not lose to their goal weight or to regain some of their weight back. A small weight regain may be normal, but huge gains usually can be avoided with support, education, effort, and careful attention to living a healthy WLS lifestyle. For most WLSers, if you don't change what you've always done, you're going to keep getting what you've always gotten -- even after weight loss surgery. 3rd Mistake: Drinking with Meals Yes, it's hard for some people to avoid drinking with meals, but the tool of not drinking with meals is a critical key to long-term success. If you drink while you eat, your food washes out of your stomach much more quickly, you can eat more, you get hungry sooner, and you are at more risk for snacking. Being too hungry is much more likely to lead to poor food choices and/or overeating. 4th Mistake: Not Eating Right Of course everyone should eat right, but in this society eating right is a challenge. You have to make it as easy on yourself as possible. Eat all your meals--don't skip. Don't keep unhealthy food in sight where it will call to you all the time. Try to feed yourself at regular intervals so that you aren't as tempted to make a poor choice. And consider having a couple of absolutes: for example, avoid fried foods completely, avoid sugary foods, always use low-fat options, or only eat in a restaurant once a week. Choose your "absolutes" based on your trigger foods and your self knowledge about what foods and/or situations are problematic for you. 5th Mistake: Not Drinking Enough Water Most WLS patients are at risk for dehydration. Drinking a minimum of 64 oz. of water per day will help you avoid this risk. Adequate water intake will also help you flush out your system as you lose weight and avoid kidney stones. Drinking enough water helps with your weight loss, too. 6th Mistake: Grazing Many people who have had WLS regret that they ever started grazing, which is nibbling small amounts here and there over the course of the day. It's one thing to eat the three to five small meals you and your doctor agree you need. It's something else altogether when you start to graze, eating any number of unplanned Snacks. Grazing can easily make your weight creep up. Eating enough at meal time, and eating planned snacks when necessary, will help you resist grazing. Make a plan for what you will do when you crave food, but are not truly hungry. For example, take up a hobby to keep your hands busy or call on someone in your support group for encouragement. 7th Mistake: Not Exercising Regularly Exercise is one of the best weapons a WLS patient has to fight weight regain. Not only does exercise boost your spirits, it is a great way to keep your metabolism running strong. When you exercise, you build muscle. The more muscle you have, the more calories your body will burn, even at rest! 8th Mistake: Eating the Wrong Carbs (or Eating Too Much) Let's face it, refined carbohydrates are addictive. If you eat refined carbohydrates they will make you crave more refined carbohydrates. There are plenty of complex carbohydrates to choose from, which have beneficial vitamins. For example, if you can handle pastas, try whole grain Kamut pasta--in moderation, of course. (Kamut Pasta doesn't have the flavor some people find unpleasant in the whole wheat pastas.) Try using your complex carbohydrates as "condiments," rather than as the center point of your meal. Try sprinkling a tablespoon of brown rice on your stir-fried meat and veggies. 9th Mistake: Going Back to Drinking Soda Drinking soda is controversial in WLS circles. Some people claim soda stretches your stomach or pouch. What we know it does is keep you from getting the hydration your body requires after WLS--because when you're drinking soda, you're not drinking water! In addition, diet soda has been connected to weight gain in the general population. The best thing you can do is find other, healthier drinks to fall in love with. They are out there. 10th Mistake: Drinking Alcohol If you drank alcohol before surgery, you are likely to want to resume drinking alcohol following surgery. Most surgeons recommend waiting one year after surgery. And it is in your best interest to understand the consequences of drinking alcohol before you do it. Alcohol is connected with weight regain, because alcohol has 7 calories per gram, while Protein and vegetables have 4 calories per gram. Also, some people develop an addiction to alcohol after WLS, so be very cautious. Depending on your type of WLS, you may get drunker, quicker after surgery, which can cause health problems and put you in dangerous situations. If you think you have a drinking problem, get help right away. Putting off stopping drinking doesn't make it any easier, and could make you a lot sicker[/b]

My sister had bypass around the same time carni wilson in San Diego. Now, after weight gain is considering lapband over bypass. Her daughter is having it done tomorrow. I am truly excited for both.

I am 6 days out from surgery, and have been loosing about a pound a day. Until this morning, I weighed myself this morning and was +1.3 pounds. Is this normal? I know your body can fluctuate weight daily, but still a pound and a half gained??

Hi everyone, I had the sleeve gastrectomy surgery performed back in 2009. Unfortunately, I have gained my weight back. Admittedly, I did not adhere to the diet and exercise plan and once I started gaining, I was embarrassed and stopped going to the doctor. Add a divorce into the mix and I gained even more weight. I take complete responsibility for the weight gain, and I am now considering the DS as an option, since my original surgeon had mentioned that this could be the 2nd step of my sleeve surgery back in 2009. I meet with the office next week and am very nervous. I was hoping someone could tell me some of your high Protein food secrets, as I am trying to start the 90 plus grams of protein and 75 or fewer carb diet now. I am allergic to tree nuts, so the only nuts I can eat are peanuts and I don't like tuna fish or salmon, but like mild fish. Thank you for reading my post! Have a great day! Christy

Sorry to hear you've been in the hospital, there must be something in the air(it couldn't be we're making poor food choices,) I too gained weight for the first time , it's been my biggest fear, I guess the real test is how we deal with the weight gain. Good luck & I hope you feel better soon Peace,Mary

I received a call today. They didn't submit my paperwork because they don't have a two year weight history with a high enough BMI. I'm being told I will have to wait until January 2016. Very upset and very discouraged. I've done everything. I've been on a yo-yo diet, weight loss and weight gain, but I don't have all the proper paperwork. I can't even get my doctor to write a letter about this.

Hello, My name is Maureen and I am a 45 year old woman from Olympia, Washington. I have been overweight ever since I can remember. I have always been on a diet even from a young age and still obese. I am currently over 330 pounds and 5'2". I am afraid to step on the scale. My BMI is over 60 and I am concerned for my health. I have high blood pressure and severe sleep apnea. My biggest fear is dying and having to have 6 firefighters carry my body out of my house. I went to my pcp and requested to have gastric bypass back in August. She sent in the paperwork and I was approved to move on in the process. I have Group Health as my medicare advantage. I finally had my consult with the bariatric case manager and she sent out a questionnaire for my psych eval. It specifically asked if I have depression and or bi-polar. I have both, but have been stable since being medicated 7 years ago. I am concerned that I will be denied my surgery due to this. I am hoping not because at this point it is life or death. I have changed my medication to lamictal (spelling) which is not suppose to cause as much weight gain as my previous medications. I am excited to be part of this forum and have been reading your posts for over a month. Thank you for all your information. You sound like a very supportive group of people. Thanks for listening, Maureen

I'm approaching my 1 year bandaversary in a few weeks and there has been one issue over the past year that I can't seem to get a handle on. This past week I've been miserable and after a few days of weight gain (just 2 pounds in a week)...I finally figured it out. Correctol took care of it. 1 dose didn't work. I took 1 and a half dosage the following night. Finally, relief...and those 2 pounds gone. Constipation has been an untold issue for me since being banded. I remember having this problem when I was on Atkins a few years back. I've increased Fiber...I've decreased fiber, MoM doesn't help. Softeners don't help....I require a stimulant to do the job. I'm really concerned with what my liver and large intestines are going to look like before long. My doctor has recommended many things and even a script. But the only thing that I can get to move me is sugar. But I try to avoid sugar as my new way of eating. Yet, it's either a Krispey Kreme or Correctol. Can anyone shed some light on this issue? I need my large intestines to not absorb so much Water. HELP!

I thought I was the only cheater out there! lol. My doctor requires a strict pre-op liquid diet, NO solid food whatsoever for 10 days. I did great the first two days. On the third day, I ate a very small piece of cheese bread and 2 small bites of Justin's sandwich (yum) with my strained potato Soup. The next day, I didnt cheat at all. By the 5th day, I couldnt stand it so I made Justin get me a pizza. Instead of eating my usual 6 pieces, I 'spit and chewed' one slice. Other than that, I have stuck to my diet. So, I didnt make the best choices when it came to my cheating, but I kept it very limited. :hungry: It is amazing to me to see how each doctor handles the pre-op diet. Matters-of-fact, that is how I justified my cheating. I figured my doctor was so strict because he felt that if we took one bite we would want 5 more bites. Does that even make sense, I dont even know! Anyway, I figured if I kept my cheating to a minimum AND stopped cheating 3 days before my surgery date, then I would be ok. My doctor said he will know if I have cheated by my weight gain or loss. My pre-op appointment (1/8/07), I weighed 232. Today, I weigh 221. So, that has to be a good sign. I guess we will find out on Thursday, huh?! Good Luck and dont beat yourself up on cheating. This diet isnt easy!

Omg i am not the only one i am 10 months sleeved and i found out yesterday i am 6 weeks pregnant. I am 41 and now i am worried about weight gain and keeping the baby healthy. As well as making sure of keeping my sleeve small.

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!!!!

It really depends on your insurance company. If it doesn't say anything in the bulletin, you should be fine. I have Aetna and in the bulletin it states that you can not have a net weight gain during the program. I gained weight during the process and was denied but was later approved by appealing.

First. 93 lbs is AMAZING! Whatever you do, DO NOT ignore that amazing feat right there! Now, a little tip that a LOT of people miss out on. Muscle building. Larger muscles require more energy at rest than small muscles do. Cardio is great, but it's only going to do so much, because those muscles aren't needing anything more (and weighing 93 lbs less means you are working a LOT less to do the same cardio) Try to do some muscle building on your gluts and quads as well as your triceps (which are around 3 times larger than biceps but most people forget to work them out). Add some muscle building to your work out and you should start seeing more fat / weight coming off. Just remember, the larger the muscle, the more fuel it needs. You might see some weight gain due to muscle mass, but as long as you keep up your intake routine, those numbers will start to drop again. Muscle does weigh more than fat as well. But you have done amazing. Don't stress too much!

I had the procedure on September 27th and since then lost around 70 pounds.. but I recently checked my weight and in the past 20 days I gained 5 pounds. I feel my diet has increased and I haven't been exercising. Is it possible to start gaining weight so fast? Or is it just fluctuating? Im really stressed.

I got lucky (maybe). I had a fill on the 22nd so I had to be on a liquid diet for 3 days post fill. I was able to enjoy Christmas dinner, but could only have a little. But it did help with the holiday weight gain.

Hello Peeps...I need some assistance please. Pardon the scene setting here, but i want to make sure that i project my situation correctly. I am married to a wonderful man, kind, romantic, loving and honest. We are very fortunate to have established a level of trust and communication that neither of us have experienced in prior relationships. We are blessed with each other, a beautiful child and relatively good health. We've been together for a long time and look forward to an active and fun filled retirement together. So, all sounds good, right? It is, except for the fact that over the past four years, I have been on a steady path of weight gain. I was banded in 2006, lost 60 lbs and then, over the ensuing years, vacillated between gaining/losing the same 20. In 2009, my band did the big slip and I had surgery for it to be replaced, both surgeries were good, free of complications. So, long story short (too late, right?) I continued down the path with my 2nd band and kept trying to find my sweet spot/holy grail that would allow me to eat w/out barfing, sticking, choking or gagging. This banding stage has been less than enjoyable. Fast forward to now..... I have been completely unfilled for approximately 3 years and as a consequence, weigh almost as much as I did when i was banded the first time. also, I still have issues with stuck food, port pains and general eating/digestive problems. So here's my deal....I must get this band out...MUST...MUST..MUST..before I do myself any more damage. Clearly, it is not helping me to lose weight, and it is definitely contributing to poor eating habits. However, prior to removal and revision, I have two obstacles. 1) my BMI is a sliver below 35 and my co-morbidities are depression, cholesterol, and general joint aches/pains...nothing that insurance considers that detrimental, and 2) my husband is 110% against the thought of me undergoing additional surgery (beyond band removal). He is worried about the risk, the mortality rate, complications from the surgery and the lifestyle changes that are required after someone is sleeved. I see all of these things as valid concerns, but concerns that each of us have to weigh prior to making any decision about wls. So, here is what I need help with. Has anyone had a really great spouse, someone who gets that this is an individual choice and is not their body, but is still very apprehensive about their partner getting sleeved? Surgery that is "irreversible" is scary, true, I get that, but life down a path of increasing pains and medical complications (not to mention the pure social inhibitions that go along with being overweight) is not a life I want, but is the path that I seem to be on. Any advice? Any similar situations? Anyone.....????

Yes..It is calories in vs. calories out. I will not lie, when i first went to solids...i gained a little. I freaked out, but was assured by my Dr. that it was very common and it would go away quickly...that my body was in a "starvation mode" and when it got the food it wanted to hold on to it. He was right (yay) and the weight gain came off quickly and i have been losing pretty steadily since. i can honestly say, I too don't totally keep track of calories, but i do know for sure that some days I really only get about 800 calories in me. Bad eating days (near TOM), it maybe even less. With the solid food, that little bit keeps you full longer because it takes much longer to go from your pouch to your lower stomach and so on. Liquids/mushies can pass right through...so in fact if you ate solely sliders, ate until you were full, and ate anytime you were hungry, you could cause yourself to GAIN weight because you could eat more. i could eat a whole tub of ice cream right now if I really wanted to because it is going to melt and pass right through the band...defeating the purpose. i hope maybe this makes sense :scared2: