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You can't really stretch your band. You could run over the band with a truck and it's probably not going to change it. It is your stomach and/or esophagus that dilates, not your band. If you are eating and drinking together yes, you can dilate your pouch and/or esophagus and the only way to know if you have or not is to have a fill under fluoroscopy. If you have dilated one or the other then usually the doc will unfill you and put you on liquids for several weeks. Most of the time this will fix the problem. If not, rarely surgical repositioning is in order. I know what you mean about weight gain. I weigh daily because I'll never let it get out of hand again.

No weight loss and no weight gain. I am stalled and I know a couple of reasons why....I need a fill (appt is in January), I have not exercised as much as I should and I have been so busy at work. I am looking forward to the holidays and making good choices. Have a good week everyone!

In December, there were some posts regarding "What I've Learned from my Band". Some of them were very humorous, but each and everyone of them was so true! So, I went back to the December chat and compiled a list of those "I've Learned"s and added the few posted on March chat, and here's what I have come up with (sorry for any typos)... I’ve Learned (from my Band)… Compiled from the members of the Lap-band Talk - 2006 ABC It's not the first bite that's a killer - It's the second or third If you can drink it for Breakfast, that's a good option In the morning I better drink something warm before I eat - Otherwise solid food, no matter how much I've chewed it, will go down like the Titanic Soup with lunch or dinner helps relax the esophagus and reduces PBs - A glass of wine does even better I will never be bored with my band Just when I think I know my band - I don't Sometimes I can eat breakfast - sometimes I can't - Ditto for the rest of my meals If I get really hungry - Forget it I'm getting stuck What "Oh crap, I'm about to burp up this food" feels like Random stuff like candy corn is impossible one day, and smooth and easy the next Losing weight feels SO GOOD NSVs (Non-scale victories) can feel even better than losing weight I never know from one day to the next what I can eat or how much Just when I think I need a fill, the darn thing feels tight again It really is a learning process - Learning the band - Learning how to eat to live - Learning how to lose weight I love my band but I'm also quite afraid of it I don't have to panic if I have a setback (ie: overfill, weight gain, etc.) - I can still succeed My defeatist attitude doesn't help I need to work with my band and pay attention to what it likes and doesn't like (ex. it doesn't like bread... so stop trying to eat it!) It's my friend and it's doing its job. Even though you now eat small amounts you still need to pay attention to what that small amount is I will ALWAYS subscribe to the "I wonder what band I'll wake up with today" syndrome I absolutely LOVE my band - I never want to go anywhere without it ever again - It was the best thing I have ever done for myself I still have to watch what I eat - If it's hard Protein my band tells me when enough is enough - Ice cream?...not so much Sometimes I still want to binge and stuff myself - The urge remains unfortunately, but the capacity just ain't there I never have golfball/PB issues with people who know I'm banded – It’s always with people who don't know - LapBandLaw? I've learned you can quickly say "I need to go grab a tissue/glass of water/tampon" and bolt, and nobody really cares - Unless you're gone a really long time in which case, go for the "female problems" defense My band has an attitude - If it doesn't want chicken it won't let me eat it, but if it wants chicken tomorrow it lets it through just fine My band isn't a miracle – It is still going to take time and a lot of work I have to get fills for it to work - It isn't giving in to admit I need one A size 16 at one store is NOT the same as a 16 at the next That blueberry NutriGrain bars are really good – They make a great breakfast and defend against fast food if they live in my purse. Never go shopping with my mother – I wind up spending too much money When my left shoulder joint starts hurting, I should stop eating The scale will continue moving in the right direction, as long as I don’t give up

Rubina, Oh goodness, what a horrible response the nurse gave you! Certainly didnt make you feel better. YES! weight gain is commen before the first fill. Basically just trying to maintain the original weight loss is a struggle during this time. Ive heard of patients asking the surgeon (or your pcp) for diet pills. Another thing that I did, was go for a walk! (if you can) Everytime the eating urge was stong, Id take the kids and we'd go for a stroll. Also, s/f popsicles seemed to aid and sooth me at this time. I think I ate a 1/2 a box a day, then wash 'em down with a big glass of Water. Good luck - this is really the hardest part of it all. I promise!

Im a stay at home mom, my boyfriend works monday through friday sometimes he will be gone the whole day so it's easy for me to stay on track eating good through those days but as soon as the weekend comes it goes down hill, we tend to go out to eat alot on the weekends or if were out for a while we'll stop at fast food resturants... i tend to alwasy end up over eating and also eatting the bad things, even when we dont go out on the weekends i alaways tend to cook up a storm also and not eat very good things =/ i just dont understand what snaps in my head on the weekends or when my boyfriend is around sometimes i even dread the weekends because when monday comes i see the difference on the scale and sometimes i wont get back on track for a week !! Does anyone else have these problems and is there any suggestions please?? i'm still battling with my self in july i will be 1 year post op with only about 40 lbs lost

Hi Tammy.. My surgery witht he Realize band is Monday, January 12th.. I have the realize band due to the fact that I have rhumetoid arthritis. If you have this, the lap band will require a waiver for responsibility for the silicone. some big law suit with breast implants resulting in this. The realize band does not have any such restriction. One of the major reasons that I have decided to get banded - and self paying- was for the health reason and the ability to move and walk and be able to do everyday life without the discomfort of arthritis along with the other over weight issues. I have been told that I should see a significant difference as the weight comes off. While the date is very close now, I am very excited for that time and very apprehensive as I hope that I can do all that I need to do to be successful. I will keep you posted on my success and affects on each of the ailments I have due to weight gain.. Before thinking wheel chair I would be thinking what you need to do band or no band to get you to a point of healthy living :tongue2:.. Good luck..

To take your questions one at a time: 1. Is gaining weight normal when you start to eat regular food again? Yes, when you've been on liquids for a while (pre-op + post+op), you empty out your alimentary canal and this accounts for probably 5-10lb of the "weight loss". You probably would have noticed a marked decrease in the amount of matter eliminated from your system. When you start to eat regular food again, you refill yourself and this will appear to be a 5lb weight gain. Don't worry about it - it's normal. 2. I'm worried about stretching my pouch. I haven't gotten a fill yet. Is it possible to stretch the pouch before the first fill? Stretching the pouch is something that happens through significant over-eating over a prolonged period of time, i.e. always eating the the point of absolute fullness (as far as the band allows) and doing it often. If you haven't had a fill yet, it is unlikely that you will have restriction, so you won't be filling your pouch much at all -the food will be going straight through into your main stomach. The likelihood of stretching at this time is very small. 3. How would I know if I did stretch my pouch? It's hard to tell but if you had a fill test (i.e. they take out the Fluid in your band, measure it, and replace it) and the test showed that the band was very full and you should have restriction, yet you were still eating large meals, that might be an indicator - not a definite, just an indicator. 4. Is there any way that it can be fixed or if I ever do/did will I have ruined my chances at this working for me? Yes, in the event that you stretch your pouch, there are several remedies that can be applied before you have to even start thinking you might have "ruined things". One simple remedy is to do the "5 Day Pouch Test". Search this site for threads on that - there are dozens. 5. Would someone know if their band slipped? If so how? One of the common symptoms is being able to eat a lot in the day but getting severe reflux at night, i.e. when lying down/sleeping. 6. Do weird things cause the band to slip or is it simply overeating or something like that? There are several causes but you'd be better off asking your doctor about that one.

From all that I've read about the lapband, your band could have slipped, I believe that can cause weight gain and vommitting. You should definately go back to the doctor, you will feel so much better:redface:

Hi, I am 1 yr post op and have 6 mls in my band. In August I started a new job and during my orientation I have been switching between day shift and night shift every few days. My eating habits are crazy trying to eat at night and then eat during the day. And now I'm just hungry all the time and I've gained 15 lbs. Does anyone have any advice on how to get back on track and to not feel hungry at all hours of night and day? I will be permanent night shift when my orientation ends.

Hi EJones2 I' probably quite late into coming into this conversation, have you had it removed already? How are you finding it? I had my band removed 2 years and 1month ago. I sustained a number of band problems prior to having it removed due to the fact that the surgeon over filled the band and I also got ill causing me to be sick a lot. This then meant I had a band slippage and it caused me ongoing esophageal damage and damage to my pouch including a pronounced area of my abdomen and inability, eventually, to eat without severe pain. When I went into A&E, they had to call my surgeon who came the next day. It was actually supposed to be corrective surgery but he decided to take it out. This was really hard for me as I'm sure you are anticipating for yourself. I very much needed the band and was not finished losing weight! After the procedure I was sore and was on liquids for about 8 days before moving to mushy foods, very small portions and eating regularly as you might when you had the band. Due to the soreness going back to the gym was not possible for about 6 weeks so I just went on really long walks each day, sometimes two or three hours a day so that weight gain would not happen to fast. Most of all i just want to reassure you that everything will be okay, and I hope you are able to get your health back after removal. It's a scary thought going without the crutch of the band to prop yourself up, and undoubtedly weight gain will happen over time (I think I've gained 25(ish) pounds since) but I've learned there is more to life than deprivation and being thin and in control. Try to do the things you enjoy, get outside and be in the company of others. It all helps, it's going to be okay. Best wishes and I hope all goes well, Bryony

I have a low BMI. I weigh 207 give or take. My doctor doesn't want me to lose too much beacuse I will go under the BMI. Like a lot of people I have lost weight before but then gained it back. Last year I lost 20lbs and was down to 186 and it felt so good. I even got to stop taking my blood pressure meds, and had energy to have fun, exercise and my self esteem was so high. I had surgery in fall 2007 and got a staph infection and had to go in for surgery again and then gained 25LBS!! This weight gain this time has taken a toll on my knees and I have little energy. I hate this 6 month diet and wish I had enough money to self-pay. When I am thinner I feel good, I exercise, get out and swim, etc. My insurance is bad too I have to pay HALF . I feel like I am doing okay at work, but I do have a hard time at home with the diet. I saw things on here about having to give up bread, what other things beside soda should I go ahead and give up and did anyone else have problems witht the diet. I am afraid of cutting everything out and exercising too much because of the low BMI. What do you all think, thanks and I have learned a lot on this.

Boy Tammy... that really is a golden question that I think the whole world would love to have the answer to. Wouldn't it be awesome if just saying no was the answer? It's a struggle but for me... I notice that the more carbs I eat... the hungrier I am and the more carbs I want. Now... to just figure out how to stop the carb eating cycle? The only thing that I have found to be somewhat helpful for me is to keep ZERO snack type sweets in my house. If I have a craving... I wait... and if the craving doesn't go away or gets worse... I go and get a single serving of whatever I'm wanting. Someday a brilliant scientist is going to come up with a magical pill that allows us to eat all of the carbs that we want without weight-gain... until then... I guess we'll all fight the good fight.

tabbymonroe, when i first had my surgery 3 years ago, I hit a stall that drove me crazy! I had been losing so great, then boom at exactly one year i stalled for 7 MONTHS. . . it was crazy! no weight loss, no weight gain. . .I had really thought this was it! then one day it just moved, I lost another 10 - 15 lbs and that was it, BUT i did reach my goal the doctor had put out for me plus 12 lbs more, so that is what I call success. . . now at 3+ years out I'm still the same weight and am maintaining beautifully. . .I don't worry about anything anymore. . .I finally love myself and accept myself for who I am. . . good luck, it'll happen for you too. .

yeah Ive wondered the same thing on sizes-Im 5'3 and at 214 I wore a 20/22 but I see others with basicly same stats wearing 18-I wished-if I wore an 18 id look squished in and itd define my rolls-lol.I am also top heavy-even before all my weight gain my chest is a 42dd now its a 46dd-ugh-but my doctor will finally sign off to have reduction once I lose the weight as its a health issue with my back and such.

I was on Depo for three years and gained 80 pounds. Nothing I did was able to stop it. And I didn't attribute the weight gain to it at the time otherwise I would have stopped sooner. Had I known then what I do now I never would have gotten that shot, I am not completely blaming it for my 318lb self but it certainly did not help. My nurse ended up telling me that people who have a tendency to gain weight, will gain weight with Depo. It just seems so counter productive if you are having this procedure.

Hi Everyone, My name is Eli and I am 21 years old. I just wanted to share my amazing journey with everyone and hopefully help anyone that needs it. Since I was a young boy I struggled with weight loss. I put weight on and I took weight off and it didn't seem like I could ever get it right. Growing up, all of my friends were thin so they never understood what it was really like to be overweight, nobody actually understands unless they actually walk a mile in your shoes. I was miserable, depressed, and felt like there was nothing in the world that could help me. As a lineman for my high school football team I justified my extreme weight gain with the fact that I needed to be bigger to play my position and this mindset caused my weight to spiral out of control. When I graduated high school in 2011 I weighed the most I ever did and it took a huge toll on me as I was about to go away to college and had literally no self-esteem. Jumping ahead to my sophomore year of college I had now put on even more weight and it was affecting me more then ever. My grades were slipping, it didn't seem like any girl would ever want to talk to me, and most of all it was hard to look at myself in the mirror. When I came home from school after my sophomore year I weighed about 320 pounds, which was by far the most I ever weighed. When I came home in May that year I just came to the realization of what I did to myself and I asked myself, "How did I let this happen?" Before I continue I want everyone to know that this is not a sob story and that there is a huge gleaming light at the end of that tunnel. When the conversation of weight loss surgery was brought up for the first time I honestly felt offended because I never thought that it would possibly come to that and after countless talks with family members and friends I finally agreed to schedule an appointment and the Center for Bariatric Surgery and Weight Loss in Ridgewood, New Jersey in June of 2013. Fast forward to September of that year I had completed all of my pre-surgery requirements and a date for surgery was scheduled. My surgery happened on November 4th at New York-Presbyterian in New York City. Let me tell you that November 4th, 2013 was the first day of the rest of my life. I'll save the details of pre-surgery, hospital stay, and post-surgery for another post. On the day of surgery I weighed 316 pounds having lost a little in the months prior to my surgery date. Now, in October of 2014 I am proud to say that I weigh 196 pounds putting my total weight loss at 120 pounds. My life has changed in the most extreme way, not just with how I physically look and feel, but mentally, I am a different person. I am the happiest I've been in my entire life. I understand that there are countless reservations people have before making probably the hardest decision of your entire life, because for me it was, but I can also proudly say that it was the best decision I have made in my entire life. I understand that you might feel that there is no way out of being overweight, but I'm here to tell you that there is. I am willing to talk to anyone who has questions and I am always available because I understand how hard it is to make this decision. PLEASE don't hesitate to ask me anything. Thank you for listening to my journey and my story and I hope this might help anyone who is on the fence or anyone who is scared or nervous. Lastly, I'd like to say how amazing the last year of my life has been and I hope everyone can share the same happiness I do. -Eli

I'm not so sure failing at the supervised diet is the plan. My surgeon made me sign an agreement that I would lose on this diet to show that I was ready for the lifestyle changes necessary to be successful and any weight gain could potentially delay surgery.

It has been over seven years since my surgery. I have gained a lot of weight back, what have you done to get back on track?

I'm going to have a revision soon and was wondering if with the sleeve do you get that food caught in the back of your throat feeling like with the band? I can eat and be fine and then never fails with my band after a few bites sometimes I feel like food is caught at the back of my mouth. Different feeling from a productive burp. Yes I get that too with this thingy in my stomach. The band was great my first 3 years andI lost 95lbs. Then about year 4 it all changed and constant band issues with weight gain of about 45lbs and tons of throwing up. I'M TIRED OF THIS LAP BAND GAME!!

Im not sure I think it just depends on Ur surgeon I go August 6 to meet with mine and they said she will start me then and I will be 4 months in so I'll have a month or so to get it all done then can submit it to insurance ) I just hope my weight gain doesn't set me back any I have gained 4lbs last month

the best advice I can give is follow weight watchers type diet while you have no restriction. Of course, we've all had a hard time staying on diets and that's why we got banded, but most of us can diet for four to six weeks. At least you'll hold off the weight gain until you get good restriction. Track your Protein and be sure you get at least 60 gms. a day. Give up white carbs, like white bread and potatoes. If you must eat bread, change to low carb, whole wheat or whole wheat pitas. Substitute the bagel and cream cheese for a cup of Kashi go lean Cereal with 1/2 cup of skim milk. or try the Special K low carb cereal or how about the low sugar instant oatmeal. Milk should only be skim, yogurt non fat and if you're looking for easy to cook/microwave meals...lean cuisine and weight watchers are good choices. Look for the lowest calorie, highest fiber choice of any food that you are eating. A couple hundred calories a day really adds up. Restriction could take several fills, so you want to do the best you can during this time, so you don't get frustrated. And making the above changes will help you later down the road when you do get restricted and even later when you're in maintenance, as you'll have replaced a lot of the old bad habits.

My family and a few others know I' had the lapband in 2007. Of course they noticed I lost weight (75lbs) but never got to goal. They never said anything negative and I was happy being 75 lbs down amd not really stressing about weight loss anymore....just coasting. 18 months ago starting to have problems...had upper GI and Endo 3 months ago and found....dilation of esophagus, prolasp of my stomach through the band. Port had flipped because of adhesions...my symptoms were extreme weight loss for 3 months then weight gain with nausea. And just feeling...not right. None of my family knew any of this except my husband. Now ..I'm telling some of my family since I'm having surgery to let them know....we're a close family. I'm really having a hard time explaining why I'm having the band out and going to a sleeve...since nothing really shows on the outside except I'm gaining weight because I can't keep solid Protein down and eat more slider foods. My siblings are asking why I don't just see if I can unfill and let it all go back like before...and they say surgery is dangerous. I'm just second guessing myself all over again. Maybe I want someone to tell me I can wait and everything will be fine....then I wonder how much damage waiting longer will do. I'm soooo feeakimg confused and scared of making the wrong decision like I did with the band..even though I thought amd was told it was the best thing out there for PERMANENT weight loss. My surgery date is Feb. 28th, 2013. Thanks for listening to my crazy ramblimgs.

:cheeky Marsha, I have PCOS and was diagnosed as Insulin Resistant 5 years ago and I've been on Metformin - prescribed by a Repro- Endo/ they seem to have a better insight for women with either PCOS or IR. Mainly because both conditions are due to hormone inadequecies which cause irregular cycles, excessive weight gain, increased glucose levels, etc. Especially if you are pre-disposed to diabetes like me (my mother had type 1 diabetes and died from complications to long term diabetes 35 years). I want to be banded as the metformin hasn't helped me one bit with the weight loss, but it has helped in reducing the side-effects/symptoms of PCOS. I've tried a variety of daily dosages 500mg once daily, twice daily, and currently three x's daily. But nothing works on the weight loss. The higher the dosage the impact worsens - upset stomach, runny stool, cramping, etc. I agree that metformin works best when Carbs are significantly reduced and Proteins are the bulk of your meals. Exercise is key as well - but nothing will beat the positive impact the band has. I'm still awaiting approval from BCBS (insurance) as I cannot afford the procedure on my own. Try switching your Protein intake and make sure that you consume 60grams daily, exercise 60 min daily 6-7 days a week, and most importantly drink your Water and lay off the carbs and the weight should come off. Most folks that are on metformin for PCOS are usually taken off the meds after banding as they glucose levels normalize. The same holds true for type II diabetics, from what I've heard. Talk with your endo about it- if you don't have one you like - get another one by all means. It's your life we're talking about. Good luck and keep us posted.

Weight loss? Weight gain? Pain better? Exercising?

I had sleeve because I was worried about medication absorption. Since then I have read about tons of bypasses who are on meds, even the psyc meds I worried about and they have had zero issues. I am a year and a half out and so far no gerd issues but I have not lost all I weight and I struggle with regain. In all fairness one of my meds does clearly state is causes weight gain and with the depression I don’t exercise like I should but I still can’t help but wonder if I would be in a different boat with bypass. Don’t get me wrong I don’t regret my choice. I am glad I chose something because they are both great surgeries that will get you down to a much more healthy weight. I just can’t help but wonder what if I had chosen bypass would I be sporting my skinny jeans right now.