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Having suffered with depression since I was 15, I can safely say this is why you have stalled. Also some of your medications may have an impact on that. When depressed, your body only knows you are ill, and will cope and try to help you by slowing your metabolism. This usually results in weight gain but because you had surgery, is instead, storing your calories. Enjoy what you have lost thus far and when your mood lightens, and it will, the weight will come off!!

I also have sleep apnea and have had it for quite awhile. I'm on my 3rd CPAP machine and I have to tell you ....I've never gotten used to it. I am quite anxious when it comes to having anything around my head and face and though I know there is forced air pressure, I feel like I am being suffocated. I never found a mask that was comfortable, and believe me, I've tried dozens of them!! The nasal pillows are by far the best or at least easiest to tolerate. All of my doctors stress how dangerous the Sleep Apnea is.. not to mention that it causes weight gain and could slow down you weight loss after surgery. I do try to use it but I have to say I am not 100% compliant and I remove it many times in my sleep in the middle of the night. I can only relate my experience, I don't know how to make it easier for you...all I can say is try it. A friend of mine was hesitant about using a cpap until his doctor showed him the video of him sleeping. He flipped and flopped all night like a beached croaker. It made a believer out of him and now he is sold on his CPAP. Maybe it just takes getting used to. Good luck.

I have been eating like there is no tomorrow. I know that I shouldn't be...but...I can't for the life of me stop. I am so glad that I am having surgery on the 6th. I am hazard to my health..lol. I start my pre-op low carb diet on Tuesday. So...hopefully....at the very least I will get my liver where it needs to be for surgery and I will deal with the weight gain post op. I know that I am dealing with the 'last meal' syndrome. I just didn't realize that I was going to have so many of them! This too shall pass. I don't want to beat myself up about it. It is what it is.

Hello all, Queen of Crop here....almost 8 years out and have a 18 lb weight gain. Haven't been on the site in quite some time but am freaking out about the gain. And yes, it is carbs and sugar and wine and a complicated life. I never thought I would gain it back...I guess we all thought that. Will read the head work...and find a program and start logging. Oh how I wish I could go back to that first year....it all seemed so easy (hard in some ways of course) but at least the weight came off. For me 83 lbs. And when I think about it, when I was at my goal weight I was SO HAPPY AND FELT SO FREE. And now I feel like crap. So time to get a grip. Will check in weekly to let you all know how I do. So interesting that the Veterans Forum doesn't have more of us here. Thanks for the encouraging words and good luck to all of us. I wrote a book called Queen of Crop...maybe I should right a Queen of Crop 10 years after to give me a new goal..hmmmmm...BUT NO I WILL NOT GO BACK!

My husband is currently doing the HCG drops. He started when I got my surgery. It's kind of nice because we basically eat about the same amount of food!! He's dropped some weight. Who knows if he will keep it off. The drops mainly help you keep from getting too hungry. The weight loss is from the restricted diet. He adheres to it very well. He cheated this weekend when we went on vacation - and paid for it both in some weight gain and GI issues. He now knows it's not worth it to cheat.

Awe hunny I'm so sorry for your endometriosis struggles!! Be glad you have time on your side though and please heed my advice, when you can... start your fertility journey!!! Do not wait!!!!! It can take some intending parents 6 months to get pregnant and it can take 5 years or even more!! If you try and try and decide on adoption that can take another 1-3 years to get a baby. I sort of always assumed "they have a pill for that" type thing and here we are encroaching on the dangerous stage of 35 plus and still struggling to have a child. Not to mention the Financials. Just for perspective IVF starts at 15K in Michigan here and only goes up. It's also not a guarantee you will invest and end up with a baby! Not trying to discourage you I just wish hubby and I would have started our journey a few years prior. I wish someone would have warned me. I thought I could lose weight on my own and save money for IVF but life got in the way and we achieved neither. It will be at least another year before we can even safely do an egg retrieval due to the sleeve so I'll be 35 at the youngest having a baby which starts becoming high risk and high chance of mental defects for the baby. So please stay strong, be positive but start talking! It never hurts to get a game plan with a fertility specialist even if it's for the future! There are great options too like gestational surrogates!! It's pricey but sometimes best for women who have serious conditions such as yours! We can chat here or you can PM me if you would like to speak more fertility related. We had been trying for an altruistic gestational surrogate but due to finances and other complications we still can't swing it so all things baby are on hold while I do the sleeve and we save $$. I also need the mental break. We may decide to adopt but I was adopted so it was not what I was hoping for... Sent from my SM-N910P using the BariatricPal App Thank you! I'm 7 weeks post op so we will see what the next year brings - hopefully good things for both of us! I have put off treatment like lupron because of the devastating effects on fertility. It's me constantly wondering what the right thing to do is. Fortunately, I am young but know I have to make a serious decision by 30. I wish you all the best with your WLS and fertility - adoption may not be your first choice but you'd still be a great Mom. Congrats on being 7 weeks!!! How did everything go for you?? Also what is Lepran? I've not heard of that. It sounds like you at least know your time frame. My husband is so sweet and supportive. Says he would love to have a child or adopt or would be perfectly happy with us and our pets!! Me? Not so much... I want my baby girl!! Thank you so much for your sweetness!! I lean more towards adoption every day but I just worry so bad of them emotional turmoil for our child but at least I could empathize having been through it too. We shall see!! What state do you live in? Michigan here. Just curious Sent from my SM-N910P using the BariatricPal App Everything went the sleeve went well. 45 pounds down in 7 weeks the downside for me was the d&c surgery I had to have once my hormones went psycho. Being put under twice in one month is a huge strain on your body. I live in Lake Norman, NC and the center for endometriosis care is in Atlanta so not too far from me. Lupron is the devil - horrible side effects including infertility (1/5 becomes infertile permanently) along with weight gain and worsening depression. It's a nasty drug. If they offer it, of course do your resesrch but I recommend running the other way! 45 lbs!!!! That's awesome!!!! Get it girrrrl!!! And thanks for the advice!! I will for sure say no to that one. Is it used with the bariatrix surgery or with endo treatment? Sent from my SM-N910P using the BariatricPal App

:sneaky: Oh wow... I don't even know what to say to that... I've been on diets since I was 7 years old...I've been a swimmer all my life and was the only overweight girl to make it to state championships...I ate the best food ever and I was still fat. - My large weight gain in my teens came after a period of when I'd lost a lot of weight from depression. When I couldn't lose all of the weight I put it all back on again and more. This women is so sad...I feel so sorry for her. Attacking a group of people with blanket criticism like that is an obvious prejudice that could've stemmed from years and years of self-brain washing. She's the one with the problem.

Ok, so I hopped out of bed at 5 a.m. this morning, got to the park by 5:30. Power walked 3 miles (not so power for a few laps -- talking to a fellow walker), got home, did my morning ritual and dressed for work. I was happy and singing and playing music all the while. Well, I put my gray slacks on with a purple top and a gray sweater, gray shoes ... nice combination ... silver jewelry ... everything was going fine. Then I looked in the mirror! There standing before me was the dreaded "fat lady"! She said "you look like you're gaining weight ... aren't these pants fitting a little snug?" I told her to shut up and finish getting ready for work ... but then I got to thinking ... do these pants look as good today as they did when I wore them 2 weeks ago? hmmmmm All of a sudden I am obsessing about whether I have gained weight or not; but I dare not get on the scale ... no, getting on the scale could derail my whole day if I saw weight gain. Geeeez I wish there was a "band" for the brain! The truth is, just like 2 weeks ago, I could actually wear a size smaller in these slacks. But have decided that as long as they are not falling down I will not buy anything new for a while. I tend to turn into a shopping maniac, and since I am trying to get my youngest off to school in Missouri in a couple of months ... all the shopping has to be for him.

I have UHC Choice Plus. My case manager just got all my stuff sent to UHC yesterday so I am still waiting to hear whether I am approved or not. I have not had a BMI over 40 for five years and I actually just barely made the weight at my last weigh in (UHC required me to do a 6 month Dr. supervised diet) and I also don't have any comorbidities so I am very nervous about what they are going to say. This really doesn't anwer your question, but I guess I'm trying to say I hope they overlook the BMI and just look at the weight gain over the years. Good luck to you!

Well, I ended up in the ER. The surgeon on call did not want to touch it, and neither did the ER doc. The following day, a surgeon was able to access my tricky port after about 20 sticks. Looks like the port has flipped some and will have to be replaced. Also, it may be that the band has formed a capsule around it, causing it to be tight. Now I have no restriction and have no sense of fullness. Ugh..This thing is coming out! Going to look into converting to the sleeve, as this yo-yo weight gain/loss is killing me!

I agree, I think there is less of a risk of negatively affecting plastics results with minor weight gain. IMO losing more weight after plastics would be more detrimental. The strange thing is, I have seemingly lost fat, while the scale hasn't moved (and without working out)

I was approved with UHC on my first submit. I have the lapband and esophagus issues. I went in for a fill, took a barium test and found issues with my esophagus/swallowing. Since last summer I've slowly been gaining weight. I've been eating great, excising, active, etc. EVERYTHING the same. I'm around 170 but was 135-140 since being banded (SW:230lbs) Dec 2011. My Dr. submitted me for removal and revision in early July. I was approved 11 days later for both. My insurance for the band was BCBS but UHC covers me now. I was really expecting to go through the peer to peer review. I do have high BP and now have a hiatal hernia due to the weight gain...I'm total apple shape. Stay on them! Good luck. You're doing the right thing. The Lapband is starting to show the long term affects...I wonder why there's no class action. Insurance sure knows the failure rates are at an all time high. It's even in their best interest to approve. They'll end up spending so much more, at least on me. Isn't healthcare all about preventive care? There is no way in hell I was taking it out without revising to something else. Getting to my normal weight has changed my life in ways I never thought possible. Keep me posted. I'd like to know if you win your appeal/case.

So what and how much are you eating compared to when you were losing weight? That's what you really need to look at. steroids don't magically make you gain weight on their own. I've been on both prednisone and methylprednisolone for cervical stenosis and pinched nerves since my VSG 2 1/2 years ago and did not gain any weight because I still made myself eat on plan. Basically steroids cause weight gain because of 1) Fluid retention, which can partially be controlled with a low sodium/high potassium diet; 2) increased appetite, which you need to still keep in check with mindful eating. Track and measure every bite if you have to. and 3) decreased activity due to pain or doctor ordered restrictions. But in the end, weight loss and gain has to do what you put in your mouth, not necessarily how much you excercise. Go back to basics. Lots of Water and Protein. Watch your carb and sodium intake very carefully. Try resetting yourself with a week or two of Protein shakes only or try the 5 day pouch test.

Well I guarantee your weight gain is from Coke and wine and whatever other empty calories you are consuming, not from the steroids. Once I was maintaining below goal I have stopped any regains immediately if I pop even 1 pound above my bounce range. 2 things have worked for me.... 1) full on preop liquid protein "preop" diet. Three protein shakes/day and unlimited leafy green veggies. At least 80g protein and 100oz water. Usually only takes a few days of this to drop several pounds and to curb any carb cravings that have taken hold. Or 2) go back to just protein and veggies. Still the same protein/water goals but my overall calories are higher and it may take a couple weeks to drop a few pounds. If you cut out all refined carbs (including Coke, alcohol, pasta, bread, rice, etc) and just go back to the same basics that helped you lose during those first 6-12 months you WILL lose those 40 pounds. It may take several months, but isnt that why we had surgery? To lose weight and keep it off? And remember You've got your sleeve forever. Let your sleeve do what it does (portion control) and you do what you need to do (make smart choices) and it will work.

Honestly, I did not have second thoughts. I think it was because I was self pay and I saved for almost year for the surgery. Because of such I already knew what I wanted and had to work hard to get it. I think people who do insurance may have more of a struggle with it. What I can suggest is to really make sure you are in the right place mentally speaking. I think for most of us weight loss is easy but that keeping it off is nearly impossible. So once you accept that truth, that yes, you can lose the weight on your own but likely will not be able to keep it off then you may determine that surgery is best for you. Now, the surgery won't prevent weight gain but it will help slow it down if you do mess up or get off track because you won't be able to eat the same quantities as before. But as I mentioned, get into the right mental state as I personally feel many of the people who fail do so because they jumped into the surgery without truly being prepared for it.

I had the sleeve done in June 5th. I am having major backpain specifically in my right lower side. Also my stomach feels so much more bloated now then even before and I know it can’t be weight gain since I haven’t eaten anything! Anyone else experience this?

I have bipolar disorder with major depression and adhd. I am only taking meds for the bipolar disorder. I refuse to take medication that will cause any weight gain, so therefore no meds for the depression. I am not taking anything for the adhd because the medication that was recommended for me causes serious liver damage. I am as stable as I can be considering I no longer have access to marijuana, which really helps me with my mood swings. It was a very hard adjustment after getting banded because of all of the throwing up and other nonsense associated with just being banded. I'm ok now as far as band stabilization. I go for another fill in ten days and I'm almost two years post op.

My name is Celeste, I live in Connecticut, and have battled my weight now for 10 years. I was on a diet and exercise routine prior to becoming pregnant with my son 10 years ago. I was loosing weight slowly thanks to a personal trainer, I was told by my OBGYN though that it would be an up hill battle as I had PCOS. (Poly cystic ovary syndrome) I became pregnant, and gave birth to a beautiful boy I named Brandon. I nursed Brandon and after about four weeks began to put on weight, a pound a week. I became devestated, no matter my best efforts at weight loss, I continued to gain. When I was about 25 I started falling asleep driving. I went and found out I had Hoshimotos, Hypothyroidism. I struggled even further with weight loss even with proper medications. I went to an endocronologist that took me off meds because I was borderline. This began the downfall and weight gain circuit for me. I went to the gym, followed weight watchers, only to continue to gain and put on weight. Obviously this was because I wasn't on meds but I thought I would just hold out. I got married to a wonderful man and ended up getting pregnant a month after we were married. I went to the OBGYN who flipped a gasket because I was not on anything for my hoshimotos and sent me to the doctors, finally on the right meds, I did not gain but five pounds during pregnancy. I mean really, I shouldn't have because I had so much fat anyway. After my daughter was born I dealt with my Endocronologist and was still on meds. Now on meds and regulated I went into a diet and exercise fury and only gained muscle mass but kept fat, so the scale kept going up until a year ago I couldn't fit into my size 20 jeans anymore. I had enough! So six months or so ago I checked my insurance and decided to go this route. My other choice was biggest loser but knew I wouldn't lose all that much and probably get voted off. LOL So here I am, post op now a week and a day, still a little sore but thrilled at my decision. There have already been some challanges but I am sure everything will level off soon. I am excited, and look forward to starting new habits for myself and my family. A ten year old, a two and a half year old, my father whom is disabled from a stroke so I take care of him, three dogs, full time college and a husband, I keep myself busy and just need to remember to eat.

Did anyone experience weight gain immediately after sleeve surgery? The morning of surgery 2/10 I weighed myself and I was 267. On 2/12 when I was discharged and reached home I was 276?

Carol Brower, I totally get what you're saying, your opinions and feeling are very valid. Im not a therapist, and we can't "fix" you either, but may we can help you a bit. Yes, im older, happily married, together many years, but it's totally normal to want to be desired by men, to have them want to talk, flirt, engage, converse, whatever. I like it ! No lie ! And yes, before my weight gain I was slim and attractive too. After marriage and a child, the weight came on, and the men stopped engaging etc. Now im slim again, and think I look better now than before, and yes, the men want to talk, flirt, engage, converse, whatever. Human nature . It's cute, but even if I was single, I would be selective. Why? Because I'm worth it !! So are you !! And a key to a stable relationship is to have a stable relationship with yourself first . The men will follow, because that's human nature. But it's up to you how you want/allow those men to treat you. Totally. Up. To. You. I wish you well.

Skin issues depend on whether or not you EVER smoked, amount of weight gained/lost, how long you were obese and genetics. Exercising and drinking lots and lots of Water can help some too. Even with lose skin, I'm still so much happier at 212 than I was at 385. It's totally worth it. And they make lots of really good shapewear these days, even for guys. I know at the beginning of my journey I thought spanx? nah.. no way. Now I like them. Linda, I'm confused on your statement about coffee.. does your doc make you give it up? I drink tea frequently now, but still have a couple of cups of coffee a day. I try to keep it to 2, but not so rigid that I won't have a 3rd if I really want one.

Its been a while since I posted, because I started working in August. I work with children, so my job is active. However, I noticed a little weight gain since I started working. No, I have not been to the gym that much. I am in school/college, and my time is pretty much consumed. I can do an at home work out, any suggestions on ones that really show results? I have always worked out when I was a stay at home mom, but working is throwing me a bit.

First off, congrats. Secondly, start eating carbs, not necessarily white carbs, but don't be in ketosis. You need to get into see a doctor immediately so they can pull blood levels, and type your blood. They may not want to see you until you are 8 weeks, every doctor is different. I was advised to eat 1700-1800 calories a day of a well-balanced, nutrient dense diet. You do not necessarily have to see a high risk ob. I have to see one because of my clotting disorder and because of previous miscarriages and my age, VSG plays a very small role in my pregnancy. You'll need to continue to take Vitamins. I'm actually allowed to stay on my Celebrate bariatric vitamins because they have more folic acid, and Iron than some prenatals which are the 2 they look at for pre-natal vitamins. As for the concern of weight gain, believe me, I 'm right there with you. I've gained about 5lbs in 12 weeks, and my belly has popped so none of my regular clothes are fitting, and I'm back up to a size 5. Which is a total mind f*ck, but it's getting better, and I don't want to hear that I'll lose the weight, I effin know I'll lose the weight, but that doesn't make the fact that I'm gaining any easier. I can not comment on getting married. I personally do not believe in getting married out of convenience or pregnancy. But, if you love the man, and want to marry him, then that is what is important. I'm an Air Force wife, and let me just say that if you have not experienced being married to or dated someone in the military or have zero military life experience, it is a total bitch. Believe me, I love the life that the Air Force affords us, but we sacrifice a lot. You and the baby will come second to his career, the military in general does NOT care if you have a baby while he is deployed, his schedule won't change because he's married, nor will they accommodate him in any manner other than giving him more money for his housing allowance, and you'll get insurance that is not all it's cracked up to be. I have learned to maneuver the system, but it is not fun, and there are a lot of regulations that you might or might not like. Being a military wife is by far the most frustrating thing I have ever done. But, I am grateful for the guaranteed paycheck, and benefits, the sacrifices that we make do not compare to the amount of time we spend apart, nor does any of it get any easier. I've adjusted well, but being pregnant, and my husband working 12-15hours a day, 5-6 days a week is exhausting and it's very draining. Marrying a man in the military is not as romanticized as TV or movies it, there are 3 wars/conflicts going on, my husband has a 72 hour bag, and 90 day bag packed and ready to go at a moment's notice, and I have to stare at those damn things every day of my life knowing that if the call comes in, he's gone. My husband has been in for almost 11 years, and is an E5 about to sew on E6, and believe me, military pay sucks. You'll qualify for WIC, and possibly other gov't assistance, and you'll need it. I know I'm not being positive polly, but being married to the military is just that, you're married to the military. There is an old saying " if we( the US military) wanted you to have a wife, we'd issue you one." And in some regards that is 100% true. There are tons of services available to you as a military spouse, and it is a great community, but there is a lot of negatives that come with it as well. I could tell you that it's all sunshine and daisies, but that's a complete and utter lie. With the new administration, they have cut funding, my husband's allowances were cut this year, as were health benefits, and regulations are stringent. BUT, there are a lot of positives. I have zero regrets being a military wife. I'm proud of my husband, and the job he does, but I can tell you that it is stressful, and draining. I use every resource, and available benefit the military life offers. There is spouse tuition assistance, and the Post-911 GI bill can be used for the spouse or children. We are actually using John's GI bill for the kids. He gets an annual tuition assistance from the military, and that is what he uses for online classes for his degree instead of using his GI bill. I am a stay at home mom/wife, but I do major couponing, I shop on base, I stretch every dollar we have, and by no means do we live paycheck to paycheck, but that will all change when the baby arrives. We do live very comfortably on my husband's salary, and I supplement by working part time with my lia sophia business. I really do love the Air Force because of all the resources and services that are available to us, but I won't lie and tell you that the long hours, deployments, TDYs, and exhausting shifts are easy to manage especially with children. If you have questions about the insurance, how it works, or anything else, please feel free to message me. There are 2 different options for the insurance, and it truly depends on how you want to manage your healthcare. There are pros and cons to both options. You will need to sign up for military dental insurance for spouses/children. Again, there is a lot of information, and stuff that you'll have to do if you get married. It's a great opportunity, but go in "eyes wide open". Also, know that the plication surgery is not a covered service with Tricare, nor is VSG, so you might be limited to the first Tricare Prime option which is the H M O option, and Tricare Standard which is the PPO definitely will not cover anything related to your plication. I can explain all this to you in more details, but it's extensive and might be easier to explain via a phone call.

I think it's a nice guideline, but as we all know, weight loss and weight gain are so much more complex than that! Your BMR fluctuates every day, which is why people are able to maintain the same weight consistently even though every day we eat a little more or a little less than the day before. Then your BMR also fluctuates based on your weight; your lean body mass (fat-free weight); your recent weight changes - your body naturally tries to resist weight changes by revving up or slowing down your metabolism accordingly; whatever supplements you're taking and what you are eating/drinking - caffeinated beverages, green tea extract pills, etc; temperature of your surroundings - which is why you get so hungry after swimming in the chilly pool; etc, etc, etc. And the same for the calorie burn you get with exercise - unless you've got a heart rate monitor and have logged your weight into the machine, the calorie reading could be totally off. Bottom line: don't worry about this too much. If you are losing, all is good; if you are not, something needs to change, that's all that matters!

This has been the hardest thing for me. I gained 5 pounds right off the bat. Now I am actually 4lbs under where I was when I got preg. I am preg with twins and am having some bleeding issues right now and am on bedrest. So for me, I have stopped worrying about the weight gain and more about having 2 healthy babies. The weight will come back off.