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So happy to hear from everybody! Prior to making the changes, I gained 10 lbs. I haven't been able to lose them yet with a better diet and exercise but I can say with all honesty that I feel better, mentally and physically. It's really hard to deal with weight gain after having been through so much. I really need to focus on losing it the right way now. Thanks for the replys!

Okay, so I love me some fake sugar, but it makes me pee like every half hour! I was reading that at least some of the artificial sweeteners are diuretics, but they are ALSO bladder irritants, so they are even more likely to cause you to run to the potty. I also intersperse my diet juice/iced tea/crystal light with water throughout the day and drink a ton, so it's a struggle. Note: I'm not interested in your belief that aspartame/splenda/sucralose cause cancer or weight gain. Those theories have been fully debunked.

Hello everyone . Many, many times I find myself eating just to find out that oh well, I guess I really wasn't "that hungry" . This has caused some weight gain and cycles of meaningless eating. If it wasn't or my band I would be so much heavier t this moment. In your opinion, how do you differentiate head hunger vs. real hunger ? Any tips on how to not be a head hunger victim ?

Well, the change that caused the weight gain was me getting sick. I was on severe steroid regimens that caused my weight to double in less than a year. So yes, I feel completely different - since I don't have the underlying illness going rampant and no more steroid treatments, I feel completely different. I tried to never let my weight define me. But in that, I did let it control me a bit. I didn't wanna be the fat girl in the room. I didn't wanna be the one that, my husband's friends would look at him quizzically after meeting me, wondering why he's with me. So I isolated myself a lot. It was actually pretty easy to do because when I was sick, I couldn't go places with people - I had such a poor immune system and getting sicker was not something I was going to contribute to. So after I started rebuilding my immunity, I just didn't change that. Now, I'm still not wanting to meet a whole lot of new people, or even see people that haven't seen me since I've been sick, but its getting better. I'm a very social person normally, so its getting harder and harder to resist going out and having fun. I've made plans for the future - the next 6 or so months. If i hit goals, or even come close to them, I'll go ahead with them. And I really want to go ahead with them so I'm going to stay on track and hope my body does the same.

Today is my 4 month surgiversary. I can't believe how time flies. I am down 47 pounds as of today and need to lose another 28 pounds to get to my goal. I am very happy with my sleeve, it is a great tool to weight loss. The only thing I wish is that I was more of a fast loser. This last month, I have only lost 6 pounds. I would be happier with 10 pounds a month loss. But I will take any loss over the weight gain I used to experience. I am very thankful to God for this opportunity to make my health, life and happiness sooooo much better. I feel sooooo good. Thank You everyone for all of the sharing in this forum it has truly made my journey much easier.

So I had the sleeve done 3/14 and so far I have no issues. My stomach tolerates everything I introduce. I can intake liquids with ease and i have restriction with food. The day I arrived my weight was 311. Day of surgery I asked to weigh again I was 306. After surgery I weighed myself (I know I wasn’t supposed to I was 295). Today I’m 299.8 and I’m scared to be back over 300 lbs but why am I gaining weight? I’m not even eating enough food to be gaining anything. Is this normal? I’m so afraid of messing this up or failing but seeing the scale go up is sending my anxiety through the roof.

Hi Just joining site. I am attending an informational meeting on LapBand on Friday. I am 38 year old, 5 ft 1 in. 215 pounds. I have tried Diet Workshop, Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig. I had a hysterectomy five years ago and it has been a struggle to lose weight. I gained 50 pounds just since surgery. I have struggled with my weight which seems like forever. I have always had a bad body image even when I was in my teens without a weight problem. Since having children (5) I have struggled with my weight. Two of my children were born stillborn so pregnancy was not a good time in my life. All of my weight settles into my stomach area and I must get asked a few times a month if I am expecting. Very embarrassing and emotional especially where that wasn't a great time in my life. I am active. My children are 14, 11, and 7. I think I am fighting genetics with this also. I don't have significant health issues. I do have fibromyalgia which is very painful and complicated by weight gain. I did have gestational diabetes with one of my pregnancies. Unfortunately not a great deal of this weight is from my pregnancies. A few pounds here and there from pregnancies. I am over 80 pounds over weight. My question is the safety of surgery? Is this surgery available to someone who is not 100 pounds overweight? What are the health risk? How is the recovery? I would like to hear positive and negative experiences. Thanks

I was 9 months post op on12/24 (surgery was 3/24). I started at 230 (5'6") and am currently 170 (6 pound weight gain from Thanksgiving until today). I typically come to this site to research questions I have and see if anyone else is experiencing what I am while on this journey. I have posted questions and received good feedback. I figured it is time for me to give back in case there are others that are similar to me and wanting answers as I have. Background: I am 43 years young, a teacher with three kids. I hovered around 180 pounds throughout my 20's with no real concern about my diet or exercise. I decided at age 27 to "get in shape" and started watching my diet and joined the YMCA. I got down to 150 pounds. Then I became pregnent with my first child and thought it was the green light to eat whatever I wanted, subsequently gaining 90 pounds. I also had the mentality that I could just go back to the gym 4-5 days a week and lose it all again. Ha! Was I naive! I got back down to 190 after the first child, then became pregnant with the 2nd child. Here is where my blood sugar issues came into play. I was determined NOT to gain so much weight with this pregnancy but my blood sugar would drop all the time so I ended up gaining 50 pounds. Over the next 6 years, I lost and gained the same 20 pounds all the while with blood sugar issues being my enemy (never formally diagnosed with Type II diabetes only insulin resistance). Then at 200 pounds, I became pregnant with my 3rd child at age 39. I was considered "high risk" due to my age and my weight and eventually had to take insulin shots. However, I only gained 20 pounds with this pregnancy as I was very vigilant with what I ate and the insulin shots helped my blood sugar drops. Decision to have weight loss surgery: The was not an easy decision financially speaking as well as with my family. My husband (who is very fit) just thought if I worked out and watched what I ate, I could lose the weight. However, my blood sugar was still an issue (I was off insulin after the pregnancy and still not considered diabetic although on Metformin). After having an emotional break down, my husband was on board and I started the insurance process in December 2014. I was approved in late February 2015 and had my surgery on 3/24. Honeymoon period: Like most, I was fully committed post surgery and LOVED watching the weight fall off. The fact that you can't eat helps your mind turn away food for a long time and I had the mentality of, "Oh, I can't eat that, it will make me sick." I had no blood sugar issues and I was so happy until about three months ago. What I have learned from the process: About there months ago, the little cheats (a bite of cake here, a nibble of bread there) started to tell my brain that my stomach can tolerate all foods and eventually it can (I am not one who has dumping syndrome etc. I can eat it all). Those cheats lead to bad days. Days I started off really well, eating my Protein, drinking my Water etc. Then there was dinner with friends, treats around the holidays and the days became a wash. This really did't start happening until Thanksgiving. Since then I have gained 6 pounds which has me freaked out and part of the reason I am writing this right now. My period of falling off the wagon has lasted awhile now and some things I have noticed are: 1. With an increase in carbs come an increase in hunger. 2. When trying to get back on track after a period of being off track (more carbs, sugar etc.) If you have blood sugar issues, expect that your will feel the blood sugar drops while your body adjusts to getting back on track. 3. The relationship with food that you had pre-surgery does not automatically change in the honeymoon period. The real work comes at about 6-9 months out! 4. Working out is key to success after the honeymoon period. However, expect to go through an adjustment period where working out doesn't seem "to work" and for frustration to set in. Started Orange Theory last week and still no weight loss. Could be due to water retention and muscle gain. Trust me I have researched the hell out of the effects of starting an intense HIIT work out. 5. TRACK your food. My little vacation that has resulted in a 6 pound weight gain is primarily due to not tracking. It really is key! I equate this experience to needing AA. For me, one bite of sugar or refined carbs leads down a slippery slope which leads to blood sugar drops and feeling like crap. SUGAR = POISON. Getting back on track is hard but can be done. Day one is today and I'm giving myself that mental day 1 chip for success.

You've done great so far. Weight gain is a sign that we have fallen off track and leaning back on food for comfort. My highest weight was 278 but my surgery wait was 237. I've only lost 50 lbs with my RNY tool. I messed around and gained 10 lbs back after a year and a half but I'm still determined to lose these last 35 - 40 lbs. Right now I'm working towards intermittent fasting and working to implement Keto. It's probably easier for me than others because I've developed so many food allergies throughout the years that I can't eat a lot of foods anyway. I continue to go to Weight Watcher meetings because I still need the support of people who still struggling with their weight loss journey and I need the accountability. I've lost 5 lbs so far. I've tried going to a bariatric group held by my clinic but people were afraid to be honest in front of the nutritionist and counselor. A few weeks ago I showed some before picks I took to someone and they asked my what made me take pictures facing forward and sideways. My response was "I always knew that I would lose this weight by any means necessary". Don't let others defeat your goals because they matter to you. Be well.

100% dieting. I was put on my first diet at 11 by my mother. I was a normal weight and she put me on slim fast. It hurt my body image and destroyed my natural intuition about how much food to eat. By high school I had gained some weight from poor eating habits... That I then took off with a crash diet. Worked like a dream. By college I was anorexic. I figured out dieting was like therapy- I equated thinness and striving to be thin with happiness and self worth. Through college I constantly dieted and rebound binged. I had a cycle of dieting and binge eating for years that kept my weight average to chubby. I always felt fat. I eventually became bulimic in a desperate attempt to deal with my ever increasing binge episodes. I became pregnant by accident when I was bulimic. I was 150 pounds at 5'6. Pregnancy was the first time in my adult life I wasn't on a diet. I binged and binged and binged and gained 100 pounds in 9 months. I could not handle the emotional stress of not dieting. Plus I was emotionally starved by that point. Over the next five years I sought therapy for my issues. They told me not to diet again, that as long as I did I would gain rebound weight. The e planned it was a biological reaction to lowering calories. Whenever I didn't diet my weight remained stable, but if I ever did, I would regain everything I lost and then some. My marriage fell apart over my weight gain and depression over my body. My ex tortured me about my looks and inactivity and I ate even more to cope with that. Dieting caused weight gain but I also ate to cope. Ever since that first diet I felt deprived of food and it became a way to treat myself to something extra special. Food was never just food for me. It was my drug of choice. Why do we gain weight.... Emotional eating.. Dieting... The addictive nature of the American processed diet... Lack of nutrition... Inactivity that only gets worse as one gains... So many reasons. This surgery allowed me to step away from my emotional eating and have some peace with my food relationship. I find other ways to deal with things now.

My mom has had the sleeve for about 2 years and I just recently got RNY. She's had really bad acid reflux and gained weight back. The weight gained was much more of a bad choices kind of thing though. She drinks soda and doesn't ever work out and I highly doubt gets all her Protein in. That being said, any weight loss surgery could be unsuccessful if you don't do what you're supposed to do. Like someone else said, it's a tool, not a quick fix. Talk it through with your doctor and he/she should be able to calm your worries. Best of luck!!

I do have the PCOS, and am diabetic, in fact on double the insulin I was on prior to surgery which just adds to weight gain so thats why we just switched some meds around.. blood sugar in better control but more meds then ever and no weight loss.

In my unprofessional opinion it is more likely puberty than PCOS. If her mom is a strict vegetarian, it entirely possible her daughter may be malnourished/protein deficient unless she is on top of her nutrition (and most 11 year olds that I know aren't nutrition experts). When my niece was vegetarian she seriously thought she could live on French fries. Puberty is a very dangerous time for developing eating disorders. Often because of an overreaction to some natural weight gain as our bodies are developing. I wish I knew the answer. I'll see if I can find a book or other resource.

Thank you all for your kind replies. It's such a fine balance as many of us long-term bandsters can attest to. I think the common problem that I see in many of the posts of long-term bandsters (and that I myself suffered from) is that the "perfect" fill (if such a thing ever exists) ends up becoming too tight a few years down the line, which leaves us with one of two choices: 1) a small unfill + being extra careful in order not to gain weight back 2) complications that may lead to larger unfills (and thus more risk of weight gain) or revision surgery all together. I am not the most compliant bandster but not the worst either so this continues to be a struggle for me, 5+ years out. I also suffered from an eating disorder in the past (binge eating) so need to be careful of not overly restricting my food choices as this seems to fuel it. Thank you all again. I will definitely keep you posted...

Hey guys, I'm new around here, and I'm hoping you guys can offer some advice. I'm 10 weeks pregnant and was banded a few years ago. Was about 25 pounds from goal when I found out we'd conceived. My doctor is one that requires an unfill during pregnancy. No biggie, I thought.. I'm having a huge problem with weight gain though. Between my first OB's visit and my second (5 weeks) I had gained 14 pounds. During that time, I was constantly queasy (keeping food in tummy made queasiness better), had quit smoking (can't smoke? EAT! ) and received my unfill. So things are not stacked in my favor. However, after going to the OB and being told nicely that that is a freakish amount of weight to gain, I've really been trying to cut down on everything. When I'm hungry, I'm snacking on fruits and veggies and having a Protein shake for Breakfast. I'm *still* gaining about 2 pounds every few days. It's insane! I dunno what else I can do to get control of this. I am exercising and there's no greasy foods in my diet. Ugh. Has anyone experienced anything like this? I feel full of shame. I'm not at all worried about losing after the baby is born, but I don't want my baby to get an unhealthy start at life, yknow? :thumbup:

Well, remember 1st and foremost that you will go through phases and hormonal changes monthly can cause weight gain. I tried to keep this in mind when I saw the scale go up a pound or two....just wait it out. Having a fill doesn't mean you are adjusted to the correct amount. You may have to go back for another fill. We all hope we can be lucky enough to not have even 1 fill! Or hoping the first fill does the trick...but often times it does not. Just enjoy yourself these next four weeks before you see your doc again for another adjustment. Meantime, try to re-learn how to eat. Get a jump on a new way of eating for nutrition and wellness. pizza is a tough one...was my toughest. I would eat a bite...and then rationalize I could eat more/alot more and just slime it up. Yep, my children hated it when I ate pizza!

I am a lil behind on posting as I was not to encouraged as this week I gained weight. I have read plenty posts about the dreaded 3 week stall or weight gain but I was convinced I would beat it...Not... But all in all it has been a good week. I started eating soft foods and it was a welcome addition. Eggs with cheese was my first meal. I have made some othe recipes from Emily Bites andTheworldaccordingtoeggface. Most of them have turned out pretty good...I even managed to eat some shrimp and handled it okay considering I did not like shrimp pre-surgery...However at 21g of protein and only 1.5g fat and 4g carbs, it will become a frequent visitor on my menu. Still eating about 2-3 ounces of food before I get full and still adjusting to making sure I chew my food well to avoid that stuck feeling in my chest. My body still has not figured out how to resume regular bowel movements. I could probably lose a few pounds justing taking a good ole dump...lol TMI I know...My heartburn has also become more frequent over the past couple of weeks so I am resolving to taking priolsec or something of that nature with my daily vitamins. I started but stopped but realizing at least for now this is not possible. This week I hung out with my cousin who had lapband surgery in Jan 2012. She has had minimal success with it. I was so amazed at how much she could eat compared to the amount I was able to eat. Now mind you she had 7 months on me but I still thought our eating habits would be the same. I took a high protein, low carb potluck dish over it went over well but all the things she made were so high in carbs or fatty. She also tend to graze which all the reading I have done said this is a way you "eat around" your band or sleeve. I also notice that her pantry was riddled with things I would be afraid to bring in the house because all willpower would be gone...I do not say all this to judge but i do so it to say that even with the surgery we have to still exercise healthy eating habits. The surgery is only a tool and if we do not use the tool properly it is unable to perform as intended. I was careful not to judge her because I did not want to come off as a surgery eating expert after just 4 weeks of diet compliance. It was just an eye opener to be cognizant to not let my old eating habits that led to me being overweight erode the sleeve. On to the good news...I started out my journey a size 18..Well, this week I got into a size 13/14 jeans I had bought about two years ago...A phenomenal feeling that was...so despite having gained two pounds this week, I looked over it as I twirled around in the mirror 4 sizes smaller than I was a month ago...And so many folk are noticing the weight loss and that too is a really good feeling. Something that nags at me is that thought no less than 20 people have told me I lost weight, my ex-boyfriend has not acknowledged my weight loss...I know he is an ex and I should not care...Obviously there was something that put him in the ex category and it wasnt good so I should let go. Easier said then done but that is another story. I also measured today (09/16/12) and was pleasantly surprised at those numbers as well. I first measured on 08/23 so just under a full month Neck -1 in Thigh -3/4 in Hi Wasit (just below breast) -2 in Natural Waist 2 in Belly Button (Abs) -3 3/4 in Chest 1 1/2 in Hips 2 1/4 in Biceps 1 in Shoulder -2.5 in.....Total Inches Lost 16.75.. :D VSG 08/17/12 HW 232 08/13/12 SW 227 CW 210.4

Kudos to you for being concerned. Obviously you care for your friend therefore you care for her daughter just the same!!! Don't let a few people's insensitivities deter you or infuriate you either. Just actively ignore them-- don't even respond... Anyways your friend may need either a 2nd opinion by a alternative pediatrician, or request a referral to a Pediatric Endocrinologist to be further evaluated. As a health care professional I cannot urge the importance of advocating in you and your loved ones health care. Dr.s are so overwhelmed they hardly have time to truly evaluate you especially if you're not half dead. I have had patients who have had Cancer diagnosis overlooked because their Dr just kept prescribing antibiotics and diagnosing with pneumonia when they in fact had LUNG cancer. Trust your gut. Other areas will have to be looked at such as her diet. Meeting with a dietician to come up with a healthy meal plan for her may be just the start she needs. However endocrine disorders also need to be ruled out. Just because she's vegan does not mean she's not carb overloading. Many vegans have this issue and can easily become overweight. Good Luck to you and your friend and her daughter. I have PCOS, developed at age 28. They say it can be hereditary but my mom does not have it nor does her sisters. I think either my weight gain during nursing school triggered it or years of yo yo dieting to keep my weight in check. My grandmother could have had it-- she wasn't real big but always looked pregnant to me. She is deceased now. Anyways My daughter was picking up weight and like 25 lbs a year sooooo I was concerned for PCOS. Before taking her to the Dr. I looked closely at her diet and made some changes she has since lost 15 lbs and still going.

So, I mentioned a few days ago that I had the big 24 week checkup today for little Miss Tatum and myself for the pregnancy and stated I would post an upate for those that have been following our progress in the pregnancy. While I understand this is not the pregnancy forum, this is my home, I do not post regularly on the pregnancy forum because it's just you guys so that's my purpose for sharing here, and for any other mommies-to-be post-VSGers that have questions of concerns. Thus far, we are both thriving. She is weighing about 8-10oz heavier than what she should. My labs have remained stellar in regards to metabolic panels, CBC and all Vitamin levels. The clotting disorder is being managed by the aspiring therapy. My platelet functions, and numbers have stabilized and with this update, I will be able to have an epidural for the c-section rather than having to undergo general anesthesia. I have officially gained 18-19lbs at this point, and every one of my doctors from my surgeon to both of my ob's are elated, and think I am doing fabulous in that department. Admittedly, I am not working out, exercising, walking, or doing any more or less activities than I was pre-pregnancy. I am probably going to start swimming a couple of times a week because I am having hip pain due to the weight distrubution to my belly, and it's throwing everything off. Today, was the glucose test appointment. However, after much discussion, my ob decided to err on the side of caution and have me do at-home glucose testing at home for 2 weeks. I will poke myself 4 times daily after my largest meals of the day, and then log my numbers for 2 solid weeks. This will determine my gestational diabetes status. For those not familiar with glucose tolerance testing, I would have to chug a shot of icky Fluid that consists of 75gr of sugar in one whack, on most days, I never even consume that much sugar throughout the entire day. My ob called my surgeon discussed with him the best action plan and this is what they've come up with for my case. Sleeve patients can indeed do the standard test. The issue is transit time due to the shape of the stomach. The liquid goes in, hits the pylorus and empties into the intestine. There is no big tummy for it to sit in and seep through slowly. So, the results could be skewed, or wrong. Least to say, while I am not excited about poking myself, I am very grateful that my medical team is doing the very, very best to make sure my body is not suffering through this pregnancy. The main concern is that Tatum is a chunky baby already so that is a sign of early gestational diabetes. As for all the other stuff. I've still had very few issues with the pregnancy. My main complaint is hip pain. I've dealt with the weight regain, and while it still messes with my head, I'm better today than I was a month ago. Tatum is extremely active, kicks my bladder around 5am every morning, and she gets extremely active after I eat super spicy food. She also is not a fan of electronic devices being put on my tummy, she kicks off the remote, and cordless house phone which amazes my husband. The ob's typically have to chase her around for a good heartbeat count, and ultrasounds have been tricky to say the least. I don't have new pictures of Tatum, but will on the 28th, and then I have a 3d scan scheduled for August 8th so we'll have more pictures at that time. Here are my 2 most recent pictures of the ever growing baby bump which is now impossible to conceal. She's way up high, and sometimes I feel a foot moving up into my abdominal cavity. She stretches a lot, and I can see little alien baby movements under my skin which is pretty cool considering I could not see that with my 1st pregnancy because I was too fat to see anything except fat rolls. Main physical changes noted to date: Way bigger Boobies again YAY YAY, obvious HUGE Belly. My butt is still narrow, but kind of gotten a bit round, my hips have gotten a bit wider with the weight gain. My face, and neck are still thin, as are my arms and legs. 22 weeks (2 weeks ago) 24 weeks (just a couple of days ago) Ignore the funky wrinkles along my back. These maternity pants are too big, and the panel is only mid-rise so it bunches up everywhere hence the funky patterned shirt in attempts to hide it.

OK, so I have this scale that likes to change its mind depending on which foot I use to step onto the scale. and I was thinking it's probably not that accurate anymore. So I ordered a nice new digital scale that was recommended for its accuracy, and it was just delivered today. Boo hoo! The new scale says I weigh nearly 3 lbs. more than my old scale! So now I am in the unenviable position of having to revise my weight upwards instead of downwards! I am SO bummed. Now let me ask, should I revise my starting weight upwards by the same amount I am increasing my current weight in order to be consistent or just leave the starting weight as-is and suck up the unexpected weight gain as a result of getting a new scale?

PCOS is an a acronym for PolyCystic (sp?) Ovarian Syndrome. It causes weight gain, facial hair growth in women, irregular or absent periods....help!!! My memory is failing me!!! Kat

My situation is/was a lot like Coltonwade above. I married my husband when I was a size 8. I gained 100+ pounds too. My husband NEVER criticized me or berated me or confronted me about my weight gain. It was never mentioned and he said he loved me all the time. We just started having sex less and less often until it was almost non existant. That was NOT my choice. So I knew it bothered him. I didn't know just how much until I listened to him cry his eyes out one evening about hating to see me so unhealthy and how it broke his heart that he was going to have to wheel me around in a wheelchair one day and that I would die young. I was stunned. I went to a lap band seminar the next week and had an appointment for a consult soon after. It took 11 months to get approval but I didn't give up. My DH didn't even know what a lap band was, so he didn't suggest it, but once I told him about it, he was on board from the get go. He is my biggest supporter. And just like Coltonwade's DH, he said the same thing...."I got my wife back!" He's been so happy about it. It actually strengthened our marriage. It needed a shot in the arm. We are closer than ever. Although I know for some it doesn't work out that way. He is a little more concerned about men taking an interest in me, and seems a little more insecure, but as a result, he's a lot more attentive. I respond to the attentiveness with a healthy lust, so it has worked out great. Maybe he's just scared about the surgery itself. Men are so funny about things like that. You would be surprised if you could hear their true feelings.

I've kept my wls private, only telling my husband and (adult) children. I'm a private person anyway and don't really feel it's anybody else's business. Plus there's a LOT of judgment over wls here in the UK - the surgery is a lot less common here than in the US I think - and basically you're labelled as a "fat slob who can't be bothered to limit what you eat" and who takes the easy route of having most of your stomach removed! Nobody cares about the research showing that some people are genetically pre-disposed to weight gain and excessive hunger and that the wls actually works on a hormonal level. But my decision to keep it private has been helped by Covid as we basically haven't seen anyone socially or otherwise for months....

I wish I was not obsessed with weighing daily. I weighed Monday morning before I went to the ER, then have been on the scales every morning since then. I have tried to not weigh-in but still find myself giving in and getting on the scales each morning. It would serve no purpose to ask a friend or family member to hide the scales from me because I would be relentless about replacing them. I know this isn't healthy, yet frankly, I am unwilling to work at it. I have read that people usually experience a weight gain after band surgery, so I fully expected to see a gain from my appendectomy and the bags of saline solution I received while I was hospitalized. However, I was not mentally prepared for an increase of 8.5 pounds. I think this increase is probably exacerbating my daily "need" to weigh: If I could somehow "see" even a slight decrease on the scales, then maybe I would accept that the gain is only temporary and consequently, would feel more in control. I didn't want to change my ticker today but decided I must face it, especially since I bought Easter candy last night and then again this morning at Walmart. My willpower has deserted me, and I have gone back to my old, candy-eating habits, consuming 530 calories in foiled-wrapped chocolate eggs prior to 9:30 this morning. If I hadn't temporarily removed myself from my chocolate-filled environment, I undoubtedly would have consumed even more, quite possibly the whole basket. My appetite has been completely out of control, but writing about these issues is therapeutic. I am going to grab a Greek yogurt from the refrigerator and work hard to get back on track by telling myself I need good nutrition so I will be as healthy as possible for my band surgery.

I am 24 too, and I weigh 318, right now I don't have any health issues like high blood pressure or diabetes, but I know that if I don't put a stop to my weight gain they are coming. I do not have low self esteem, and I am not self concious about my weight, I love putting on a swimming suit and go have fun at a pool or beach. All that been said, airplanes are a pain, going on a public bus is a pain, the fact that I have to buy my clothes online at onestopplus.com is a pain. Right now my knees don't bother me, but a few more years with all this weight and my poor knees are gonna start shouting at me.