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D1, I chose para guard cuz there r no added hormones or expected weight gain. Mirena has hormones just like depo did and I didn't wanna risk more gaining. My periods are normal. I get them and sometimes I don't, I really wanted something that I didn't have to think about taking each day, having my cycle wasn't a concern for me.

I wouldn't be comfortable going home after major surgery. The risk for leaks is highest within the first week, and I had 3 leak tests. I know some surgeons do this procedure on an outpatient basis, but I personally would not go home without at least 2 leak tests, and an overnight stay in the hospital. My husband was extremely supportive on my decision to have this surgery. I'm a band to sleeve revision and he was supportive of both surgeries. Neither one of us are drinkers per se, and I haven't attempted to drink anything since my sleeve surgery. I was able to drink alcoholic beverages with my band. I don't think you're crazy for wanting to live a longer, more healthy life for yourself. Tell your husband about all the joyful activities that you 2 can do after you lose the weight. Just from my personal experience, my marriage is more exciting, fun, and full of surprises due to me losing weight. We are more active in and out of the bedroom as well. There are going to be plenty of joyful things that you can share. Just get creative, and make him a list of all the great adventures you 2 can participate when you lose weight, gain more confidence, and more energy. Best wishes, and keep us posted on your progress.

Anyone had And ablation after sleeve? What was experience with weight gain? Or did continue to lose? I had sleeve done in September 2016 and Ablation done 3/30/17 worried about gaining back the 63 I already lost [emoji53] Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Hi everyone, I'm a 21 year old considering the sleeve. I've struggled with weight loss since I got my period. I went from being quite slim to gaining weight rapidly in a year, and haven't been able to lose any since, gradually gaining. I am currently at 76kg (168 lb), 159cm tall. I did find out I had PCOS when I was around 17, which explained my sudden weight gain after getting my period. I have had high cholesterol since I was 19, and have been on simvastatin 20mg since. Recently I started noticing my fasting glucose was getting a bit higher each time, up to 6.8 (122) fasting one morning, although mostly around 5-6 (90-110). I am also on metformin for my PCOS. Diabetes runs in my family, my mum, dad, uncle, grandma etc. all have it, with my mum recently becoming completely insulin dependent (previously T2). Although my BMI is low, around 30-31, as I am of asian descent, the BMI cut-off is lower too. I'm really considering doing this early, so I can prevent all these co-morbidities occurring later in my life. It's frustrating, I am technically "not heavy enough" but those who are are probably healthier than me. Has anyone my age/bmi had this surgery?

The foods that you mention nuts , butters and avocados, but also dried and fresh fruits, whole grain breads, potatoes (sweet and white), oatmeal, full fat dairy, I have ate from day one. Except pasta , high carb food. Are you saying to eat pasta , high carb foods? Of course I have since trying to put weight on. Healthy dense calorie food does not help with weight gain. But that’s for me. Everyone is different. I do need to mention my stomach feels more restricted. I was up to two cups of food 1 year out. Now being 2 plus years I’m down to 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup. Any ideas anyone.

I have read these post for several days now and wanted to say that it has helped out a lot.. I read all about things that I might of had questions on and always seemed to find the answer here.. and there are so many nice and caring people out here I think thats great.. I was banded on Aug 13th yes Friday the 13th I know what most of you might be thinking that you would wait and do it the day after or the day before.. but any how I did it on that day down in Mexico Dr. Gonzalez is my Dr. and he and the staff were just great and cause I chose to do it on the 13th I had the whole floor almost to my self.. boy was I spoiled.. I went back last week to have my stitches removed and my first fill I stepped on the scale in his office and was 16lbs lighter than before the surgery but now my one question is do you all have Water weight gain when you are going to start you period and is there anything that I can take to get rid of some of this water... well thats all I really have to say for now.. I hope that one of you might have the answer for me.. thank you...

Yep, I suffer from it too. It is a vicious circle depression and weight gain. Not sure who you get your scripts from but a real pyschiatrist is a must as GP are not for mental health. Also I suggest a counselor to talk to because you need that to help with why you eat and what to do to get it and keep it stopped on a mental level. Don't leave this problem hanging, the band can only help with the hunger not the monsoon of other problems we suffer from. Divide (problems) and conquer! Although husbands are great it is common to suck at understanding this issue. Find help today, call and get a referral or whatever you need. I know that is a lot to do when your depressed so ask a family member or a close friend for help. Hugs, Colleen

I'm not sure if this is the best place to post this question, but here it is. I have suffered from depression all my life. I'm sure that has contributed greatly to my weight gain over time. Although I have my depression under control a good share of the time, I still suffer from depressive bouts that immobilize me. I am entering this WLS process without any support, although I am married. My husband is pretty much oblivious of me and my needs. He lives in his own world. I have a difficult time making friends so I don't have a support system there. So, I'm on my own. I am worried that I will fail because of my depression. I have been on several medications over time and have not had any success with them. My questions, how many of you suffer from depression and how do you or will you plan to handle it and succeed with WLS?

you can gain weight with any and all types of weight loss surgeries if you let old bad habits creep back in. Weight loss surgeries are just a tool, and you have to keep up with your part of it for it to work. And they work extremely well as long as you follow the rules. a rebound weight gain of 10-20 lbs during year 2 or 3 is VERY common. That's more your body settling in to a weight it's comfortable at. If you're diligent, you'll stabilize there - or you may even lose some or all of the rebound if you work at it. But when old habits start up again, you can definitely gain weight again - sometimes a lot of it. And sometimes all of it. what WLS mainly does is control how much you can eat AT ONE SITTING. This is an example I've used a lot: Before I had surgery, when my husband and I ordered a pizza (always a large...), we'd each eat half of it. I can't do that anymore. I can eat 1-2 pieces. It's physically painful for me if I try to eat more than that. But it would be very easy to eat 1-2 pieces at 5:00 pm, and another 1-2 pieces at 8:00 pm, and yet another 1-2 pieces before bed. So....half a large pizza. THAT is the kind of stuff you have to watch out for - that, and mindless snacking (planned snacks are fine - but mindless snacking has consequences...). so to respond to your question about whether or not maintaining after two years is difficult, yes, it is. I constantly watch what I eat. If I notice the number on the scale starting to head north - esp if it gets above my "oh crap" number (the number I do NOT want to ever go over again), it's all hands on deck until it's back under control. So yes. Obesity is a very complex, chronic condition, and we do have to keep working at it to keep the weight from coming back. But the surgery DOES make that easier. There is no way I could have ever lost over 200 lbs and maintained that loss for several years (well, mostly - I did have a rebound) without this surgery.

Hello I'm 13 days postoperative I was sleeved on 7/19 at Celebration hospital with Dr. Kim. Up until this week I had been consistently losing at least 0.5lb or more a day. My weight at surgery was 293.4. I know I'm going to be a slow loser as I have had a thryroidectomy and I my metabolism has been shot since then. Anyways here my question?! On 7/29 I was 280.8 On 7/30 I was 280.8 On 7/31 I was 280.2 Today I was 282.4???? That weight was on the same scale after using the bathroom. I did take some stool softeners and senna lax last night. And they did work this morning so how did I gain two pounds. I'm getting in at least 60oz of fluids and at least 60grams of protein(my NUT sat my Protein goals at 81-107grams because of my height I'm 6ft tall).

Thing is... we all have food issues or we wouldn't have gotten fat. So while it is true that some target groups will try harder and put forth more effort, I don't think anyone goes into this thinking that they aren't going to put some effort into it. Most people I have seen fail any WLS type goes into this determined to change their eating habits and food choices just to discover that maybe they can't do it afterall. The band or sleeve or any other WLS type doesn't do a thing to fix your head. It seems so easy on some levels, get surgery and darn well just change head stuff. It doesn't work that way. You really don't discover just how many food issues you have until AFTER surgery and then you also discover the severity of these food issues. Before my surgery I kinda didn't believe it was going to work. I knew I was going to try very hard to do it but I really didn't think I could change my food choices and habits. I shocked myself when I did it. Today I prefer healthy foods and getting back to basics. I won't eat a burger from Mickey D's, you couldn't pay me to do it. I never thought I could give up fast food but I did. I'm lucky, a lot of people try their best and have the best of intentions and they discover they just can't do it. So you can't really take just those that are able to change food habits and use that as a target group for average bandsters because they aren't average, they are above average. The average bandster will lose about 55% of their excess weight (considering loss and the well known regain for all procedures) by 5 years time. That includes people like me that really seriously changed diets, added exercise, etc. AND it includes those that just can't hack it. Then there are issues of another nature. One problem with banding is that each time you have a complication the fill is removed and you are put on liquids for a time and then solids but with no fill. Esophageal dilation, pouch dilation, slip, etc., it's an unfill. That puts a dead stop to weight loss and actually turns into weight gain for most. Then the problem is resolved and you are back to getting fills again and finding a sweet spot. This is one reason banded folks have slower weight loss on average. Then you have mechanical failure. Leaks in the tubing, port, or band itself. You lose restriction and quite frankly if we could do this without restriction we wouldn't have had surgery to begin with. Without restriction weight gain happens again until surgical repair. I guess my point is that you can't just take successful bandsters and use that target group as the average WLS person. They aren't average, not in the least. We all make all sorts of plans and promises to ourselves that we will do this or that but the true test is when it's time to do it. Then we discover it wasn't as easy as we thought. My guess is 100%. Nobody is perfect with food issues all the time. Some do a better job than others. LOL! You are in for a big surprise. Banded and sleeved people make cheap dates too. ;o) It's also a matter of less food in your body to slow down absorption of alcohol.

Quote: Originally Posted by vegasgirl44 Ok, if you get offended by that time of the month talk, I apologize, and please read no further. HOWEVER, if you are intrigued, please continue. I am on day 9 of my preop diet of Protein shakes. I am supposed to stay under 1200 calories per day and have actually been hovering around 600-700 per day. Saturday night I ate a package of turkey bacon. Sunday morning, I gained 1 lb and today, I woke up and gained another half lb. I simply cannot tell you how discouraging this is. I'm supposed to get my period next Monday (I think this diet has thrown me off schedule) but I'm already bloated and cramping. Maybe I'm starting sooner, but I'm still pissed off that my scale is not going in the right direction. I have not had anything except that damn bacon, and I still came in under 1200 calories that day. I think I just need encouragement and a similar story...yeah, that would help. My scale is going to go down a lot after my period comes, right? I'm 47 years old. I should know this by now, but I need a hug. :thumbdown: Or just some cheese with the wine. :cursing: Hey Vegas...I'm probably a bit late on my reply, but I just read your post and wanted to offer my opinion, and past experience on this. I do think that your period will affect your weight loss, and once it is over you should notice a drop (as long as you haven't cheated). However, I also think that the Turkey Bacon may be the culprit to your bloated weight gain. Even if that package of turkey bacon was in your calorie allowance, it still mostlikely had way over the recommended sodium intake for the day; which, probably retained Fluid in your body, making you bloated and more weight. I say this only from personal (bloaty) experience. Cutting some of the sodium should help with the bloating, as well as adding lots of Water to flush out the sodium. Although, my Dr. told me NOT to take any diuretics to take away the water. So just do it the natural way, and celery and cucumbers help too! I hope this helps somewhat. Good luck!:thumbup:

My surgery is on 8/1. I have my pre-op appt with the surgeon on 7/29. I was told to begin my liquid diet on 7/25. But the last 2 weeks I have been pigging out on all my favorite foods and I have gained about 10 since my last appt. I am worried I will go to my pre-op appt and they will be pissed at my weight gain and postpone my operation. I am scared. I began a low-carb diet today since that has been my diet of choice in the past that allowed me to lose the weight the fastest. I don't want to be postponed. I can't believe I gained 10 lbs. since my last appt. Feeling very disappointed with myself for that behavior. Did anyone else pig out or am I the only one?

Hello everyone! It's been more than a year since I've checked in with the group and a lot has changed in my life. I've lost the job I had for more than 10 years, started at a company I've wanted to work for for a very long time but feared layoff would rear it's ugly head again and started working for another company that I've respected, admired and wanted to be a part of for even longer than the other one. In that time, I've ignored my band, didn't get fills and gained a lot of weight back. My weight gain was my fault, not the band. But I am here to get refocused, rededicated and get back on the right track again. Will you help hold me accountable?

I Have been following my preop diet with out an issue an was down 12 pounds but over the last 3 days have gained 2.5 back im frustrated but i have only cheated onece and had extra grilled chicken

You summed it up perfectly. The pre-op is preparation for the post-op, post-new mindset...This is not a drill, this is the real deal. If the weight gain is fork gain and not medical beyond our own control gain, then we must re-evaluate. What's in your tool box???

I have had my band since 2008. Had to have many unfills due to acid reflux, I now have 5.5 in my band, I started out with 7.0 in my band. Well to make a long story short, I have gained 22 pounds back, I have restriction which is good I think, after not eating much and some exercise the weight has not come off... About a month ago I realized I'm in menopause with the sweats, depression and everything that goes along with menopause... The weight gain is from this nasty menopause... What do I do???? I have good restriction and still gaining weight! My doctor seems to think I'm crazy? Anyone with this problem?

Has anyone taken Pristiq? Does it cause weight gain?

I am so dissapointed with myself. It has been a rough year for me and I have returned to seek comfort food. As a result, I have gained 10lbs back.

I am weighing multiple times a day. I weigh myself almost every time I use the bathroom! Lol! I was going to slow down but I actually think it helps me to see my weight flunctuate. It helps me paint a deeper picture then if I were to weigh in once a week. Especially when I am up a pound or 2 because I know that it's not really true. I like to average out my loss in my head. It would be more devastating to do a weekly check up and see my weight go up when it could just be a high water retention day or something. For me to actually consider it weight gain, I tell myself the number has to stay up for at least three days (I do the same with loss). That helps me not go crazy.

GINGER3151, You said you are using low fat foods. Most products labeled Low Fat are very bad for you. They have artifical sweetners which in some people have shown to cause weight gain or difficulty losing weight. They are also filled with chemicals which may also hinder weight loss. Try staying away from anything labeled Low Fat of Fat Free or that has the work Diet.

I agree with people who said not to starve or overly restrict yourself. It's great if you are not going to have daily food funerals til September and avoid weight gain; dropping a few pounds would be the icing on the cake, but honestly, you cannot even begin to compare the amount of work needed to drop 5 lbs pre-op vs. post-op. However, I think it's a good time to start exercising regularly, if you are not already doing it - you'll have an easier time recovering and won't be as affected by the post-op muscle loss as you are rapidly losing weight.

Congrats on reaching your "regular food" stage. Sure, some people experience a temporary weight gain somewhere along the way like you described. Is 3 oz of Protein the amount that is recommended at this stage for you? 2 oz sounds more typical for 6 wks out, but every program is different. Your best bet is to just as carefully as you can, follow the quantities recommended by your program, especially in the first 6 months. Eating out frequently can be a slippery slope. Even when you ask for those "special requests," you really do not have the control over how your food is prepared and what the actual ingredients are that you are consuming. There is nothing that compares to preparing your food at home--you know exactly what you are eating. Yep, so many of us eat out due to our busy lives and just run out of time to eat at home. I know I had to really get creative with "brown bagging" more often (especially for Breakfast and lunch meals). It takes a lot of planning, but now I pick one day a week (usually Sunday) to do a mini-marthon cooking session and divide up "to go" food for the week (or at least for 4-5 days) so at least I'm eating healthier MOST of the time. Then, for example, on Wednesday, it feels so good that I have already made my food decision for the week--I just grab it and go! Keep up the good work. Just keep following your program and your scale will keep moving in the direction you want it to.

<p>This is fitting since we're talking about motivation. I accidentally posted this to Before & After, but meant for it to go here.</p> <p> </p> <p>Seriously - if you don't already, and have any means to get it done, take naked pictures. Taking pictures in the same outfit over & over is well and good, but you aren't going to see the differences in your skin and shape.</p> <p> </p> <p>Every month I take pictures in 1) the same outfit from pre-op, 2) the closest I can get to skin tight current outfit, 3) completely naked.</p> <p> </p> <p>For the most part, I have DH take the naked pictures and write them to a VERY secure external & mostly detached hard drive. I can't stand looking at my naked pictures.</p> <p> </p> <p>Nearly 10 years ago, when I was on the upward swing of my extremely fast weight gain, I had hubby take some naked polaroids of me. (Yes kids, there was a day before every household had 15 digital cameras when you either had to take polariod, or risk every mallrat at the photo stand seeing your pictures). Not nearly as fun as it sounds, I promise. This was my way of motivating myself to do something about my increasing weight. Of course, all it really did was make me feel ashamed and disgusted.</p> <p> </p> <p>Tonight while cleaning out some old boxes o' stuff I found those named pictures. And you know what? I'm SOO glad I took them. When I looked at the clothed pictures, I can dismiss it away, always, to some extent. </p> <p> </p> <p>Naked, it is what it is.</p> <p> </p> <p>BTW, this before pic is WAY before. About 8.5 years before I was banded. It's also me about 50 lbs below my highest weight. Cropped for your viewing pleasure, of course. </p> <p> </p> <p></p>

I'm a year a three months out of my surgery, and I figured this is as good a time as any to share my story. I always found other people's journeys so helpful, and I hope someone can benefit from hearing mine. I definitely struggled a bit with my weight when I was younger. Even with playing sports I was heavier than my friends, and I have a critical mother who frequently put me on one diet after another, fostering some pretty unhealthy feelings about food. My weight didn't really become an issue until my late teens, when I struggled with some mental health issues that resulted in a weight gain of more than 50 pounds in a year. In between high school and college, I went to a summer weight loss camp, and that helped bring me down to a more regular, albeit still unhealthy, weight. However, the following years I really struggled and was eventually diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder. In the period leading up my my diagnosis, some poor medication decisions and my emotional struggles contributed to a rapid weight gain of around 80 pounds, bringing me to my all time high of 250lbs. I tried dieting, weight loss programs, weight controlling medication, and I never could get more than 20lbs off. I had finally got my psychotropic medications right, but I was left feeling pretty defeated and exhausted by everything that had transpired. Even though I was struggling, I was always an excellent student and I was accepted to attend an Ivy League school for my master's degree. My program was extremely intense, and my peers were all very high achieving and disciplined. I was one of two people in our class of over 100 with a weight problem, and I isolated myself a bit because I was so uncomfortable. I am an avid traveler and studied and work in the International Development field. During my lower weight in college, I spent close to a year studying and working in Madagascar and Uganda, and felt very much at home traveling and learning about other people and cultures, and working on projects to tackle rural poverty. My early twenties were very fulfilling, and I went to grad school wanting to continue the work I had done. Towards the end of grad school, I was on a trip to Alaska with my family and it struck me how miserable I had become because of my weight. I had already been participating in a weight loss program luckily run by a physician, and so when I decided to have surgery I had already fulfilled all of the requirements. I decided to have the sleeve, and within a month I had surgery. My life has improved drastically and I am ten thousand percent certain that this was the best and only option for me to be successful. Seven months into surgery, I accepted a position with a very large US NGO, and was relocated to South Africa to begin managing the NGO's 21 country programs in Africa. I work on public health programs for people with intellectual disabilities, and am so thankful that I have been able to work in an area that I am passionate about. I would not have been able to do this job at the weight that I was. Just in the seven months I've worked in South Africa, I have traveled to our programs in Nigeria, Uganda, Malawi, and Zimbabwe. These trips require a lot of physical activity, and I'm often in areas where you have to walk long distances is very warm weather, and spend a lot of time sitting on the ground and working long hours. For a vacation this summer, I went on a horse trek to Kyrgyzstan, riding for 6-8 hours a day and sleeping on mats in rural yurts with nomadic people. I cannot properly articulate how amazing it feels to be able to do the things I've always wanted to do. Having WLS was certainly not a walk in the park. I struggled a lot for the first several months with fatigue and a series of frustrating medical issues. I had my gallbladder removed a month after surgery, and I got c diff in the hospital. Finally being able to lose a significant amount of weight helped me to stick with the program and kept me motivated. As of this morning, I've lost 103 pounds and am solidly a normal weight. I'm still working on those last stubborn pounds, but I feel confident that I am going to reach my goal. I'll end with this--last week I was working in Malawi at a training for Optometry students to help them learn how to work with people who have intellectual disabilities. We screened a hundred kids, and many of them got new glasses to improve their vision. It was close to 100 degrees, and I was able to walk kids between different locations and carry heavy equipment for over eight hours. People didn't look at me strangely like they did when I was obese (unsurprisingly, obesity isn't as common in many parts of Africa), and I just felt normal. I've realized that being a healthy weight doesn't necessarily induce euphoria like I imagined it would when I was at my highest weight. Instead, it is the constant noticeable absences of discomfort, shame, and sadness. We all have our own feelings about body image and weight, but for me, I have a new perspective and appreciation for my "normal" problems. My boss might piss me off, I might get stressed about money, I might just have generally bad days sometimes, but I don't spend my day feeling like everything about my body is uncomfortable, embarrassing, and limiting. I very much admire and appreciate everyone on this site. If you are new, know that there will be some very serious struggles, and that perfection is not a long term reality. The further out you are the harder it gets to stay focused. But don't let that stop you from fighting. The sleeve helps stop the spiraling out of control that many of us have experienced, but ultimately your brain and attitude are responsible for keeping you on track. Good luck to everyone, and when you inevitably fall, get the hell back up.