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It's quite normal to put on weight during pregnancy! Your body is growing and changing to give your baby the best start in life. Here's where the extra weight comes from: At birth, the average baby weighs anywhere between 2.8 and 3.3kg. During pregnancy, the muscle layer of your womb (uterus) grows dramatically and weighs an extra 0.9kg. The placenta, which nourishes your baby, weighs just over 0.5kg. Your breasts weigh an extra 0.4kg. Your blood volume increases and weighs an extra 1.2kg. You have extra Fluid in your body, and amniotic fluid around the baby, weighing around 2.6kg. You will also lay down some fat during your pregnancy to provide you with extra energy for breastfeeding. This comes to about 2.5kg. So, by the end of your pregnancy you might weigh about 10.5 - 11kg more than you did before you became pregnant. This is an average weight gain but of course, you're not an average woman. And no woman is. Thanks Toronto Gazebos

It has been just about a year since I visited this site. That date coincides with having my band removed for medical reasons. I am not writing this post to "bash" the band. I am thankful for my opportunity to lose weight with my band, and to get my life back. I wanted to let others know that should they have the misfortune of having to have their band removed, it is not the end of your healthier life. I wanted to share my experiences, as I know what an emotional journey it has been for me, and to perhaps inspire others to never give up on themselves. Unlike many others who opted to revise to another WLS, I chose to not have a revision because my PCP advised me to give my inflamed GI tract a rest, as there was excessive scar tissue at my band site. I am amazed that if not careful, I am still able to get food stuck, even after the initial adjustment post band removal. I believe I knew from the beginning that I would not have a long relationship with my band. I decided to make the most of my banded life, and embraced my new banded lifestyle. I was the poster child for diet and exercise compliance. And I feel I was reasonably successful with losing 90+ pounds during the 22 months I was banded. Now, about a year later, I have gained 5-6 pounds. The surgeon who removed my band told me to expect to gain around 10 pounds. I feel good about not gaining 10 pounds, but I need to be vigilant every day post band, as I was while I had my band to make healthy food choices and control my portions. What has worked to help me to maintain a healthier weight: Continue to eat like a banister. I still choose a lean Protein and a produce carb for every meal. My portions are still band sized, with the exception of adding a couple of ounces of lean protein for meals. I look for signs of satiety, and leave leftovers on my plate. Exercise continues to be a priority, both cardio and toning. Snacks are limited to Greek yogurt, pumpkin seeds, and a few raw nuts. Above all I am thankful for the opportunity to have lost weight, and with continued good choices for diet and exercise am so far maintaining a healthier weight. I never achieved my goal weight, a huge disappointment for me. However, there is so much more on the positive side for me. I am now in training, and on pace to complete my first Half Marathon in February. This event is on my bucket list! There are the same challenges every day, with or without the band. I have to manage my hunger, drink sufficient Water to help avoid eating between meals and in the evening. I keep my mind active with other focal points. My best practice I want to share, is that awareness and mindful eating is a life long event for anyone who has had to battle their weight. So is getting active with exercise, and continuing to be dedicated to your goals. My enduring motivation to continue to make good choices is always to remember how much my overall health has improved. I had several serious co-morbidities prior to being banded, and now am able to walk for miles with no pain and without getting winded. Most of my health issues are resolved. I am mindful that I could lose all of the benefits I have gained through weight loss if I lose my focus on my healthier habits. Those habits have become internalized, and now are second nature. Can I eat more if I wanted to, yes. I feel good about choosing not to. Can I choose slider foods that are high in fat and calories? Of course, we all can. But for me, it just feels better, both physically and psychologically not to. Am I hungry? Yes, most times than not. It is my accepted "normal". I wanted to let others know that losing your band can be a very scary and anxiety provoking event. This past year has been a proverbial emotional roller coaster for me. But it does not mean that it is the end of a healthier life and inevitable excessive weight gain. Do I sometimes question the wisdom of not choosing to have a revision? Yes, and I know that if my weight ever were to get out of control I do have the option to choose another WLS. Above all, I understand that my future with my weight is dependent on the choices I make every day. I am up for the challenge, every day. And we all take a day at a time. Best wishes for continuing success to us all!

Hi! Yay for a poster in the April banders section! I'm doing really well. I had some really big issues with dry heaving at the start until we figured out my Vitamins and B12 were causing it. I've been taken totally off those as of 3.5 weeks and its stopped the problems. That did, however cause a 4 pound weight GAIN because I could suddenly actually eat again. (I was literally starving myself because of the dry heaving) That being said...I've relost those 4 pounds and am down a total of 21 pounds so far with a goal to hit 25 by this next sunday...4 pounds this week? lol. I can try, right? I was banded 4/24/13. Two days ago I decided to try on a pair of capris that have always been too tight and hurt my belly if I wore them for any amount of time. They fit! No pain! No rubbing! No gut sucking to zip them up. That was a great NSV. Those capris have caused me so much grief over the years, though...I can't wait to get rid of them because they are too big! No fill yet...Scheduled for June 7th.

Does anyone know what they look for, like a certain amount of weight loss or weight gain or nothing? Does it depend on the insurance provider?

Sorry to hear of your injury, Coops! Sounds like you have a handle on the tracking of your food intake. I think that is the best way you could prevent any weight gain while you are out of commission as far as exercise goes. Keep your chin up! Maybe it will sort itself out quickly

If you're relying on mostly liquids because you can't keep regular foods down, you're likely too tight. A band too tight actually can (and often does) lead to weight gain because you're stuck drinking calories or relying on slider foods. In fact, most people who gain with a band too tight will start losing again once they get a slight unfill and can actually eat a variety of healthy foods again.

How are you doing with your weight loss journey? My partner and I are going through the process except she had to take her nutrition classes over due to weight gain. My surgery date is Feb. 14, 2018.

I have had luck shocking my metabolism. I normally eat around 900-1000 calories a day. When I hit a plateau, I will have 1400 calories one day, 700 calories the next day, then back to 900-1000 calories a day. I don't do this unless I've gone at least 2 weeks without a loss, I know I've been eating right so it's not a matter of food choices, and I'm not on my period (because I know that can cause Water weight gain). But the two times I've done this, it's worked and I started losing again.

I am kind of scared of this. I have a prescription for nuvaring in my refrigerator, but my weight loss already feels slow - I don't think I need to set myself back by starting on it and gaining some back. Has anyone started nuvaring post-op and not had any weight gain/stalling?

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...

I am really conserned about the weight gain. It is only for 5 day, but 20pounds Mothernature! Did you loss it as soon as yu stopped taking it. After hearing that I sure don't want to take it! YIKES

Hi vinesqueen, I am down 41 lbs, losing slowly but going in right direction. I was on prednisone when I had my Chemo 3 years ago, my weight went through the roof. But I was on 100mgs for 5 days for 6 cycles, it was not fun. I am sure that if you are on a short period of time the weight gain will only be temporary. Hang in there...

OK I need advise please. You all may think I"m being stupid, but here goes. I started with a really bad cough over a week ago. I do have asthma that comes and goes, never that bad though. A week ago today my cough added a bad cold to it. Last Wednesday I went to the doctor. She did not take an xray, but gave me an antibiotic and Predisone. I remembered how nuts my daughter was when she had been on Predisone so I decided I'd wait to start that. The I remembered the weight gain also goes with the crazy moods. I'm crazy enough as it is, I sure don't need help! My girl friend told me that she was on them for a few days and she had the weight gain and her face got puffy! Just what I want when I have relatives who I haven't seen for months coming over. (I'm down over 40 pounds) Well I finished the antibiotic yesterday. I still have the cough, but not as often and the cold is still hanging around. I went to the chiropractor today and she nothing in my chest was moving and that I had phemonia. I just hate the side effects of that medicine, and I would do anything not to take it. So if you have any suggestions I'd really appreciate them. Thanks for your help.

well, no one hates taking prednisone more than I do. However, I know that typically if they prescribe it for me, and they know me, I had better take it, weight gain and puffy face be damned. Asthma and pneumonia are nothing to fool around with, espeically since people who ignore their asthma tend to die from it.

The 6-8 cups of water a day actually is a recommendation for everyone not just Bariatric patients. We’re pushed to drink water to get us off calorie laden carbonated drinks (there’s research about now that say artificial sweeteners cause weight gain as your body’s response to tasting sweet but not being able to gain the energy benefits so it holds on to any calories you eat.) Because it’s difficult to measure how much fluid we get from water rich fruit & vegetables (& I real on those to meet my goals now too) check the colour of your pee. Look for light straw coloured urine. The darker it is the more concentrated the toxins that are being excreted.

Hi @aircooled. My wake up call was pre-diabetes. Once my blood sugar level passed that magical barrier into pre-diabetes and the: it's only a matter of time until you get Type 2 diabetes. A switch went off inside my head. I went on a diet immediately. Even taped a picture of a syringe by my bathroom scale to remind me of what I was up against. I kew for sure this was it, I was going to get healthy - no more denial, I have a serious problem. Well I did lose 20 lbs but life got stressful, I did great during the day but by dinner time I was exhausted and hungry - well weight loss became slow weight gain. I then realized I was NEVER going to be able to do this on my own. If even diabetes didn't provide motivation. Nothing would. My bypass is OCT 28.

Hello everyone!! I had my sleeve June 12th, been doing good, following meal plan and all however I am still struggling with my water intake. I have been losing about a pound a day however yesterday and today I gained a pound. There are no changes in my meal intake, is this normal?

AN OBESE MIND I will give you some background about myself from becoming obese to thin. Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding, “Lapband” became part of my life November 10, 2005. Being fairly new in the United States, maybe the insurance companies didn’t know too much about it. I was approved in 3 weeks. There wasn’t as much then as there is today with Pre Op approval requirements with the insurance company that I went through with my job. I filled out a form at the doctor’s office and it was sent to the insurance company for approval for surgery. Requirements today consist of proof from your primary care physician that you have been obese for 5 straight years, history of co-morbidities, for some, needing to prove to the insurance that you can remain on a steady weight loss program for 6 months and to be able to keep that weight off. I really like that one………. If you can do that then why does a person even need to consider “Lapband”? Then to me the most important requirement in which I missed out on, the psych evaluation. Who could possibly have needed that? Well, I did, and I didn’t realize it until after I had lost all my weight and I now struggle with my new healthy self. Obesity is a psychological disease and not only does a person need that prior to approval but during the time of their weight loss process and in my case, aftercare in which I didn’t receive as it wasn’t a requirement for me. I forgot one more requirement and that is a nutritionist. I believe that a nutritionist should be up to the individual but I know the five basic food groups in which I was taught in elementary school. Not only that but I know what is healthy versus unhealthy foods. If you have an addiction with a certain food like an alcoholic does with alcohol, then you need to stay away from it. It is that simple. You may go through your withdrawals but you will get over it, as far as wanting to consume it. I had my surgery November 10, 2005. I weighed in at 251 pounds. The highest I have ever weighed was 254 pounds. By July 25, 2006 I weighed 140 pounds. It was hard to believe I lost 111 pounds in 8 months, but I did. During that time because of the amount that I was taking off on a monthly basis my doctor and nurse were concerned so they were wanting to see me monthly to be sure I wasn’t losing anymore weight but I went down to 134 and started to look sickly. According to my doctor the proper weight for me is 145 pounds. I joined the gym once I lost all my weight, in fact, not until January 2007 and that is when I began to put on weight, that was very scary to me but my trainer assured me that it was muscle weight. I am now 142 pounds and look very healthy. I have maintained my weight loss now for almost 2 years and my clothing size has not gone up since that weight gain so I am good to go, right? No, something isn’t right, I am very unhappy inside and I need help. Is it wrong for me not to know who I am? Actually is it possible not to know who you are? I question myself every single day and on each and every one of those days I get more and more depressed. I lost over 100 pounds and I should be ecstatic about my new healthy lifestyle. Is this me having the problem or my loved ones around me having the problem? Mentally I have changed with my eating habits for over two years now and have moved forward but others are troubled by it, or am I troubled by it. When I was obese I never questioned myself. I knew exactly who I was. I even knew exactly what I was going to do when I woke up the next morning and that was eat until I got a stomach ache even before I got to work. Those days were very easy for me as I had a habit and I was never going to break that habit because if I did, it would disrupt my daily routine and then I wouldn’t know what to do with myself. Eating was such an easy task for me to accomplish. I only needed to worry about when my husband would get home because I needed to finish eating before he got home or be sure I cleaned out my car of all fast food bags before anyone would see them. Don’t forget, I was unable to get the French fries that fell between the seats so every so often I would get caught in my web of lies. I was wondering when you begin to accept who you have become. When do you’re loved ones ever get used to the fact that you are who you are now and there is no going back. The countless times I have heard, you are not dieting anymore so why don’t you eat this now or you don’t have to drink all that water anymore since you are not looking to lose anymore weight. You still don’t eat anything so why do you want to go out to eat and spend all that money and you won’t eat everything in front of you. Did they forget the word, “doggie bag”? Now, I am able to get 3 meals for the price of 1 so why are they complaining? Talk about a cheap date. I don’t even drink alcohol anymore. I know that I am able to but I choose not to as it is empty calories. I don‘t even miss consuming alcohol. I have made a 360 in my life and it has become more of a problem for others than it ever has for me. How is it what I put in my mouth affect other people? Do you think that it is fair after all this time I should be worrying about such trivial things? Why should what other people think still bother me? Have I still not accepted my new self yet? My husband tells me now; in fact it has been longer than a little while that he wishes I was the same person mentally that I was when I was obese. He had no clue how depressed inside I was because of my condition. He said since I have quit smoking and that has been since December 25, 2006, and have lost all that weight, that I have become very short, no patience and somewhat angry. Also, I can’t cook anymore but on his defense I am afraid to taste the food in between meals. I have never been a patient person so I believe I need to work on being angry and very short. I do believe that when we are obese, and I should speak for myself that I will do whatever it takes to be accepted and if that was to be walked on then so be it. I guess my door has opened somewhat and I am not allowing that anymore. Unfortunately my husband is there and I guess he is taking the brunt of it. I am sorry for that. I need to curb that. He has been wonderful to me throughout all of this but has not listened to me enough though. He sees my outside but hasn’t a clue what is going on inside. I know I am not E.F. Hutton but someone needs to listen to me. Who can understand me especially if I can’t even understand myself? Damn, there is so much confusion. I love my husband very much and I certainly do not want to lose him. He just needs to take the time to sit down and listen to me. It is so hard for men to do that. No wonder they are looked at by a woman with distaste. It is also not fair being hateful to others as they don’t have a clue with what is going on in my mind. In fact, it is really none of their business to know what is going on in my mind unless I choose to tell them. Some people only think that I am a B….. and they have never even known my past where other people believe I’ve turned into a B….. since I went through my lifestyle change. Could it be jealousy on their part? I don’t know. Should I worry about that part or should I try to take care of myself? The only thing that I do know for sure is that it is very important for me to stay healthy from this day forward. I understand that mental health is just as important as physical health is, if not more important so this is why I am in search of answers. I want to know what is wrong with me. I do know that I have self doubt, I do not trust in myself nor do I even believe in myself and that I am somewhat angry at everyone because I am different and they are having trouble accepting me for who I am and have become. Is there a possibility of becoming normal to myself first and then everyone else? Will there ever be a happy medium without hurting the ones you love? I need help mentally to be sure that I am stable. I want to be able to tell people in a proper way that I am okay and they need not worry about me or themselves for that matter. Can I tell people to be themselves when they are with me especially when it comes to the eating part? They right away talk to me about their eating habits and they try to be like me when I make my food choices and I know very well that they are not like that, nor have they ever been like that since I have known them. I have NEVER expected anyone to make changes like I have. I will be more than happy to help someone or encourage someone if they are looking for help, but I would never initiate the conversation. We all know by experience that it has to come from within us first. Is it me or is it the others around me. Josephine 7/06/08

Generally, when a problem is flagged by the psych evaluator, it results in the individual being referred to a psychiatrist for further evaluation. Since you already have a therapist, it seems like their opinion should carry significant weight. Since weight gain has a psychological component, the purpose for including a psychological evaluation is to determine if you will benefit from the surgery or if psychological problems would deprive you of its benefits.

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.

That is a difficult question to respond to. I mean, I didn't start putting on a lot of weight until after I finished college. I seriously considered WLS in 2007, when I weighed about 260-270lbs. I made it through three months of the 6 month liquid diet program, and I was ready to kill someone. I was advised by my therapist to stop, because the 600 cal/day program affected my job and relationships. Since then, I put on another 100 lbs before I decided to move forward with WLS. Nothing I tried helped me to lose weight. However, if I would've been introduced to someone like the trainer I started working with before I actually had surgery back in 2007, I'm convinced I would not have needed the surgery to begin with. Working out with my trainer, I lost about 40 lbs in less than 2 months before I even went in for surgery. However, there were still things I needed to go through emotionally before I was ready to fix myself. I spent about 5 years in therapy before I was in the right mind-set. So, I guess to answer this question: on the one level, if I had proper trainer work in my early 20s, I could've avoided the massive weight gain all together. However, I still had things to work on to stop the patterns that caused me to gain the weight I gained. ... Also, if I would not have gone on birth control in college, I probably would have avoided quite a bit of the weight gain.

I'm a year out and my periods are irregular and have way to many. I've been on the pill for 3 months now and it's made them worse, to the point of bleeding almost every other week. I can't do Mirena (New job cant take off work plus I've never had kids so they said it would be harder to insert), so I'm seriously considering the Depo Shot. YES i've heard all the horror stories from people who've had it BEFORE surgery and the weight gain blah blah blah, my question is for people who had it AFTER surgery and what happened. Generally speaking I dont see how you could gain weight after surgery if you can't eat much. Please those who've had the Depo Shot after surgery, did it make you gain weight, did it screw up your periods any more than mine already are, have you had any complications? Thank you

Thanks Grady - Yeah - Sorry, I should have said that in the post reference it not being a "real" weight gain - HOWEVER, in the past i would have used that as an "excuse" and stayed on what can only be described as a food bender for multiple days and it would certainly become REAL fat. I think it's important that we're honest with ourselves and realize what got most of us to the point of body altering surgery. We talk about scales lying to us. They don't. They're an honest measurement of our body composition. Whether it be fat, water, or muscle it IS the truth and personally I NEED to be cognizant of what reactions my body has to my actions (positive or negative).

​I won't be generic comments....so I will say this.....Your body can be referred to as a city. If one thing breaks down or changes it causes the whole city to turn into ciaos. So if he thinks that it is possible for you to lose 11 lbs. every week, something in your city is going to shut down to protect itself from keeping things running smoothly. It is impossible to lose that much weight every week. It is recommended that to keep weight off we should lose between 1.5 to 2.5 lbs a week. To keep things balanced. Our bodies go into a kind of shock when we dramatically change it and weight gain or loss can bring that on. This is due to the surgery and the honeymoon period. But it won't last forever. Depending on how much we have to lose each one of us lose at a rate our own bodies see fit. If you stay on course you will lose the weight.... Call it a stall, plateaue or body at rest. But we need that to keep healthy. Going into starvation mode which will eventually give you the chance for your body to eat its self is a prelude to much worse things or conditions such as Anorexia..... Is it his thing to have all the star losers on his watch or is he just being a dick head....It does not even make sense that he should say that.......what a dipwad thing to say!

It is fairly common to have a little post-op weight gain and take several days for that to come off. Try to increase your fluid intake, because that will help you start peeing out some of those extra fluids... then shortly after you should start losing actual fatty weight. Be patient, it will come! Oh... and walk as much as you can.