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Pre op I was a UK 28 (US 24). I am currently a UK 24 (US 20) and I hope to get back to UK 12/14 (US 8/10). Clothes sizes vary from shop to shop in the UK. Before my weight gain I could wear a size 12 in TopShop but require a 14 from M&S.

HA!!!! Not to mention the fat redistribution, severe mood swings, hair loss (well, it moves to other areas), and then the joys of coming down off steriods. That is the point the weight gain restarts. Of course, it all depends on which illegal drug he refers to. Bad stuff.

i am looking for information about becoming pregnant with the lap band. will the lap band be able to stay in with no complications and how about diet and can avoiding the extra weight gain besides baby weight be possible? Thankyou for any ones answers.

LL ~ before I admit this I must let everyone know that I am a man who is at peace with his manhood. In fact after this post I am going to pre-tend to drink a beer, get in my truck and go shoot a couple of small animals from a moving vehicle... A redneck at heart. -=chuckles and nods=- I understand, CanMac...your masculine side is safe with Us... right girls? -=runs out and shooooes all the small animals off the roadsides=- -=leaves the goffers cause I really don't like them anymore! (there is a story there... grrr little buggers!)=- but I have to say LL I also went to Dracula the ballet and loved it... I took my wife as was only her second time at a ballet... first was a couple of weeks ago with kids at Cinderella. Dracula was great but I had to remind my wife that the men dancers attire was padded in certain regions!!! -=smiles softly and thinks of all that padding.... sighes=- they sure do have big shoulders..... Anyway I am a big Anne Rice fan and it was great to see another person appreciate her. Anne Rice is quite a talented lady and really was the first that I read who put a human side to the vampire. I have read others since that have , but Anne was the first and so she remains very special in my heart. Have read all her vampires CanMac? I also loved the Tale of the Body Thief... lol reading the antics of Lestat in the body of a human was for me a real treat. I laughed a lot and shook my head more than once. I have this picture of Lestat trying to shallow orange juice with the pulp in it. I imagine the look of complete disgust on his face and chuckle. I can see you are doing great and have started your journey. One thing that worked for me was using a Diet and Excercise software to record weight, food and excersise to graphically show my progress. I admit I weigh everyday but know that small weight gains or plateaus happen and shrug them off. Thank you for noticing I have started, Can you tell me more about this software you and the Mrs are using? I would be interested in it. I have seen it for palms but I think I would rather use it on my laptop. My wife is even using the software know for herself... thin as she is just for health reasons. Anyway rock on and good luck CanadianMacDaddy ~ on his way to Home Depot and Canadian Tire to look at some power tools and car parts.... manly stuff not Ballet !!! -=hops into her car and heads down to Home Depot and then Canadian Tire with a trunk full of Alberta Ballet gear all kinds of padding and such to tuck in between the hammers and wrenches... (not to be confused with wenches) ties ballet slippers on the power tools and then smiles and big smile=- THERE!! much better now! -=crosses arms over her chest and then remembers to put out some Waxing stuff... strips of muslin.... spatulas for spreading the nice hot Wax and of course some powder for those extra tender bits=- My work here is done!!

Hi all! Well My MIL is still in alot pain but no major organs damaged as I mentioned yesterday. I had alot of fun yesterday picking out new linoleum for my apartment- it looks like wood so it gives the look of wooden floors. It should be installed sometime this week ! What a difference a weekend makes, here in New York this weekend its low 70's and beautiful, compared to the Nor-eater that destroyed my basement apartment carpets and some furniture last week. On the negative side my psychiatrist has changed my Bipolar medication once again ! The Depakote was not working that well so now he has me on Tegretol and I have to go back to him in two weeks to see if he wants to keep me on this new medication. I hate when my medication gets changed since these medications have side effects and weight gain is one of them. Its been so hard to say on track lately I go up and down. I have gone as far up as 240 and back down to 225 in one month. Righ now Iam at 235 but Iam not changing the ticker until I go see the Nurse NP. My cravings when on these medications have been Sweets! Iam trying not go over board, but its so dam hard:think ! I have to for my next appointment on April 25th but, Iam not looking foward to it since I have been really terrible with my eating over the past month! It been because of the continued medication changes and my depression. I was a Complusive Overeater before I had the surgery and Emotional eater. I turn to food for comfort, being in a depressed state from my Bipolar this month with the medication, I have been turning to my old food choices.:think Its so hard for me having Bipolar1 and having my band, but Iam trying the best I can to work through it all. Thanks to this board and my friends here, I know I can post my feelings and know Iam not alone ! Lisa

eating boullion AGAIN... is this normal to "eat" all the time the first week. I am getting in boullion, water, sf popsicles and sf jello. I feel like I am doing it ALL the time!!! Not that I am worried about weight gain, just wondering if anyone else "ate" all the time the week after surgery. I know I am suppose to be getting my water in and I have been so far. :clap2:

Aubrie... did the endo look at whether you have PCOS? I was diagnosed almost 30 years ago and my daughter has it too. One of the problems with PCOS is that you gain weight, seemingly for no reason. Coupled with this I had terrible sugar cravings. My doctor at the time told me 2 things: "lose weight" and "when you want to get pregnant we can help you." Not much help really. I couldn't stick with a diet long enough to lose and I got pregnant without his help. LOL Anyway, last year I saw a TV show about a woman who gained no matter what she did. Turned out she had PCOS, but now days they actually try treating it with medication. I finally asked my current doctor about it and she prescribed the same meds for me. I cannot say it made me lose more than a couple pounds but it TOTALLY helped with the sugar cravings and I stopped gaining, which is at least something. Between the lack of cravings and the band I feel like I finally have the tools for success available to me. I'm going for my band May 2nd. Woohoo!!! :clap2: One last thing. I found out yesterday at my psych eval that there are antidepressants that CAUSE weight gain. Don't know if this is a factor for you or not... but I was sure surprised to hear it. Good luck with everything.

Published by Jampolis (2004). A 51 year old patient complained of a 15 lb weight gain over the last year despite beginning a strenuous triathlon and marathon training program (2 hours per day, 5-6 days per week). A 3 day diet analysis estimated a daily intake of only 1000-1200 Calories. An indirect calorimetry revealed a resting metabolic rate of 950 Calories (28% below predicted for age, height, weight, and gender). After medications and medical conditions such as hypothyroidism and diabetes where ruled out, the final diagnosis was over-training and undereating. The following treatment was recommended: Increase daily dietary intake by approximately 100 Calories per week to a goal of 1500 calories 32% protein; 35% carbohydrates; 33% fat Consume 5-6 small meals per day Small amounts of Protein with each meal or snack Choose high Fiber starches Select mono- and poly- unsaturated fats Restrict consumption of starch with evening meals unless focused around training Take daily multi-Vitamin and mineral supplement Perform whole body isometric resistance training 2 times per week After 6 weeks the patient's resting metabolism increased 35% to 1282 Calories per day (only 2% below predicted). The patient also decreases percent fat from 37% to 34%, a loss of 5 lbs of body fat. Jampolis MB (2004) Weight Gain - Marathon Runner / Triathlete. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 36(5) S148 the adrenal glands secrete the hormone cortisol as a reaction to stress, and excess cortisol leads to weight gain, especially in the abdomen area, along with sleep disturbances, mood swings, irritability, loss of memory and poor digestion. Elevated cortisol also aggravates sugar distribution, which contributes to development of high insulin levels and ultimately diabetes. When the adrenal glands pass the point of stress they go into exhaustion, which creates physically damaging conditions like Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, arthritis, hormonal problems, inflammation and heart attack, just to mention a few. Estrogen dominance is another fairly common factor that contributes to inability to lose weight; we eat meats, eggs and dairy products that have been treated with synthetic hormones. Estrogens create Water retention and fat deposits; in time of pregnancy, estrogens are vital in protecting the fetus, but elevated estrogens otherwise create havoc for our endocrine and digestive systems. Weight Control Most athletes are concerned about their body weight. Many sports place heavy emphasis on maintaining specific body weights for competition. It is important to understand that weight control is influenced by more than just calories in verses calories out. When setting a healthy target weight, one needs to consider many factors, including; height, activity level, diet, sex, genetics, and daily energy needs. There is no specific “ideal weight” that can be assigned to one individual. The goal weight should be realistic and healthy for the athlete. Factors that influence calorie-burning rate Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR): Level of energy needed to keep involuntary body processes: pumping heart, breathing, generating body heat, perspiring. The higher this rate, the more likely one is to lose or maintain a healthy body weight. Age: BMR declines with age. Changes in hormones and body composition slow down the BMR. In fact, the BMR declines 2% per decade after age 20. NOTE: physical activity can help keep BMR high. Genetics: Genetics also influence differences in BMR. Some individuals genetically inherit higher metabolisms then others. Body Composition: Muscular, lean bodies have higher BMR’s than soft, rounded bodies with fat tissue. Ounce for ounce, muscle burns more energy than body fat. Therefore, the greater proportion muscle to fat, the more calories needed to maintain weight. Height: A tall, thin body has more surface area than a short body. Therefore, the taller individual will have a higher BMR in order to maintain normal body temperatures. Gender: Males typically have less fat and 10-20% more muscle than women, and therefore typically have higher BMR’s than women. Temperature: Extreme hot or cold temperatures also raise the BMR. The body has increased energy needs for regulation of body temperature. Physical Activity: Depending on length and intensity of workout, physical activity can increase BMR for several hours afterward. Caloric Intake: Severe caloric restrictions can slow down the rate in which the body burns energy from food. The body’s metabolism slows down to accommodate for lower caloric intake. This is the reason why one can actually gain body fat on a diet of 1200 calories per day. NOTE: When cutting back calories, never go below 1200 calories for women or below 1600 calories for men. Digestion: Digestion and absorption of nutrients uses approximately 10% of daily energy expenditures. Figuring Your Energy Needs 1. Figure your basic energy needs (BMR). Multiply your healthy weight (in pounds) by 10 for women and by 11 for men. Weight x ___(either 10 or 11) = _______calories for basic needs. 2. Figure your energy needs for physical activity. Check the activity that matches your lifestyle for most days of the week: ____Sedentary: mainly sitting, driving a car, lying down, sleeping, standing, reading, typing, or other low-intensity activities ____Light Activity: (for no more than 2 hours daily): light exercise such as light housework, grocery shopping, walking leisurely ____Moderate Activity: moderate exercise such as brisk walking (and very little sitting), heavy housework, gardening, dancing ____Very Active: active physical sports, or in a labor intensive job such as construction work or ditch digging Multiply your basic needs by the percent that matches your activity level: sedentary: 20%, light activity: 30%, moderate activity: 40%, and very active: 50%. ______ calories for basic needs x _____% for activity level = _______ calories for physical activity 3. Figure energy for digestion and absorbing nutrients. Add your calories for basic needs and calories for physical activity, then multiply the total by 10%. (______calories for basic needs + ______calories for physical activity) x 10% = ________ calories for your total energy needs Example: A football player is figuring his energy needs. He currently weighs 350 lbs, however determined that 325 is his “healthy weight”. He calculates his estimated daily energy need to reach this weight: Basic energy needs: 325 lbs x 11 = 3575 calories Energy for physical activity: 3575 calories x .50 = 1788 calories Energy for digestion and absorption: (3575 + 1788) x .10 = 316 calories Total energy needs: 3575 + 1788 + 316 = 5679 calories 4. Figure appropriate carbohydrate, protein, and fat ratio. Remember for athletes; 60% of calories should come from carbohydrates, 20-25% from fat and 15-18% from protein. Example: Using the football player example from #3, we will breakdown the 5679 calories by: CARBOHYDRATES: 5679 calories x 60% = 3407 calories ¸4 calories per gm = 852 gm Carbohydrates per day PROTEIN: 5679 x 15-18% = 852-1022 calories ¸ 4 calories per gm = 213 – 256 gm Protein per day FAT: 5679 x 20-25% = 1136-1419 calories ¸ 9 calories per gm = 126 – 158 gm Fat per day SOURCE: Duyff, Roberta, MS, RD, FADA, CFCS. ADA Complete Food and Nutrition Guide 2<SUP>nd</SUP> Edition. Last August there was an article in the NY Times called Fat Factors that illuminated past and current research investigating the possible correlation between microorganisms and obesity. I was so thrilled, that I immediately e-mailed it to my doctor friends who love to reduce weight loss to simplistic math: calories in - calories out. Fat Factors tells the story of a research patient, Janet, who agreed to 3 months of hospitalization (in exchange for free gastric bypass surgery at the end) to allow her weight to be closely monitored and regulated. The researchers calculated the precise amount of calories Janet needed to maintain her weight, and prepared each of her meals. In two weeks, Janet gained 12 pounds. A next logical train of thought might be that Janet is genetically pre-disposed for obesity, that her fat is in her genes. The first obesity gene was discovered in 1994, and about 50 more, with regulatory effects ranging from fat metabolism to knowing how much to eat, have been identified since. And the genetics theory encounters practical challenges of its own, such as identical twins with similar eating habits and extremely dissimilar weights. Enter “infectobesity,” a term coined by a physician at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Louisiana who studies the relationship between excess weight and a common virus. Other microbiologists at Washington University in St. Louis are studying the trillions of gut microbes to see if any of them may play a role in making bodies fat, and more researchers at Virgina Commonwealth University, having “successfully” created obesity in chickens, rats and marmosets by infecting them with microbes. Now they are retrospectively surveying humans to evaluate correlation between body weight and antibodies that indicate past microbial infection. Our inner community of gut microflora plays a wide variety of metabolic roles in the human body. And to quote the article’s author, Robin Marantz Henig, about one in particular, “It helps extract calories from the food we eat and helps store those calories in fat cells for later use – which gives [it], in effect, a role in determining whether our diets will make us fat or thin.” Fat Factors is a long article with wonderful stories about researchers and research subjects alike. The short of it is that evidence is accumulating to support some sort of relationship between microbes and obesity, at least in some cases, and that, sadly, the clinical application of this knowledge is still many years away. Most of all, it’s a wonderful reflection on the traps of over-simplified thinking (such as our cultural view of fat = lazy or the standard math of calories in – calories out) and a reminder that we are never alone, that wellness is a team effort – you and your microbes, working symbiotically to create a body of health. Here are just a few research articles (not written by me) that show they are many factors involved the body is sooo complex and metabolism, cardometabolic sydrome, hormones, body flora etc all play a big roll in weight loss. If it was as simple as cal in vs cal out I would have been thin LONG ago!

Hi Denise, Im not banded yet but expecting to be here soon. I just wanted to jump in and comment on the hormone replacement - that is one of the side effects of HRT or BCP's (birth control pills), weight gain that is. That's one reason why I stopped them (among many others). You can look into natural methods for replacing hormones that dont have side effects just in case that's the issue. Dr John Lee has some great books on the subject. Hang in there

LL ~ before I admit this I must let everyone know that I am a man who is at peace with his manhood. In fact after this post I am going to pre-tend to drink a beer, get in my truck and go shoot a couple of small animals from a moving vehicle... A redneck at heart. but I have to say LL I also went to Dracula the ballet and loved it... I took my wife as was only her second time at a ballet... first was a couple of weeks ago with kids at Cinderella. Dracula was great but I had to remind my wife that the men dancers attire was padded in certain regions!!! Anyway I am a big Anne Rice fan and it was great to see another person appreciate her. I can see you are doing great and have started your journey. One thing that worked for me was using a Diet and Excercise software to record weight, food and excersise to graphically show my progress. I admit I weigh everyday but know that small weight gains or plateaus happen and shrug them off. My wife is even using the software know for herself... thin as she is just for health reasons. Anyway rock on and good luck CanadianMacDaddy ~ on his way to Home Depot and Canadian Tire to look at some power tools and car parts.... manly stuff not Ballet !!!

Ive taken diet pills off and on during my banded years. When I ve noticed a weight gain (+3-5 pounds) I'll taken them for a week or so till I can get my eating under control. I keep a bottle of tenuate (oblong tablets) on hand for these situations! I -always- break the tablet in half, I cant stand the 'high' feeling the diet pills give me. For me, 1/2 tablet works fine and goes through the stoma with no problems. Good luck!

My first posting after lurking... I've been thinking about this surgery for a while but just now starting to seriously do the research. I lurk on other related Yahoo groups and hear so many stories of bad post-surgery health, taking tons of pills to make up for the loss of nutrition of not being able to eat normal quantities of food, weight gain, and scary surgery complications. This is why I'm thinking more of LapB than the bypass surgeries. I haven't gone to any support groups yet but one is coming up that I'll go to. I live in the San Jose, CA area so am just starting to research doctors. The support group I found is for patients of LapBandSF (San Francisco). One issue I wrestle with is the thought that doing potentially life threatening surgery to lose weight is the coward's way out and that I should be able to discipline myself and ignore my food lust and lose the weight. I just turned 48 and first went to Weight Watchers at age 12 and have never been 'normal' weight since then (I always quit too soon). I get frustrated that I am unable (or is it unwilling?) to do what it takes to get the weight off and quit whining about giving up food and having to change my life (exercise more, lay off junk food, etc.). I should just toughen up and DO IT and not do surgery. Fortunately I'm fairly healthy considering being 100+ lbs overweight, no aches/pains just mental anguish and frustration. I know this surgery is a tool and not a quick fix (I wish it was, of course) but it's hard to admit I'm a failure at controlling my desire for food and that I need this drastic solution where I should instead pay the same $$$ to a sadistic personal trainer and a cook to come to my house and make to do 'the right thing.' Does this ring true for anyone else or am I too hard on myself? I've never been one of those obese people who have accepted their body and don't let it limit their lives. I wish I was but I obsess about it and fantasize about the day I can be normal weight (hey, even slightly fat would be wonderful) and do all those things I want to do. My life is on hold and I'm too stubborn to accept this is my life as a fatso and just "get over it." I think if I could experience what it's like to be thin for 1 week that I can use that as motivation of what life could be like. I've always been fat (passed 200 lbs at age 18 and never looked back), haven't worn a dress since age 14, no short sleeve shirts, no bathing suit, etc. I haven't discussed this with my husband, he's the opposite - skinny and not food obsessed. I casually mentioned surgery years ago and it freaks him out and doesn't want me to do it (scared that I'll die). I need to tell him I'll probably die of obesity related issues anyway since I have failed to get control. He says I just need to eat better but he's not obsessed like I am, it's an addiction just like alcohol or drugs (legal or otherwise) and it never really goes away. Ten years ago I did a medically supervised fasting program (500 cals per day) and I lost 3-4 lbs per week for 36 weeks. I ended up quitting early because I was traveling too much for work and couldn't attend the required weekly meetings. It worked great for me, was easy to follow, I wasn't hungry, and no medical problems came up. I was very committed to the program after hitting my max weight of 275lbs; it freaked me out and now I'm 30lbs away from that high point. :omg: I wasn't married at the time so having no food in the house was not a problem, it made it easy. I now have regained 80% of that weight so that's why I'm thinking of surgery. Deborah

That video is ridiculous. She is not taking responsibility for what she puts in her mouth. She is looking for the easy way out. I have gained some of mine back and I take complete responsibility. Nobody held a gun to my head screaming "eat!". I did it of my own accord. I have a friend who I love dearly and she had the DS done. She lost 140 pounds and can eat *anything* and not gain...but, that is because the DS is based on malabsorption. And, while she has had no weight gain in five years, she is so severely anemic that she has to have IV ferrous sulfate pumped into her every single week for the next two months! And, was told last week, she will need this about once every 2-3 months for the rest of her life.

Well the thing is that ever since I had all of the Fluid taken out, YES I could eat more (in quantity and in choice). By no means am I blaming ALL of my weight gain on not being able to eat the right things, because some of it is me eating the wrong things. However, lately, I will get "stuck" on the first bite of something. There is really no rhyme or reason to what I can and can't eat. I don't even TRY any type of plain meat (no sauces or anything to make it really slippery) or bread or anything like that. I was on vacation last week and we went to a mexican restaurant to Celebrate someone's birthday. I had one bite of my fiance's burrito -- which was smothered in cheese) and I was stuck the rest of the day, actually vomiting 8 times before it finally became "unstuck." It was miserable. I have never had that bad of a problem -- and I literally had one SMALL bite. I am now to the point where I have problems eating every day -- sometimes more than once a day. After getting back from vacation I was mostly eating Soups and "mushies" because I thought maybe my band had been irritated. I could feel it going down but it didn't get stuck -- it just felt like it was moving slowly. So I slowly worked my way into eating "normal" foods and NO....wasn't happening. The thing is that it's on and off. I can eat popcorn one day and the next, I can't even eat yogurt. I made some chicken salad with the canned chicken and some low fat mayo -- had problems. I tried to eat some fruit --had problems. But I could eat popcorn and of course any type of sweets. I could always eat salads and soups in restaurants but salads have been giving me problems....and any kind of Soup with anything in it besides liquid. Believe me, I have been through this long enough to know how to chew, know how to swallow even....I know what I should and shouldn't be able to eat. It doesn't make sense! And, I have no fill.....that is what makes it ridiculous to me! Thanks for your all's input....

Misty and lapDancer = Yeah! Misty I got my first kind of foamy feedback today. Weird, just lost of white foam. I guess I overdid the Liquids, if you can imagine. Collector - thanks, I though perhaps they inserted some rocks or something to have that kind of weight gain when I was on a very healthy preop diet was disconcerting. I think I will stay off the scale until it's been a week. Other than the foamy stuff, I am beginning to feel my energy again. Yeah! Walked halfway down and up the block. It felt good. I just don't know how much is too much too soon. I am sooooo comitted to this losing process. Off and running. I have a Post Op appointment next Thursday at 10am. Hugs and blessings to you all; without you I wouldn't be here.

It can be confusing,that's for sure. When I was first thinking about getting banded, it seemed like there were a LOT of posts about erosion and band slippage and that was scary. But I kept a couple of things in the forefront of my mind to help me stay focused: 1) The people most l active in a community like this one fall into three groups - those who want to be banded, those who were banded very recently, and those who are having problems. All three groups have a lot of nervous and/or excited posts. People who are doing well tend to spend less time here, and tend to lurk more than post when they are here, so you just don't hear as much from them. 2) The incidence of complications is really very slim. Because of my point above, it may seem like a bigger problem than it is. But if you look at the statistics, you'll see that erosion and slippage are very rare and becoming even more so as doctors in the US get more and more experienced with band placement. In the end, no one can assure you that you won't have complications. No matter what, it's still a gamble, but the odds are very much in your favor that you'll be ok. 3) What is the alternative? As far as I was concerned, this was my only option. I couldn't continue on the way I had been. At the very beginning of this process, I was shocked and horrified to discover that I weighed 70 pounds more than I thought - 45 more than my previous all-time high. It terrified me how easy it was to stay oblivious about my weight gain. I was gaining and gaining with no end in site. I could't drum up an ounce of willpower to diet, knowing that I'd ultimately end up even fatter than I was at that point. It all of a sudden became real to me that not only would I weigh over 300 pounds, it would be 325, then 350, then 375 and I felt completely powerless to stop it. I couldn't delude myself into thinking that I could just do nothing and stay exactly where I was at 266 pounds. The truth was, I'd tried everything else. I was either going to have the surgery, or continue to gain weight. I was tired all of the time, I had trouble walking, and my knees and back hurt all the time. Once all of these things came together in my mind, I realized that there truly was no decision to make - other than band vs. bypass. At that point, I made the decision to do it and I went through with it and never looked back. For someone like myself who tends to be incredibly indecisive about big stuff like this, the decision to follow through with banding was a surprisingly easy one. The band could be the answer for you, but maybe it isn't. Search your heart, but analyze your situation logically. Don't let fear guide your decision.

It’s part of the band insanity to get a little panicky when you stop losing or start gaining. First thing, take a step back and look at the situation. How much are you eating? Are you exercising? Do you feel any restriction? Are you grazing throughout the day? Band slippage alone wouldn’t account for weight gain unless you are feeling no restriction and eating more food. It’s virtually impossible to gain six pounds of fat in one week unless you are seriously overeating. If your food/exercise seems reasonable, it’s very likely that there’s something else going on in your body. It could be your period, stress, bloat, or any number of other temporary conditions that your body will sort out all on its own.

Today is Day 1 of my pre-op diet. I am ready for this. I managed to gain another 3 lbs, but I expected that. I hope that starting the diet early will make up for my weight gain during this time. So far this morning I had a single serving yougurt and coffee. I am not even sure what to take for lunch so I thought I would take a tub of cottage cheese to stash in the fridge along with another yogurt and a serving of SF Jello. It is hard to gauge how hungry I will be. I will take my glucometer with me because my blood sugars will be very unpredictable. Another reason for doing this early so that I can have them in normal range consistently before THE BIG DAY!!! THE BIG DAY - not long now. Can't wait to join the banded in this quest/challenge/journey. Update: DH took my before pics and they are not pretty. I find it so interesting how I can look at myself in the mirror to get dressed and not see myself. They were especially difficult to look at - and I really LOOKED - becauseI am wearing underwear that I wore 30 lbs ago! I am too stubborn to buy bigger clothes because I got rid of all my larger clothes last time. I will this time as well, but I am more positive that I will not EVER need them again.

Hi: Stuff the addiction nonsense. There is an article out today that British Gene hunters have found two very strong DNA genes that are markers for fat. Quote: The researchers first identified the gene FTO in the DNA of people with diabeties type 2 etc. They were surprised to find the marker was associated with increased body fat as measured by the BMI rather than insulin production so they scoured other DNA databases to see if the gene predisposed a person to obesity.In reviewing the genetics of some 39,000 people they found that individuals with one variant of the gene had a 30 percent higher risk of being obese than people without it........................on and on. At last we are getting scientific information out that takes us out of the freak show, addiction blame, etc and puts us squarely in the normal range depending on our genes. With the constant abuse from the media, school chumps, family enter pyschological damage and you have dynomite combination to weight gain. Plus the excellent documentary called "FAT" on PBS E we may actually start getting some support. In the meantime, I "weight" for noone as I struggle on my journey. Doddie

After 25 years of struggling with the weight gain, I realized that I could not continue along this "path of self-detruction". I had my first child at 39, with all the complications that come with being obese and pregnant. When my son turned 5, I was diagnosed with Diabetes (after having gestational diabetes while pregnant). I continued gaining weight, yo-yo dieting, gaining more weight, and feeling like a failure after each diet attempt. I have high cholesterol, and need to take multiple meds. 1 year ago, I became insulin-dependent. I no longer have energy, and I want to be able to keep up with my very active, supportive husband, and teenage son. I want to feel "healthy" again. I want to feel attractive. My husband gives me compliments all the time, but I truly want to feel "cutely average". I don't want to be too thin - just average would suit me just fine. I want to enjoy the wonderful life I have with my new husband and my terrific son. They deserve someone who is fun and willing to be adventurous with them. My surgery is scheduled for May 23rd. A new chapter, a journey I am willing to take to finally make things right for me and my family. God has smiled down on me before, He is always there for me, always.

Hey Everyone, Just thought I would start checking in again on LBT. I have had a busy 6 months since I have really been able to log on. Its time for me to turn to you, my fellow bandsters for support and inspiration. I swear I will be reading all the "new posts" I have missed for the next week, Boy you have been a busy bunch hahaha. I managed to keep my weight off and do quite well over the past year, I was down a total of 140 lbs and feeling great. once the holidays came around I started to struggle with weight again, those pounds started to creep back on (I only gained 8) but it was enough to scare me into getting a fill. So I had my most recent fill on Dec14, 2006. The Dr seems to think I may have a leak in my port or perhaps somewhere in the band which causes me to slpwly lose restriction. The fill was wonderful for a while then hunger becan to rear its ugly head again about 2 weeks later. Yup just in time for christmas ahhh all the food and parties again. so I ate and I gained then I went to aruba the second week of January while there of course you go out and have fun, eat drink and be merry right???? Well I was sick, nauseaus, couldnt keep a thing in me, vomiting at least 6 times a day and generally not feeling myself. I did a little counting in my head when I got home because I was still feeling ill and realized I was LATE! Well low and behold my december/january weight gain was due to being pregnant! NOW.... not only am I just pregnant I am pregnant with TWIN BOYS! wow, now that explains my hunger from christmas on, my excessive vomiting (I had my fill removed in February to be able to ingest enough food for the pregnancy and to generally feel comfortable) Of course also to reduce the tightness and lessen the risk of a slip from the morning noon and night sickness. I am currently going into my 5th month of my pregnancy, I feel GREAT although I am having a hard time emotionally seeing the weight come back on.... up 24 pounds but the babies are doing great and I have to keep telling myself I am gaining this weight to give my twins a good start at a healthy birthweight when they are born. My other 2 little boys are awake now, So much for free time (its going to be less in about 4 months) hahah so I better tend to their needs and enjoy my time as I know I will be busier than ever soon. Take care xxooxx

Yes, it would be interesting to compare body fat/lean mass ratios, blood chemistry etc. And I think the biggest telling factor is whether they keep the weight off. People who dont exercise are way more likely to regain. Exercise is a huge preventative factor in preventing weight gain and regain.

Angela, it isn't a waste of money to get a fill. You should like you don't have the proper restriction thus the weight gain. I would suck it up and go back to the surgeon. You will fail if you don't take control now. Julie

Hi Melissa, Reading your post, describes me to a T. I drink daily. Was bulimic before the band. Have gained 15lbs in the past 4 months. I was at my end a couple of weeks ago and was stressing about the weight gain when I found this site: somethingfishy.com. It was very helpful in making me realize that I still have an eating disorder. I sometimes wonder how many people have been banded, without realizing that it will not help their eating disorder. I still binge. Going to that site made me realize that I have been using the wrong coping methods in dealing with anxiety. I started keeping a journal and it has really helped. Anytime I want to eat because of uncomfortable feelings, I pick up my journal and put my negative feelings on paper. Then I ask myself why I am feeling this way and if I trully am hungry, or if I just want to drown the feelings out. I'm working on that now. The drinking I will tackle next. One thing at a time. Anyways, I know I'm rambling now, but I just wanted to let you know that you are not alone in this. If you haven't been to this site, check it out. I think you will find that there are many people like you and me dealing with the same issues. Take care. Jasmine

I gained 30 pounds in 3 months drinking beer in the early 70s due to clinical depression. That was the beginning of my long bout with fat. I weighed 130 pounds before that. Of course, they have finally figured out that depression changes the brain so that one rapidly gains weight. They didn't know that then, so my doc put me on tranquilizers. He said I could take up to 6 a day. Three a day caused me to sleep all day, so I slept a lot. Then I'd drink beer to kill the pain and gained weight. I think the average weight gain is supposed to be about 1 pound a year as we age. So I was at 160 and in the next 30 years I gained more than 1 pound a year though not before I had to take care of mother. I am down to 180 and hope to get to 160 someday, but I no longer drink beer. I drink brandy. Thank God for brandy. It's low cal and very potent.