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I would go down to 1.6. Even .1 can make a difference. I wouldn't be able to deal with the hunger and weight gain. Good luck.

What are you eating? Are you compensating for the PBing by eating liquid everything? That often promotes weight gain cause you are never full... I'd follow a liquid diet for 2 days or so to make sure your pouch is not stretched... Then make sure you're eating carefully, chewing everything... and if you don't have enough restriction, eat a bit bulkier foods if you can tolerate them. You may have to go back to get filled a couple times to get tweaked to the right spot. My doc told me not being able to eat much in the AM is a big sign I am there... and I agree... but everyone's experience is different. It took me 6 months to get a sweet spot, and I was very patient. My last fill, my doc told me that according to Inamed, their recommendation was 1 cc for the feeling I was looking for... he thought, but he recommended 1/2 cc since I was not able to eat much in the am. I told him to split it down the middle and do 3/4 cc. It was magic... BTW.. I have the VG band, a 10 cc band, so the fill amount is higher than with a 4 cc band... I am now at like 6.75 in a 10 cc band and perfect... for now!

Patti, I don't think you're alone when it comes to losing weight and then it stopping and putting it back on. I've heard from several bansters who are in the same situation. I myself found that many factors kept me from losing after being banded and then I put back the 25. Talk to your surgeon about what's going on and see how much is in your band and if adding more should be an option for you or if you're too full. Either one can sabotage your efforts. Everyone is different but some people seem to do better with something more regimented like following Weight Watchers and they can tell you exactly how much food you can consume a day and still lose weight. We all put ourselves through hell by our weight gain and you know what we're better than that. March into that doctor's office and say I have a problem with some weight gain let's get this thing turned around. It's your life not his/hers! Do you think you need a punishment for gaining weight, well too late you're already punishing yourself! Do you think you're the first patient your doctor has seen put on weight, no. If things continue to get worse then say to your doctor what do we do next? Be proactive with your health and good luck, and don't hate yourself, you're not a failure by all means!!!:thumbup:brandyII.

Ok I searched the forum.... called a friend who had the lap band a month before me and she didnt gain weight... So here I am asking away... Ok liquid Protein shakes sat sun mon and tues.... then nothing after 9pm on tuesday....Surgery on wednesday around noon... Since then I have had ice chips and Water.... I have had 2 shakes since I returned home today (thurs) and I just for the heck of it weighed myself.... AND I am up 10 pounds from Wednesday morning...How does that happen... And how ticked off do you think I am about it Arghhhh! Anyone else experience this....? And if you did when did that come back off... I am assuming it is water and swelling.... All comments welcomed!

Oh and why didn't anyone tell me how bad I look with my hair pulled up? I always do that when I'm being lazy, but looking at our pics, I look horrid with my hair pulled back!! And I keep forgetting to say, I did text you Kat, but so glad you came out with no problems, and I can not wait to see your B&A pics!!!!! The weight gain is probably a lot from swelling & water retention from the surgery.

I have thought the same thing at times (why didn't I have the bypass). My sister had the bypass and what happened to her (as the statistics show) is she lost a bunch of weight and then gain a little back. With the band, it is much slower and steady but I don't think there is the weight gain at the end (because you have always been on solid foods). Anyway, my doctor says that after 3 years, the band and bypass end up being about the same weight loss.

I too suffer from migraines - big time!! I also suffer from fibromyalgia - between these two lovely monsters, I don't have too many days when I feel good - thus the lovely weight gain over the last 20 years. Topomax is not a good drug - felt pretty good on it, less the memory loss and balance issue - until I was diagnosed with glaucoma!!! My eye specialist said this is definitely a side effect possible from Topomax - please consider this when considering taking this drug! I have started the 6-month pre-op program for the lapband surgery - it seems so far away and I just want it now! This program is mandated by my doctor - I'm sure it's good to learn everything prior to surgery - but 6 months - ugh!!! I'm in month 2 - so I"m looking at about September - another summer in fat clothes!! Thanks for all the comments on this forum - it's so helpful and great to know we all have the same concerns and questions. Anyone else in a pre-op program and just waiting??? Mom22

MintyMew, I'm one of those that have had some problems in the weight department, meaning I gained back what I lost prior to surgery, 25 lbs. It's been a very frustrating road for me trying to get things working right. I chose this surgery over RNY because I was afraid and have had issues eating around the band ever since because I had been too tight or not tight enough. I can't say I definitely would have been more successful with the RNY because I don't know for sure but my GP wanted me to have it and I kind of convinced all my docs that I could do the lap band even though I didn't know what I was in for. I thought the only difference was that I would lose weight at a slower pace and I was fine with that but what I didn't realize is that the foods that were considered "junk foods" went right through the band and the healthy ones were the ones you had to work on to chew and could only eat so much of like proteins and veg and fruit. So if I was frustrated from only being able to eat a tbs of protein I knew I could eat a cookie I would. It's not like the band kept me from changing any bad behaviors I had before I was banded. They tell you to avoid those foods but really only tell you that the high caloric drinks are the ones that will make you gain weight. My 19 year old daughter is having the RNY this coming Tuesday and I'm really proud of her because she's done so well so far and has lost about 35+ in the past 6 weeks on her liquid diet. I am nervous because because she is my baby and because I wish she didn't have to go through all of this in the first place but for her own happiness and sanity it's a choice she has made and I'm supporting her decision. At my age and with yo yo dieting for years and a bad sweet tooth anyway it probably wasn't the right choice for me. I may never get down to a healthy weight again, it's just something I may have to accept because of my struggles. There maybe some other contributing factors to this failure of mine but for now it's neither here nor there and I have to deal with what I've chosen and how I behave. Anyway take everything into consideration before you make such a life changing decision. I'm not very popular because I have somewhat regretted my banding and this is a place where people want to support each others success with the band and that's understandable. No one wants to hear something bad about something they really are passionate about and has changed their lives for the better! There could be problems with weight gains with any of the surgeries so don't think only one type has those issues, read as much as you can. There's a good book out there that I bought for my daughter called "Weight Loss For Dummies" and she read it and enjoyed it and learned a lot from it. It doesn't cover much on the lap band though so take that into consideration. Anyway good luck with your decision I know it's not an easy one but if someone could stopped me and told me I'd totally screw this up prior to surgery I may have thought twice. Take care brandyII:smile:

..oh and as for losing the weight, gaining it back, then not being able to lose it again...i would say that most of us are in the same boat...that is why we have surgery. we cannot beat ourselves up over it, or we will never free ourselves from the fat or the fat mentality.

I have no weight gain or loss to report on this challenge yet. Got a fill this a.m .3cc, think I need more but have decided to go a little at a time. Driving back to RI now, just came home to Ct for the appt. Don;t have much time for the forum lately. things will calm down soon and I'll check in on all the great weight losses I'm sure you're all posting!!!

My roommate and Best friend whom I have known for twenty years is 120 lbs, Atleast Twenty of the pounds she has gained in the year and a half she has lived with me. We both are a little quirky and she says that people get married and get bigger because she is comfortable, she was with her last boyfriend for seven years but didn't get comfortable apparently until she moved in with me. She's my hetero lifemate. She tells people she is 5'0. Shes not, she is 4'11, but I will give her an inch if it makes her feel better. When she was younger her mother used to tell her how she was "98 lbs when I got married, not 99, not 100, 98" She, my BFF, LOVES biscuits, and Cookies, and bread. And the skinny thing can eat too. We laughed about it all the time, because people would see her, then how much was on her plate and freak out. Her mother would follow her around and tell her it was gonna catch up to her. Her mom made these bomb ass biscuits, which my BFF LOVED. If she could she would have eaten 100 biscuits a day, but her mother would put her on Biscuit Restriction. She could only have two biscuits at Breakfast unless she ate a peice of sausage and then she could have three (My BFF was a self proclaimed vegetarian at the time which drove her mother crazy) She would also put her on other restrictions and talk about the way her tummy poked out after she ate and how she needed to be careful. So if my BFF snuck another biscuit she would go to her room and exercise and exercise, then get up and go to the scale and go exercise some more. Then she started to do it everytime she ate because her mom would make fun of fat people. And talk about "fatties". At the time she was probabley close to 85 lbs at 16/17 years old. She had no boobs, and she wanted them so bad, but she didn't have the fat to make them. People thought she was a little kid. Finally she threw away the scale. Talked about her compulsive exercising, told her mom to stop making it so obvious that "she didn't want a fattie", and always ate a third biscuit whether she ate the sausage or not. Now we work out togethor, but she stays off the scale except once a month, and if she has the extra biscuit then we just laugh togethor. She doesn't own a scale and I threw mine away so the only time we can weigh is at the gym. I'm so proud of her. So being skinny, doesn't solve all your problems, which is something that I will have to work on remembering. You can still feel fat, or you can still hate your body, or you can still be a little bit insane like my dear BFF. Oh and since her weight gain she grew some boobs. They are a pretty solid A. Doesn't sound like much, but she's tiny. Life is good for both of us I guess. I'm losing the Big C cup and shes getting closer to her goal of a B cup and we are both happy about that. Go figure.

I lost 76.5 lbs since my surgery in 9/06. Doc tells me I'm at goal, I figure another 10-15 lbs. Eating well, exercising semi-regularly with a buddy, getting nice compliments, shopping at decent clothing stores. All the perks of being a normal weight. Then, the week before Christmas my kitchen and 3 other rooms in the house flood from a faulty dishwasher connection. Rooms are gutted and most meals are prepared/microwaved or restaurant/diner. Fast forward to this past weekend (152 days later). scale is returned to kitchen and I am 14 lbs heavier!!!! I just went on a 152 day LSD food trip. It's back to square one for me--shakes all meals for a week and I'll gradually build up. I'm astounded at myself for so easily slipping into such awful eating behaviors and food choices. Any advice, encouragement?

Steph you look terrific. I think the weight gain is all those things, just remember it is likely more fluid and hormone related than actual fat. Your body wants to hold onto everything it can - after all you traumatized it by having major surgery and now it is fighting back! One day soon it will forgive you again :thumbup:

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!

Remember the post-op diet is not for losing weight it is for healing! My doctor told me not to worry about gaining weight, because my body would need the extra calories to recover from surgery. Make sure that you are constantly drinking water all day long to keep your body from retaining water. (Drinking water is a full time job!) Exercise is a great thing for the heart burn and such, and you are correct you are gaining muscle so that does account for some gain. Bottom line is don't let some weight gain depress you, because you are doing nothing wrong; it is all par for the course. Do not compare yourself to anyone elses journey, just do what feels right for you. Take care of yourself and focus on recovery-I promise weight loss witll come.

Hi all, I had my surgery on May 12th. On the surgery date, I was 208lb. It has been 1 full week and I'm now at 211lbs. Everyone tells me not to sweat it... but is this normal? I've been walking about 2 hours a day so I want to say that it's muscle gain. I'm still on protein shake diet, with about 1 cup of clear broth a day. I just need someone to tell me that it's okay and yes i will lose the weight... ( A smack on the head might be good also!!) thanks!

Good morning 7's!!! I had a great day yesterday. Rode over 200 miles! That was my first big ride and I guess I did it up big. Before that 15 miles was my max. My tailbone hurt by the end though. Holey Hannah I almost cried trying to sit through graduation. Last year when I bought my bike the seat was nice and cushy. Yesterday I realized that it wasn't the seat that was cushy, it was my butt! It's not so cushy anymore. We're talking about getting me a better (read bigger) bike. I don't know, I like mine, it just doesn't have a lot of power. The zoloft must really be working because I didn't even cry through the graduation. I usually sit there and bawl. It really is sad though. I'll miss my pipsqueaks. Can I have a bit of a meltdown here though? This is going to sound very irrational but I need to get it out and my DH just isn't going to get it. My mom was here, as you know for a few weeks. She has always been small. When she had her restaurant we actually worried about her getting too small. At one point she was shopping in the children's section (she is also very short). Well so she was all hung up on my weight loss. But also very hung up on her weight gain. Now for my mom, at 4' 11" and 130 pounds, I just rolled my eyes. I told her about tracking her meals and seeing that she is eating well and balancing out her nutrition. I thought that was important because she can eat one meal of eggs and toast a day. anyway.... Last night she calls and asks about daily plate and I gave her the address again and she says she walked a mile and how excited she was and now she's looking into joining a gym. Great for her, I'm really excited about it, but a little concerned that she thinks a size 8 is fat. But then I talked to my BIL and he says "I hear your getting really skinny." uhhh....no???? What has my mom told them? What are they expecting? I'm proud of me but what if they think I'm going to be skinny when I get out there at the end of the week. I have this crazy fear that they are going to look at me and think, "So what's the big deal? She's still fat!" I wanted to go out next week and everyone be proud of me and now I think they are expecting something I'm not. Now how are they going to be happy? I know that there is no way they won't be excited to see me down almost 60 pounds, but I really think they are expecting something I'm not. See....completely irrational. grrrrr. I hate it when I'm irrational. And as irrational as it is, I can't get it out of my head. I dreamed about it last night. How stupid is that? Okay....semester tests today so I'll be online quite a bit today. I have to sit very quiet and still. So I'll correct tests but other than that, surf the net. Have a great day 7's. See you in a bit.

The term emotional eating is thrown around a lot, but not everyone understands what emotional eating really is. Emotional eating is eating and overeating that occurs when we use food as a way to cope with a feeling, situation, or a need that is not physical hunger. Emotional eating is eating that happens when we want to eat but our bodies don’t really need the fuel. Common kinds of emotional eating are “nervous eating,” eating when you are bored, using food as a “reward” (to feel good), or eating when you are lonely. Because this kind of eating isn’t tied to a physical need for food, it can easily cause weight gain. Here are three things EVERY weight loss surgery patient needs to know about emotional eating: 1. Many people don’t know that they are emotional eaters. How’s that? Well, emotional eating isn’t always as straightforward as feeling a feeling (“I’m anxious”) and then making a choice to eat. Here’s the tricky part. Over time, if you’ve learned to use food as a way to cope with certain feeling states or situations, your brain can stop identifying that you are eating for emotional reasons. Here’s an example. If when you’re stressed, you reach for a snack to comfort yourself, over time, your brain stops telling you, “You are stressed and you are going to try to cope with it by eating a cookie.” Over time, your brain may start skipping the emotion and move directly to interpreting that stressed feeling as physical hunger. You might not even realize that you are feeling stress. Your thinking will go like this: Something stressful will happen and you will start wanting a snack. You might even feel physically hungry. Food, not stress, will be the central thought in your mind. If you are someone who feels hungry “all the time,” emotional eating could very well be playing a hidden role. 2. Emotional eating and self-blame, shame and guilt go hand in hand. If you are feeling “out of control with your eating,” odds are that emotional eating is happening. The problem is, if emotional eating goes unrecognized, or if we don’t take it seriously, it’s easy to fall into a trap of guilt and self-blame for not being able to “stay in control” of your eating. Shame and guilt are never helpful when it comes to long term weight loss. They tend to breed isolation, negative self esteem, decreased hope, and ultimately more emotional eating and self-sabotage. If you are struggling with emotional eating and you don’t learn the tools you need to cope with the feelings, the odds are that you will continue to feel out of control with food. 3. If you don’t take control of emotional eating, it can take control of your weight loss plans. Research studies of individuals trying to lose weight find that people who eat for emotional reasons lose less weight and have a harder time keeping it off. The journal Obesity recently published an article concluding that successful weight loss programs should teach clients how to cope with emotional eating in order to improve the clients’ ability to lose weight and not regain it. The risk of weight gain is not the only reason that emotional eating is important to address. Failure to address emotional eating—using food to cope with feelings and needs and circumstances other than physiological hunger—can also contribute to difficulties with cross-addictions after weight loss surgery. If emotional eating is something that you struggle with, it’s important to know that no diet and no weight loss surgery will fix that for you. Taking control of emotional eating requires learning new effective ways to cope with your emotions. It’s not about the food. It’s also important to know that learning new tools to cope with emotional eating can be one of the most rewarding and life-changing gifts that you can give yourself. Learning new ways to cope with life issues and feelings allows you to tackle life head-on. When you do this, food becomes simpler, and your life grows bigger, and ultimately, more rewarding. Melissa McCreery, Ph.D. is a Psychologist and the founder of Enduring Change Coaching. She helps her clients create and live the life they crave. She is also the creator of the Emotional Eating Toolbox 28-day Program for Taking Control and Moving Beyond Dieting. Sign up for a free 5 part Self-care Package Audio Course, learn about upcoming WLS seminars and other programs or contact her www.enduringchange.com.

I gainied weight to get the approval. However, I also could show a history of weight gain and loss through many programs such as LA Weight Loss, Nutri-System, Weight Watchers, ect ect. Thank God I had kept records, because the insurance asked for them. My doctor wrote an awesome letter. We started working the insurance company first of February and I got approval the first week in May.

One of the main reason for having the surgery is because of infertilty. I have PCOS and have been unable to have children. Having PCOS is part of the reason for the weight gain but I also have made some very bad choices. The pain was not unbearable but it was there. When I came out of surgery I was in a lot of pain but was given meds and felt a lot better. I guess it is different with everybody but the pain is not unbearable. Not eat really hasn't been a issue. I really haven't wanted to eat but I know that will soon change. It doesn't bother me to see my husband eat but I know soon that will change too. I hope this helps some....I am also doing a VLOG on youtube. Here is my username so you can link to my videos: hholly112002 you can watch some of the things I found important and I do have one update since the surgery and I will be posting another one today. Good luck all!!!!!

KWG, good luck to you on you journey, it's not always easy but if you do ever have issues you should feel free to come here. We're not blaming the band for our problems but we are all different and for a lot of people they seem to sail through this thing but for some of us it's a lot tougher and we have added issues. Our surgeons have not been our doctors for years they're are surgeons so they don't necessarily know everything about each individual and there are things that come up that we don't expect. But if you do come across a problem or a stalemate or a weight gain that is uncontrollable for whatever reason you should have a safe place to come and talk to people about it without being considered a "band basher" which is not what we're about. Thanks brandyII:thumbup:

Hopefull in Tx---I get fills at TLC Edge also---small world! Had surgery there in Plano--went super duper and awaiting fill next Thurs. Talked w/Dr.Kim about weight gain and he encouraged me to drink Isopure thru middle of day, 11-3, for 3-4 days . Hope this helps:) Patches

Personally I'm glad my doc put me on the south beach diet before banding. It taught me better eating habits and I still lost a good amount of weight pre-op... it got me off the bread/sweets addictions. And, I didn't have any major weight gain when I started eating solids again after banding. I think I gained 1-2 pounds, whereas many people who do liquids pre-op will gain a good amount of weight back when they start to eat regular foods again.. and didn't learn how to eat properly before being banded... that's just my opinion though. (And my doctor's. LOL)