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June 05 2012... Is a Day i will Always remember is the Day i took the big Decision to stop my Overweight... Today 1 year Later i feel GREAT to be here with more Energy.. I was 258 pounds with a terrible hormone imbalance, my weight gain was after so many meds to try to conceive a Baby... That was my life Struggle, i was never a skinny Girl. But neither as big as i was... Unti one day i said ENOUGH and made the decision to Stop, today 1 year later i am almost my 100 less, with a much better health, no more PCOS in my LIFE.... Today i acomplish a Goal, setting a new one!!! Keep it off and work hard!!!

Hello fellow banders, Heaviest -330 Day of surgery - 283 Most lost- 250 Today- 278 I was banded back in Sept 2010. I was so excited to get banned and knew all the things i had to do. eat slow, chew chew chew, eat right, and exerciser. I was ready! Fast forward to today's date and I have no idea what happened. I feel so embarrassed to see people I know that knew I had the surgery. I have been on this odd funk emotional that I'm not used to (not depressed) maybe ashamed. This started about 1-2 weeks ago. I guess I must have realized I failed my band. So this was how I found this web link. I'm glad I'm not alone. I have not returned to get a fill or a follow up with my doctor since about Nov. 2011. I had to go through Facebook pictures to look at my weight loss and weight gain photos. Looks to me that for about 1 year kept it off, but it has slowly came back. Im just about the same weight I was at my surgery date. So now im embarrassed to pick up the phone and call my doctor. Im sure they will be supportive, but I dont know if Im ready to sit in the "hot seat" to tell them I failed. I know I need to get back on track! Im glad I found this forum. Im happy to hear other suggestion on what you did to get back on the wagon. Thanks, Juan

I'm on prozac and latuda and have noticed a slight weight gain maybe 2# not much but its better then felling depressed

Vines, I ditto the answer above! I think if you have to go down to 800 to lose you should try to lose, but also bringing the exersize level up can help (grimmace - exersize sucks!!! ot at least I think it does). Anyways, most likely you will have no problems with your band and have it forever so you won't have to worry about weight gain if you ever had the band out. I just worry b/c I am only 26 and I haven't had kids yet so I would rather eat the 1200 calories now, lose weight slowly, have healthy babies, and then at that point I can weigh weigh loss v. metabolic slow down. Also, about the exersize - the basic thing to remeber is that if you burn more calories than you eat you will lose. Simple as that (unless you have a medical metabolic problem). So if you eat 1200 but move around enough to burn 1300 you'll lose, or eat 800 and move around enought to burn 900 you'll lose. I wasn't trying to scare anyone w/ the 1200 comment - I am just being proactive b/c unlike some people who think thier band will last forever, I have 60-70 years left in this lifetime (hopefully) and I don't see my band lasting that long -- I wish it would but I don't think it's realistic to expect it to (I know alot of people would argue with me on this but it's just my opinion). Anyways, I'm totally rambling on here, but the metabolic study Melissa suggested is an interesting idea. I would like to have that done too b/c my metablolism seems awfully slow! Anyways, good luck and even though you are a turtle I think you are doing great and I think your NSV list is really inspiring!!

The above post offers great advice- I second it. I also encourage you to excersise- it not only works wonders for weight loss but also will help with your anxiety, it's a great stress reliever. Start out slow and gradually increase your intensity/duration. It took me about 4 months post op before I hit the gym. It has now become habit. I admit that I haven't grown to love it, some days I have to really make myself do it. I do weights with a trainer 3 days a week and that really helps keep me on track. I highly reccomend it if you can afford it. As far as eating, I would start out with eating the right foods, low carb, low fat, high protien. Lots of lean meat and veggies. You can worry about portions a little down the road. I am also wondering if you need a fill, or are you relying on "sliders" and that's caused the weight gain. Best wishes!

so, i had m surgery on July 14, and first time i have weighed myself since surgery (same scale) I am up 5 pounds. Since i am tracking my intake and know that i am consuming about 600 calories, i ask....is this normal? Am i just holding surgical/anesthesia/fluid? So odd.

I had a hysterectomy before my sleeve. I have been on hrt for a little over a yr and I know it causes weight gain. Im losing weight but compared to others im losing slowly. I can't get off my hrt because of awful menopause symptoms (even though I still have both ovaries and hormone levels test normal) Are y'all on hrt? highest weight 224#<br />sx weight 212# (11/20/12)<br />current weight 180#(2/8)

Yesterday I had my psych eval which was the last thing I needed before things got submitted to my insurance company. It took over 3 hours including a super lengthy questionnaire. I had decided that I was going to be 100% honest with the shrink going into this. I just weaned myself off of my ADHD meds and have been struggling with some weight gain and haven't been doing my best when it comes to eating. I expected a tongue lashing over that. What I wasn't expecting was for this woman to tell me that I have substance abuse problems and I have to be clean and sober for a year before surgery. Apparently very occasionally smoking weed (like, a few times a year) makes me an addict. I had told my surgeon, the nutritionist and my primary care physician that I occasionally partake and was never told that I couldn't smoke. If I had been, I would've quit, no problem. Then I admitted that my drinking was out of control as a freshman in college. I told her my mom has been concerned with her own drinking. I still drink, but like a normal 24 year old. I might have a glass of wine or beer with dinner if I'm with friends and usually about once a month I go out on the town for a night. I know my limits, I rarely get drunk. The nutritionist and surgeon both told me that you can't drink for a while before or after surgery. Sure, understandable, no problem. They also said you can occasionally drink after a period of time. I just know that I have to watch myself and limit my alcohol consumption. This woman says I can't drink ever again. I feel like I'm receiving conflicting information. She says I'm currently not a good candidate for surgery. I obviously can't submit her eval to insurance. What do I do??? Do I take 3 months and get on track with my eating and exercise and then do another eval? I feel like another year is very extreme. Maybe this is the kick in the ass I needed, but it's extremely upsetting and frustrating.

Yes....walk! It's really really important; even small steps up and down the hall, but you must get up and walk. This is a really important step in your recovery. The weight gain is normal; in a week or two you will start losing regularly. If things don't improve in a few days call your doctor.

The weight gain you experienced was probably just Fluid retention, so you haven't really derailed your weight loss efforts. On the other hand, the discomfort you felt was very real. I think it's clear that you've learned from this. And it's not like you sat down and at 3 slices of pizza in the first place -- it sound like you were very moderate in your consumption. So I wouldn't give this much more thought, except that if you find yourself ordering food lean more toward the healthier choices.

I too have the same issue and it was right about the same year. Of course the eating was snacking on things that weren't good for me and thus the weight gain came. I don't think it is conscious until after you grab the snack or food. I would wake up repeatedly during the nights, so I thought well I will stop buying snacks and so therefore the issue will go away. It did for awhile after I cut out all sweets and breads. But, over the years I went back to buying sweets, but in less moderation. It is psychological, because its like my mind or body know there is something in the kitchen to snack on; not sure which. Nevertheless, it has plagued me for so many years, then the last 2 years my body failed me. I was constantly tired, to the point of being physically drained. I stopped wanting to do things. I wanted to sleep late everyday and would hit the snooze button, because I was just too tired to get out of bed. I had to force myself to do things. It was very debilitating. At that point I knew something was wrong, this isn't right and I shouldn't feel like this. I decided to see a weight loss doctor, because I attributed my issues to my weight. My doctor did every test there is to give a person. I found out that my Iron, Vitamin D3 and testostorone was low. Who, would have thought low testostorone, because we attribute it to sex. So my doctor I prescribed me testostorone medication and I researched it and thought ok I have most of those symptoms. I was also put on bupropion, naltrexone and phentermine compound, which helped tremendously. I researched those as well and thought why would she prescribe this to me. I was hesitant, but gave in and told myself to trust my doctor. I thought wow I have found my cure after all these years. I had NO cravings for junk, but most of all I slept all the way through the night. I got approved for my surgery, got laxed and started back buying and eating junk food. Now the medication is no longer as effective, because my mind and body has taken back control even over the medication. I say this to say after this looooong message, that it is psychological and medication is not the cure, although, it is an aide or maybe I failed me, because I became laxed. One thing I have learned is that discipline is the key to success. I have a sleep study scheduled for May 17th and hope that once done I can get to the root of the issue, without the medication.

My name is Steph and I’m a 32yo junior doctor working in Australia. 5 years ago I was a highly successful intern at a major public hospital. I loved my job despite the insane hours, and I had just won the “Intern of the Year” prize as voted by my peers. I had just married my amazing partner of 10 years and we were saving to buy a house. The future looked bright- I was about to start my specialty training in General Practice (family medicine) which was the career I had always been so passionate about. Two years more training and a few scary exams to sit and then I would finally be fully qualified! But slowly, insidiously, I began to disintegrate. Bit by bit I slid into a deep and terrible depression. I tried everything- yoga, meditation, psychology, exercise, and many many medications. But in the end I became too unwell and was hospitalised, almost catatonic. Over the next two years I spent a total of 10 months in a psychiatric hospital across three admissions. Nearly 100 rounds of ECT caused me to lose huge chunks of my memory (most of which hasn’t returned unfortunately), and we tried just about every medication under the sun. We eventually found one particular medication that, when combined with an antidepressant and lithium, would keep me stable. It seemed like a miracle at first. But then I noticed the weight gain. At first I just said to myself that I’d rather be fat than dead. But 35kg extra weight later I knew I had a serious problem. We managed to re-jig my meds and I slowly weaned off that medication but the weight remains and because my other meds also promote weight gain on a lesser scale I’m now seriously struggling to lose anything. After countless diets and weight loss medications, dietitian appointments and weight loss programs I have decided it is time for something more drastic. So I am booked for a VSG on the 22nd of March and I can’t wait to have my body look more like my normal self! These days I am doing very well mentally, I’m back at work and studying for those crazy exams, and in my downtime I’m trying to make new memories with my awesome hubby who has stayed by my side through the absolute wreckage of our lives and is still my number one supporter. So stay tuned for updates as I start my pre-op diet on Monday and get started on this next phase of my journey

Hello everyone, I'm also going through Kaiser for surgery. I'm in the Fremont Bariatric program and so far so good. I've met with my surgeon on 12/19/12 and I need to lose 26 pounds. 6wks before at the orientation I had weighed in at 306 and by the time I went in for my appt. I gained 10lbs. So with that being said, its tough, I've also stopped smoking now for 9wks that's where some of my weight gain came from and a lot of it is emotional eating but I'm not giving up. Good luck to the both of you.

I'm so thankful to have been sleeved and to have lost so much weight so quickly. It's been a lot of work but well worth the effort and risk associated with the surgery. My health problems (all the standard ones) are all fixed and I feel great. As I approach my goal weight, my wife, daughter and several people at work keep telling me I should stop losing now, but I'd still like to reduce my love handles. I established my goal weight based on weight lost 22 years ago and the level that I thought was good back then. However, I look different this time (at age 54) and a few tell me I look frail. Given my workout schedule, which includes strength training 3 times/week, I'm not at all frail but my new turkey neck does make me look older. Also, I'm told I walk differently (like an old man) and used to walk with more pep (when fat). Not sure the reason for this, but I've noticed myself hunching forward and try to adjust accordingly. So many changes without explanations. Monday I'm going back to my nut to figure out how to stop losing weight in a healthy manner. Somehow they left that out of my surgeon's instructions. I never imagined I would be in the situation where I'm trying to stop losing weight. Hopefully when I'm out of the honeymoon stage, I won't go back to fighting weight gains again .... I'm also very thankful for all of the support provided on this site and the great advice and information I've received here along the way ... Andrew

There are two places your body stores sugar as fuel: your liver, and your muscles. Stored sugar is called glycogen. Glycogen molecules are attached to Water molecules at a ratio of 1:4, so for every ounce of glycogen you've got in your liver, you've got another 4 ounces of water. Much of the weight loss on a preop diet or other low-carb diet initially is the glycogen and the water. Once you deplete glycogen (by limiting carbs), eating carbs again causes you to restore glycogen and water - so the "weight gain" from going off a low carb regimen is actually lean mass and water, not fat. Hope this helps!

First off, don't panic! It's only 14 pounds. Think back to past weight loss attempts and I'm sure you've regained far more in the past. 14 pounds is doable. You've caught it in time. You are determined to turn it around. So you are already off to a good start. Now is the time to evaluate what has changed for you. What behaviors have led to the weight gain? Where could you do better? Where are you already/still doing well? How can you get back to a solid foundation to rebuild your healthy habits on? You could start by tracking your food and making an effort to increase your activity level. Doesn't have to be anything extreme, just a few minutes a day to start.

I'm hoping to get some advice/insight. I was sleeved on 5/30/13 and since then have lost almost 100 lbs. My husband and I are wanting to try for another baby. Today I actually got my Mirena IUD taken out (which hurt like a mofo lol) so now the real thing is to start trying within the next few months. Sooooo..... to those who have gotten pregnant after having the surgery. . How long did you wait? Any complications health or delivery wise? food intake? Weight gain/loss? I'm just trying to get as much info as possible so anything will help

I use to wear a 9 or 9 1/2 but now I wear a 10 sometimes a 10 1/2 but I'm guessing that is weight gain. I have some Skechers and they are good but hurt after a few days. I'm going to check out the synergy shoes though :-)

I am not a statistics person...but if I interpreted it correctly... 15% had their bands removed by 7 years, by 10 years, 22.8%. At the same 7 year mark, excess weight loss for bandsters with bands in place is 46.3%, which is lower than RNY at 58.6% at 7 years. They go on to say that including people who lose less than 25% of excess weight, the failure rate of banding is 51.1% over the long-term. They say that in 10 years bandsters have adverse events in 52.8% (none potentially life threatening), and 41% in RNY, with 8.6% being potentially life threatening and 1 death. What isn't mentioned is what could be/would be considered an RNY failure. Which I realize maybe is not something that can be measured as for a band. Perhaps "failure" of RNY is included in the excess weight loss figure, as bypasses are seldom reversed and cannot be removed. So, I supposed failure would be lack of weight loss or weight gain. So, why they would separate that out for bands and not bypass seems to skew the info to me...but it was not my study! :-)

I have this saved on my computer to share with people from time to time. It's a long read but it's really intresting. :confused: THE WATER CURE CAN MAKE YOU THIN! We can’t rave enough about the latest weight-loss breakthrough. It’s simple, safe and effective. This M.D.- devised technique has already worked wonders--three times faster than average--and without dieting. Before you read another word, go pour yourself a glass of water. WHY? Because what we’re about to tell you is going to make you very thirsty. At least that’s the reaction Chicago mom Amy Biank had when she first heard about a groundbreaking treatment for weight gain, fatigue and a host of other stubborn ailments ..... “At the time, I was getting out of bed in the morning and feeling old and heavy,” recalls the 54-year-old, who’d been steadily gaining weight since her early 40’s. “My joints ached. I would get overwhelmingly tired. I had hot flashes, mood swings, sinus headaches. I didn’t have the stamina to work out, and I had such strong cravings for foods like chocolate and bacon .... I just surrendered and said, ‘This is the way I’m going to be’”. But, in fact, it wasn’t the way she was going to be... Fast forward six weeks: Amy was shopping in the “fat ladies’ section at her favorite store and tried on a size 20 skirt. “It literally fell off,” she beams. The outfit she took home? A size 16. Now she’s in the 14s working toward a 12. Maybe “working” isn’t the right word because Amy has lost the weight, quadrupled her enerby, eliminated achy joints, beaten her allergies--simply by drinking water -- more specifically, by drinking a doctor-prescribed amount of water. That’s exactly what Fereydoon Batmanghelidj, M.D., affectionately known as “Dr Batman” around his practice in Falls Church, Virginia, tell his patients--who have lost up to 40+ pounds just by increasing their water intake. A recent survey found that while two out of three of us know doctors recommend drinking at least eight cups daily, only one in five actually drink that much. How much, do we drink? On average, a mere 4.6 cups a day. “This chronic shortage is the reason so many of us are sick, tired and overweight,” claims the expert, author of YOUR BODY’S MANY CRIES FOR WATER. “Humans are 75% water. More importantly, our brains--our control centers--are 85% water. Without adequate hydration, our metabolisms slow, energy levels drop, toxic waste becomes trapped, cells are deprived of vital oxygen and nutrients and so much more.” So why don’t we feel thirstier? “Studies show that as we get older, we experience a gradual loss of sensitivity to feelings of thirst,” says Dr. Batman. And for reasons not entirely understood, humans accept a dry mouth as the primary indicator of thirst. “Yet it is the last signal your body sends that it’s thirsty”, Here's one more installment on this subject:he adds, noting that earlier signs include sleepiness, achiness and hunger. Since so many of the systems that keep us slim are dependent on water, it only makes sense that when these systems falter, we get fat. That’s the bad news. The good news is that simply by following one simple water-drinking guideline, we can restore our body to peak health and leanness ...... HOW MUCH WATER DO YOU NEED TO DRINK TO LOSE WEIGHT? Dr. Batmanghelidj and the world-famous Mayo Clinic both offer the same easy formula for figuring out your body’s daily water requirements: take your weight and divide it in half. If, for example, you weigh 150 lbs., you need 75 oz. (nine to 10 glasses) daily. If you weigh 250 pounds, 125 oz. (15 to 16 glasses). Any time you perspire heavily for 30 minutes, add an extra 15 to 30 oz. Any time you drink a caffeinated beverage, add an extra 8 to 10 oz.! Is pure H2O the only liquid that counts? No, say experts. Any beverage without calories, caffeine, carbonation, artificial sweeteners, or sodium, such as herbal teas, bottled waters with fruit essence--also counts toward your daily quota. Meet your daily quota and your rewards will be many ............ EASY WAYS TO GET MORE WATER The idea of drinking 75 oz. of water each day may seem overwhelming at first, but these tricks make it easy ----- *Reaching for water first. Start taking water breaks instead of coffee breaks, sipping water instead of soda, and you automatically drink more. “In the past, I tried to drink more water in addition to all the Diet Coke, and it just didn’t work”, says Chicago mom Amy Blank. “But once I started making water my beverage of choice, my cravings for Diet Coke disappeared!” *Keeping lots of H2O where you can see it. That way you won’t forget.“The first two weeks, I put eight bottles out on a shelf, and I knew I had to finish them by the end of the day,” says Amy. *Adding a twist. Water doesn’t have to be boring “Try bottled waters flavored with fruit essence. Or squeeze lemon or lime into chilled tap water. “Sometimes I add a tablespoon of peach nectar,” says Amy. “Or I’ll take an herbal tea bag and pour the water on top of it,” *Keeping it cool. Each night, put some water bottles in the freezer. Take one or two with you to work and enjoy an icy treat in the midafternoon. Also a great idea if you’re going to the beach. SURPRISING REASONS DRINKING H20 MELTS FAT Water makes your metabolism burn calories 3% faster. During a study at the University of Utah, test subjects who were just slightly dehydrated saw a 3% drop in their resting metabolism. And since the calories we burn when we’re sitting still account for the majority of calories burned each day, a 3% drop is enough to cause a pound of weight gain every six months. ........................ Water fights fatigue-induced hunger. Studies have shown that the more tired we feel, the more we eat. That’s why folks who work the night shift tend to pack on extra pounds. But by drinking water, you can prevent the weariness that leads to overeating. “There is amazing new evidence that when water passes through our cell membranes, it creates energy independent of food--a sort of hydroelectric power,” says the expert. ......................... Water helps the digestive system operate more efficiently, so you have fewer cravings. The more water we have in our systems, the more efficiently our enzymes can break down and extract nutrients from food, explains Dr. Batman. The more nutrients you extract from the food you eat, the fewer cravings you’ll have. ........................ Water replaces beverages proven to cause weight gain. It probably comes as no surprise that substituting water for sugary drinks saves you lots of calories. But what you might not know is that calories we drink are much more likely to end up as fat: one study found volunteers who ate an extra 450 calories unconsciously compensated at later meals and didn’t gain weight: those who drank an extra 450 calories (the amount in one large cola) didn’t compensate and gained weight. “The great thing about water is that if you drink too much, the excess is simply excreted--it is never stored as fat,” notes Dr. Batman. What about no-cal beverages like diet sodas, coffee and tea? “They aren’t stored as fat per se, but they trigger fat storage,” he says. “Caffeine is a diuretic, so you drink it, thinking you’re satisfying your thirst, when actually you are further dehydrating your body. In my opinion, rising obesity rates--especially among children--are directly linked to our increased consumption of caffeinated beverages.” Artificial sweeteners make the problem worse: “When digested, aspartame is broken down into chemicals that reduce blood sugar available to our brains,” explains the pro. “When this happens, we become hungry.” Sweetness alone can cause the body to anticipate a new supply of sugar--so when sweetness hits your tongue, it begins to store circulating blood sugar in fat cells. “I never realized how much more I ate when I was drinking coffee and diet sodas until I stopped,” says Amy. “I still have them occasionally, but when I do, I make sure to have extra water.” Bonnie Siegler BONUS: 5 WAYS WATER ACTS LIKE MEDICINE When it comes to water’s benefits, losing weight and gaining energy are just the tip of the iceberg. Researchers now believe that ordinary tap water helps reduce the risk of kidney stones, urinary tract and bladder cancer and possibly even colon cancer. There is also evidence, says Fereydoon Batmanghelidj, M.D., Author of YOUR BODY’ MANY CRIES FOR WATER, that .... 1. It prevents the common cold. Moisture in your throat holds the antibodies that fight off viruses. If you’re even slightly dehydrated, this natural protection disappears. 2. It controls migraines. Without plenty of water, you’re more likely to have an attack. 3. It helps lower “bad” cholesterol. When you’re dehydrated, your blood becomes thick and acidic and can cause damage to arterial walls. Levels of LDL cholesterol rise in response to coat the arterial walls. 4. It may cure asthma. When you’re not getting enough water, your body produces more histamine, which regulates how often your bronchial muscles contract. Drinking water decreases production of histamine, keeping breathing steady. 5. It soothes arthritis pain. Water in the cartilage of your joints acts as a lubricant. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Here's one more installment on this subject: quote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Why Drinking Water Really is the Key to Weight Loss by Maia Appleby Don’t roll your eyes! The potion for losing that excess body fat is all around you. It covers two thirds of the planet. If you eat right and exercise at the intensity, frequency and duration proper for you, but still can’t get rid of a little paunch here and there, you’re probably just not drinking enough water. No need to get defensive. You’re actually quite normal. Most people don’t drink enough water. Most people are also carrying around a few more pounds than they would be if they did drink enough water. If you can’t seem to get that weight off, try drowning your sorrows in nature’s magical weight-loss mineral. It works, and here’s why: “What on Earth is 'metabolism', anyway?” People use the term all the time, but ask them what it means and you’ll get all kinds of answers. Merriam Webster defines it as, “The process by which a substance is handled in the body.” A little vague, but that’s really all it means. There are many forms of metabolism going on in your body right now, but the one everyone is talking about it the metabolism of fat. This is actually something that the liver does when it converts stored fat to energy. The liver has other functions, but this is one of its main jobs. Unfortunately, another of the liver’s duties is to pick up the slack for the kidneys, which need plenty of water to work properly. If the kidneys are water-deprived, the liver has to do their work along with its own, lowering its total productivity. It then can’t metabolize fat as quickly or efficiently as it could when the kidneys were pulling their own weight. If you allow this to happen, not only are you being unfair to your liver, but you’re also setting yourself up to store fat. “I’ve tried it and I couldn’t stand it!” The problem is that, though many decide to increase their water intake, very few stick with it. It’s understandable. During the first few days of drinking more water than your body is accustomed to, you’re running to the bathroom constantly. This can be very discouraging, and it can certainly interfere with an otherwise normal day at work. It seems that the water is coming out just as fast as it’s going in, and many people decide that their new hydration habit is fruitless. Do take heed, though. What is really happening is that your body is flushing itself of the water it has been storing throughout all those years of “survival mode”. It takes a while, but this is a beautiful thing happening to you. As you continue to give your body all the water it could ask for, it gets rid of what it doesn’t need. It gets rid of the water it was holding onto in your ankles and your hips and thighs, maybe even around your belly. You are excreting much more than you realize. Your body figures it doesn’t need to save these stores anymore; it’s trusting that the water will keep coming, and if it does, eventually, the flushing (of both the body and the potty) will cease, allowing the human to return to a normal life. It’s true. This is called the “breakthrough point.” One recent finding, as irresponsible as it may be, that caffeine increases the body’s fat-burning potential has many people loading up on coffee before going to the gym. This finding may hold some degree of truth in it, but caffeine is, in essence, a diuretic, and diuretics dehydrate. Caffeine may increase the heart rate, causing a few more calories to be burned, but this is at the expense of the muscles, which need water to function properly. This isn’t doing your heart any favors, either. It’s already working hard enough during your workout. Never mix caffeine and exercise. In fact, your best bet is to stay away from caffeine all together. It’s a big bully that pushes your friend water out of your system. Water is the best beauty treatment. You’ve heard this since high school, and it’s true. Water will do wonders for your looks! It flushes out impurities in your skin, leaving you with a clear, glowing complexion. It also makes your skin look younger. Skin that is becoming saggy, either due to aging or weight loss, plumps up very nicely when the skin cells are hydrated. In addition, it improves muscle tone. You can lift weights until you’re blue in the face, but if your muscles are suffering from a drought, you won’t notice a pleasant difference in your appearance. Muscles that have all the water they need contract more easily, making your workout more effective, and you’ll look much nicer than if you had flabby muscles under sagging skin. “Eight glasses a day? Are you kidding?!” It’s really not that much. Eight 8-ounce glasses amount to about two quarts of water. This is okay for the average person, but if you’re overweight, you should drink another eight ounces for every 25 pounds of excess weight you carry. You should also up this if you live in a hot climate or exercise very intensely. This water consumption should be spread out throughout the day. It’s not healthy at all to drink too much water at one time. Try to pick three or four times a day when you can have a big glass of water, and then sip in between. Don’t let yourself get thirsty. If you feel thirsty, you’re already becoming dehydrated. Drink when you’re not thirsty yet. Do you think water is yucky? Drinking other fluids will certainly help hydrate your body, but the extra calories, sugar, additives and whatever else aren’t what you need. Try a slice of lemon or lime in the glass, or if you really think you hate water, try a flavored water. Just make sure you read the labels. Remember that you’re going to be consuming a lot of this fluid. It’s probably a good idea to stop drinking water a good three hours before you go to bed. You know why. “How cold should it be?” This is debatable. Most experts lean toward cold water, because the stomach absorbs it more quickly. There is also some evidence that cold water might enhance fat burning. On the other hand, warmer water is easier to drink in large quantities, and you might drink more of it without even realizing it. Do whatever suits you, here. Just drink it! When you drink all the water you need, you will very quickly notice a decrease in your appetite, possibly even on the first day! If you're serious about becoming leaner and healthier, drinking water is an absolute must. If you're doing everything else right and still not seeing results, this might just be the missing link.

Hi Amber: I've only been banded 2 1/2 years, but I can totally relate to some weight gain. I gained 20 pounds between April 2009 and November 2009. I got laid off and between the stress eating and the bored eating it all added up. The first ten pounds came on between April and September. I was really okay with those ten. The second ten came on in two months. I was not okay with the second ten pounds. I fessed up to my band surgeon. I didn't need a fill. I needed to be accountable to someone besides myself. I asked if I could go in for weekly weigh ins and that way I would have to face someone else. I usually go in and weigh in the day that the surgeons are in the o.r. so that I don't have to interfere with their patients' appointments. I just weigh in and they leave a note for my band doctor. He usually sends me an email later in the day. I've lost ten of those twenty pounds since November 19th. My biggest problem is night time grazing. I started going taking long baths with good books again. I also started going to bed earlier again. Between these three things I was able to lose ten pounds in just over a month. I'm giving myself the next month to lose ten more. I start a new job mid January. I hope that will help with my eating because I'll be alot busier. I knew that I didn't need a fill. I was grazing. If you don't need a fill, then you need to get back to the basics. Do you exercise? That will help to get you back on track too. Best wishes to you with your upcoming wedding. I'm sure you'll be a beautiful bride! By the way, I'm 5'7" too. I would be a wrinkly twig if I got down to the weight you are hoping to get down to. But, I'm also twice your age. I just want to be more comfortable in my clothes and get below 175 again. I'm very happy at a size 12. I love my band and my new flat tummy! Sue

Wow that's is still fast thank yo sooo so very much for taking the time to post this. It helps me a lot knowing the different timelines .. my concern is that they didn't weigh me at orientation the last time they weighed me was when I made the request for the referral from my primary.. at that time I was at 40.1 BMI it's been a month and I gained 10lbs and cause I worried about not qualifying.. I stopped dieting !! Now I'm at 41 BMI. I don't have any other medical issues .. the kicker for me I'm on a heavy duty antidepressant which one of the side effects is weight gain.. I would love to go back to dieting making health decisions cause I feel awful my clothes are tight which in turn makes my social anxiety worse.. I just feel better when I get right. I seriously wish I could call the dietician or email her and ask her if I can start losing weight now without it affecting their decision .. Side note I am going to lose what I have gained before I go back cause I can't sit here and make my situation worse. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

It's a bang on article for me, my depression and weight gain came hand in hand.

Thanks for all the input. I agree about cookies not needing to be in the house. It was probably the first time in several months that they were here. It was just a "red light" for me and I wanted to know how other parents handle their children. Even things like just getting another serving of food at dinner or eating again a couple of hours after dinner is an issue for my daughter. Take my son out of the picture. What does everyone think about training kids to eat responsibly and healthy? I know that being a role model is important. I'm really trying to be that for her. We keep healthy foods in the house, but too many calories from healthy food can cause weight gain, too. I just don't know how far to push it without causing lifelong emotional problems. Many of us here probably know what it's like to be a heavy child. It's not fun and we all want to spare our kids that. Do I constantly tell her no, even if it's healthy food? Do I set up very specific eating times? I'm just so torn about this issue. Angie

Actually, while exercise is good for you on many levels regardless of weight, you don't have to exercise to lose the weight or keep it off, as long as you stick with a very low carb diet. Bring the carbs up and you will have to exercise to combat them. Over 50, many of us find that our tolerance of carbs (in terms of weight gain) becomes worse as time goes on. 53 years old. 10 1/2 months out. Lost 95+ lbs total and 66 lbs post surgery with the sleeve. Been at goal 3 months. Had to take synthroid for thyroid before surgery, but now I am off of it. Normal thyroid after getting the weight off and changing how I eat for good.