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I think you are right in some areas. Research and knowledge is so important. But I also think that dedication to improving your health is the most important.. not 100% because that would mean we were perfect..And we know none of us are. I was one of those that thought I had it all sewed up. I knew what I was getting into and researched it for 2 years. After the surgery I realized I knew nothing at all. Sure I watched a few videos on how the procedure was done. Followed experiences on You Tube. Spent some time on here reading others experiences. Here is information you need to continue and succeed. Fight your way, day to day. Learn to fix your brain by reading how others did it or are doing it. Fight your fears by seeing how others have handled it. And realizing that it is a life time war that you win one fight at a time. I could broad cast my own loss every day on here but that is not the real deal. I lost my weight differently then most people on this forum and lived to tell about it. I never ever thought about stalls, weight gain or loss. I have gone by what I felt like and clothes sizes. We don't have a support group here either and it ticks me off so much because hundreds of people in my area have had WLS and it is like the biggest secret in history. Go where you learn the most and be as prepared as you can. My experience was that I would never have been ready if I looked into that completely..And never could I have looked into it completely anyway..I think you and I need to use every venue available to us. And start making a dent in the spots where there is no support or help for us. There is so much more then losing the pounds. There are the emotional, mental, physical and constant self doubt and not to mention how others treated us and now treat us differently. It is such a merry-go-round it makes my head spin.

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 have PCOS and have struggled with acne breakouts on my chin since college. I was prescribed Spironolactone when I was nineteen, and had taken it perpetually up until my surgery in August. It had initially given me flawless skin with invisible pores and a glow, so I was enamored by it. Even when it no longer was effective at preventing cystic acne, and contributed to my skin becoming parched and numerous health problems (including significant weight gain), I was terrified that if I stopped taking it I'd have an acne apocalypse. Still, I slowly eased off it prior to the surgery because I have very low blood pressure (unusual for being overweight) and was worried that taking it while I was consuming far fewer calories during the month of recovery would be problematic. I'm very happy to report that for the most part my skin has improved since surgery, and I never resumed taking the medicine. Spironolactone had been drying my skin out, causing the appearance of fine lines. My skin completely smoothed out and cleared up post surgery. My periods are also completely regular now. I think the weight loss has helped to alleviate PCOS, which in turn has helped with my acne. Stopping the medicine helped to prevent it from becoming so dry and irritated. My diet is also a significant factor because I'm not consuming nearly as many carbs or sugar as I was previously. The last awful breakout I had prior to surgery was following my birthday when I'd had cake and other sweets. For me, sugar is a definite culprit for my breakouts. For others it might not make a difference. Be very careful with taking B12 and other B Vitamins if you're acne prone. It's a bit paradoxical because they can actually help to heal and prevent acne for some people, but cause or exacerbate acne in others. The amount you're taking is also very critical. I had a horrific breakout right before Christmas that I am certain was caused by the B12 I'd added to my supplementation. It was a war zone of cysts and other funk all over my chin, and it took a month to heal. My dermatologist had given me B12, and I'd been taking it along with my Multivitamin (which has B12, but in a smaller quantity than what was recommended for VSG patients) without any problems. When I ran out of it I simply bought more B12 from Trader Joe's. I later realized that the problem was it was twice the amount of B12 as what my dermatologist had given me. I'd also begun taking Probiotics from Trader Joe's and believe they were fuel to the acne fire. Again it's something that for some people can be helpful for acne, and worsen it for others. I'd been taking it because of a Stanford medical study about how probiotics had helped VSG patients to lose more weight and prevent B12 deficiencies. Since I've stopped taking the B12 supplement and probiotics my skin has healed dramatically. I'm just taking the multivitamin and trying to be mindful about eating nutritiously.

Im sorry but I just dont understand why people get so judgemental and holier than thou over low bmi'ers. You've ALL been there and none of you jsut ate less, exercised more or were honest with yourself back then either! As for cosmetic surgeries - well I am not ashamed in the least to say that vanity was my major reason for being banded. My BMI was 35, I wasnt sick. Nobody blinks an eye at breast enlargements or tummy tucks but have lapband surgery - a surgery which is likely to improve your health in many many ways even if you're only mildly obese - and suddenly that's wrong? Jeez, how hypocritical. I just cant believe that people who have failed to control their weight gain to the point of becoming morbidly obese can then judge someone else's unsuccessful efforts and accuse her of deluding herself or being dishonest. Do any of you REALLY think if you'd just approached it in a different way you wouldnt have needed to be banded? How many freaking times did you diet and gain it back? And yet we STILL give out this advice thinking it will work?

I had that happen with my first wound. Actually, I don't know that it tunneled. New tissue grew too far up, closing over the top of a hole/tunnel. My Dr. had to re-cut through this tissue inside my wound 2 times b/c of this. The nursing service that comes to my house during the week sends a wound specialist every Friday to take care of me. His expertise has been wonderful to have and it seems that I have questions for him almost every week. He (and other nurses) have said that abdominal wounds just tend to take longer to heal. I know I'm just getting impatient, but I really am! I think it was easier to be on the wound vac with my first wound b/c there was a light at the end of the tunnel. A new port once my hole closed up. Now there's nothing to look forward to. No light, only weight gain :cry I know I will pull myself out of this, but it's been a hell of a long, trying almost 6 months. I never thought I would be here on my 6 month 'Band-anniversary'. I have a LOT of pictures on the OH website if you click on the link in my siggy, if anyone's interested. They're pretty graphic though, so consider yourself warned! I've gained 5 lbs in the last 6 weeks or so. I have just GOT to stop gaining! My Dr. prescribed Xenical last week to help me lose, but I haven't noticed anything yet (weight related anyway, BM's are another story!) I'm not eating like I used to, but still more than I did while banded. Hunger sucks!!! Anyone have any experience with Xenical (my Insurance doesn't cover it and it was $215 out of pocket :omg: ) or any other pill that seemed to help at all? Also, I know we've all dieted like crazy (and failed) or we wouldn't have had or be looking into surgery, but did anyone ever do something that really did work? Non surgical obviously. TIA!!!

I have PCOS as well, and 8 weeks out, down 54 pounds. I've been taking Giovanni for years for PMDD due to PCOS. Weight gain has not been an issue. Can you switch meds?

Congratulations on being so close to your personal goal. That takes work and moxy! Weight gains can mess with your head. I get the fear of going back to where you started. You are not a failure. No need to beat yourself down. This is the mental battles with weight loss surgery. Time to press forward and build yourself up. Work with your Dr. We are all a work in progress. Managing mental illness and keeping stable is work. Managing our weight loss is work. None of this is easy. You already know what you need to do. Stay the course. Wishing you the best, Jenn

So I assume you were stable on one medication a year ago at the time you had surgery and now you need two additional medications to be stabilized and your BS is giving you phentermine to counteract the weight gain. There has got to be a better option than taking all these drugs. Besides weight loss, has anything else happened to make you more emotionally unstable in the last year? If so, maybe that needs to be addressed. IMHO, you need a good therapist, good support in your life, good sleep and daily exercise. Psychiatrists are trained that the only way to manage mental illness is via medication and I agree with this for people that are psychotic, schizophrenic, bipolar etc. but people need more than drugs to become emotionally stable. I urge you to take control of your situation and not to believe that you have to take every medication a doctor prescribes. I am not saying you don't need any medication but it can not do the whole job by itself.

Ok, so here's the deal. Most meds will not "make you magically gain" if you don't actually put the extra calories in your body that are gonna drive weight gain. I say this cuz I know first hand. One of the worst drugs ever for weight gain cuz it def drives up cortisol and insulin is prednisone and even worse, IV prednisone! I was on IV prednisone for 3 months and during that time, actually LOST weight--about 60lbs. BUT, I was doing IF plus caloric restriction. And because I cut out high glycemic carbs and only focused on good lean protein, leafy greens, and low glycemic veg with a tiny bit of healthy fats, I was not hungry at all. I went into ketosis and that helped curb the hunger effects from the prednisone. I am also on Femara (a cancer drug that shuts down hormones and makes you hungry and increases insulin). I gained a crap ton of weight on this drug when I gave up and was eating my crappy diet. But in the last 18 months that I'm back on low carb/modified keto and eating a calorie controlled diet and doing IF -- I've lost 135lbs. So it is possible. My weight loss is slow. Only about 70lbs give or take since surgery in February. But I'm about 2lbs from first goal of 150 right now. It can be done!!!! Hang in there. Take your meds, feel better, move more, go low carb!!!! Eat those leafy veggies and lean protein and a bit of healthy fats!!! Drink lots of water!!!! You got this!

We Greens are a mix of fatties and skinnies. My kid brother and I were the blonde chunky ones (we took after an aunt) who had to watch ourselves while the middle brother took after both of my parents, brunette and naturally slender. In my 20s I lost the beef and did not gain weight again until menopause. My mum went into menopause at the age of 39 and I was 41. She and I gained weight in exactly the same way even though I have never had a kid and she had had three; our arms and legs, hands and feet remained slim but our torsos bloated up hugely. She used to joke that she looked like a pregnant spider. Before I got the band, I did, too. This was definitely an apple-type weight gain pattern. Long after I went into menopause people used to ask me if I was pregnant. I definitely do believe that genetics can play a role in one's weight issues. Some folks get more miles to the gallon and there once was a time (in prehistory) when this was an excellent survival mechanism. Along with genetics there are those issues of portion control, level of physical activity, and the type of foods that we are eating. All of these factors play their parts in this problem of weight control.

If you do add some weights to cause that needed weight gain and are able to get approved for surgery, just think how successful you will appear to the doc when they weigh you the day of surgery. He/She will think you did super with your pre-op diet. I pray your appointment goes well and you get approved by your insurance company. I was self-pay and borrowed the money from my 401k. I didn't even tell my primary physician about the surgery yet because she is one of those people that believes in alternative medicine and I know she wouldn't approve. Plus my insurance company would only pay for Docs doing surgery locally through the hospital where I work and since they are fairly new to this type of surgery, I didn't want to take a chance and chose someone out of network. Best wishes, Stephanie

That's interesting, because my doctor won't set the date until everything else is in place. I got my insurance approval in just one week. I do all my pre-op testing and blood work next week. Then, I see the surgeon and we set the date! I am hoping for the week of Dec. 16th, but we will see! So tips to get your primary doc to support you include the following: 1. Discussion of past attempts to lose weight and the outcomes of that over time. For me, each attempt eventually resulted in gaining MORE weight back than I had lost on various plans. So years of yo yo dieting is considered to be very bad. 2. Progressive weight gain year over year as you've aged. 3. Actual or emerging health concerns caused by or increased by being obese. 4. Physical and life limitations caused by your weight. 5. Therapist, family and or friend support of your weight loss goals. Hope this helps. Good luck!

I am originally from upstate NY, my husband and I moved out here to arizona 7 yrs ago and I was banded almost 3 yrs ago. I am 5'4" and started out at 235 pds. I initially lost 90 pds but gained 5-6 pds last christmas holiday that I have been playing around with. I have gotten use to eating nuts for Protein but they are high in calories and weekends I tend to cheat with chips. I need to get back to basics and get back down to my beginning food choices. You will do fine and you will see the "1" soon enough. It was a delight every month finding clothes I used to wear from NY when I was thinner and eventually lost too much even for those clothes. I am off all meds and enjoying life, but get very panicky about this weight gained back. I guess we always have to watch what we eat even with the band. The weather here has been triple digits for so long that we stay inside a lot on weekends and that does not help either, but fall is around the corner and I will get this weight off! Good luck on your journey and keep focused.

I couldn't resist replying to this topic. I am so fortunate to have a husband that loved me for who I am inside and has always been attracted, even at my biggest. he never saw how big I really was, but now really enjoys the benefits of a skinny partner. I realize that I gained my weight because I wasn't getting my needs met with food and some of my dances with my dysfunctional biological family and other issues I learned growing up (feelings about myself and who I was) really sabotaged me eating. i had developed an addiction to food, where that was what I was living for. Now that I feel so much better about myself and have eliminated the negative forces in my life, I realize that I really love my life now. Recently having lost both my in-laws, and watching the dumb a** behaviors of my BIL & SIL, I realize that I am so so happy that I am not like them. I also realized that I don't have to allow negative people in my life. Yep, that is freeing. As soon as we get done with my in-laws estate, we will not have anything to do with them. It's sad adding additional losses to our lives but worth it. So, so off track. From my experiences and scope of practice, now that people have chosen this avenue to enrich his/her lives, we are getting our health back and skinniness which adds a new level of confidence which is scarey for both us and our spouses. It would be well worth while to take advantage of this time and redefine our relationships with each other. this is a time to embrace our partners and include them in our dance. I highly advise see a therapist or counselor to get help with finding what our emotional triggers are to eating food. Not being able to endulge in food to self sooth leaves an empty void in us. If we don't find a different coping skill to deal with the void, we will end up back where we started with weight gain, or worse, a leak, that can lead to more series complications. This is our journey and I hope we can all make the best of it. I am so in love with my life today. I have so much richness in all areas and as I said above, I am eliminating all negative people in my life. I love me! I also love you all. Have a wonderful Tuesday!

I think you have gotten some great suggestions. You have been on my mind all night, bc I keep thinking you are gonna have to eat regularly. If the move is too stressful, maybe don't do it. I think your health is the most important thing right now, right? I bet your husband is very worried. I am praying for your weight gain. Do you think they made the sleeve too small? Since you are tall I would think it would be longer that some of us shorties. But perhaps you can't get enough food down or you don't eat often enough. You need to find some fatty foods, some kind of balance. Seem like TIff got the hang of it with her small sleeve. But hopefully you are getting medical care. Just wanted you to know I was thinking about you and hoping/praying you'll get some fat on those bones soon.

Obviously don't have that problem yet at a BMI of 26, but I'm thinking, what about using healthy foods for weight gain? Drinking whole milk and juice instead of water or sugar-free drinks comes to mind. You could easily add 300-400 calories a day with that - even more if you felt the need to. 114 lbs at your height is very low and below healthy BMI, but it sounds like you already know that, anyway. You might have heard about higher mortality in underweight people before - this is because underweight people don't have as many reserves to get them through a bout with serious illness. So it's definitely important to do something to try and bring your weight up into a healthy range.

What changed? Did you stop eating healthy, not working out, or??? I'm asking because I'm newly banded and want to understand what contributed to the weight gain. Thanks and best wishes!

I was told by my surgeons office that there was a 90% chance of me being denied due to a 7lb. weight gain during the three month nutritionist program. I was initially told if I gained weight it would not matter by my nutritionist but now that my paperwork has been submitted I have been told differently. I followed her plan exactly as she told me and still gained 7lbs. Two of my three weigh in I was very bloated due to water retention which she noted so hopefully they look at the whole picture. I called my insurance company in a panic because I really want this. They suggested in the mean time I go ahead and make another appoint with my nutritionist and lose as much weight as I can before that visit so that if I am denied I will be able to appeal right away with proof of weight loss. Her other suggestion was that I do one of the many pre op diets from now until then ( August 12th). She told me my best choice would be two liquid diets (protein shakes or smoothies) and one sensible meal at lunch or dinner time. Do any of you agree with this method? At this point I am willing to do whatever it takes to have this surgery. I made the appointment for August 12th so I would be doing this for the next nine days because I plan on starting Sunday. I was told if I was approved by the appointment to cancel it.

I have read that one of the signs of band eroision is weight gain. Stupid question but I'm going to ask it anyways. Is the weight gain caused because you lose restriction and you can eat whatever you want or...............is there something else that makes us gain the weight? I might have band erosion, having an endoscopy tomorrow, and I cannot stop gaining weight. Yes I am probably eating more now because I have no restrictionn, but there are days when I don't eat that much and I have gained about 8 pounds in 2 weeks. I am freaking out. Thanks for your input.

Don't give up!! If you really want this, you'll get it! Where there's a will, there's a way! And don't beat yourself up over the weight gain, that's why we're all here- things get us down and we eat. Do you have to lose the weight again to qualify or do you think they won't really need to see you until the Pre-op appointment? If you need to lose the weight, then do what you have to- I know you can! If not the. Don't even worry about the scale. Just start mentally preparing yourself for this huge change by making small changes. Believe me- (mommy can probably attest to this too!) nothing can possibly completely prepare you for the huge change you'll go through. I'm happy for you, getting more time with your kids! It's good you find a silver lining! Keep your chin up, keep going Good luck- keep us in the loop!

I think it should go down but I am not very worried abt weight gain or lose because all we r doing is on liquid diet so eventually will lose some significant wait anyway I would take lot of stress abt weight gain don't worry everything will be fine

Lol, you're right, you are allowed to ask anyone, just make sure you also ask your lady-doctor. You probably should not start taking oral contraceptives before surgery because they pose a risk for blood clots. After that it depends entirely on you. I would also personally not advocate for condoms that are non-latex- the failure rate is high and they are just not as effective. Some people are good with taking a pill everyday at the same time and never missing a dose- I am not. As such, I have been on depo, the shot, for my entire adult life (14 years-ish). I have a healthcare background so my doctor just writes me an annual prescription, I pick it up from the pharmacy every three months, and inject it IM in my glute. Easy, peasy, and you never have to have a period again. It can though take you up to a year to get pregnant after you are on depo for awhile and you should make sure you stop taking it for at least one year at some point before your mid-30's whiile taking Calcium supplements. Depo interferes with calcium absorption, but one year off of it, is enough for your body to catch up and you really have no long term related issues then. I love depo because I haven't had a time of the month in years, I only have to remember it every 3 months, and I have had no issues with it. Some people say it causes weight gain and mood instability. It makes you gain weight if you eat more, so if you don't eat more, you don't gain weight. I have been anywhere from 125-237 on depo and most weights in between- it has had nothing to do with gaining or losing weight for me. I have been at goal since April and still taking depo without a weight issue. Some people get cranky and depressed- I am just a general b*tch, so not sure if I have that side effect or not. Overall it's easy and you don't have to remember it often. You then have implant options, depending upon whether you've had kids in the past or if you want to have them anytime in the near future. You can also use the NuvaRing, which is just something you place yourself for 3 weeks and remove the last week during your time of the month. I have a friend who loved that. I believe they still also make the patch, which I have never used. There is also the female condom, which is a mess, not effective and generally a pia. I think you can still get a diaphragm, although I don't know anyone who uses them anymore. Also a mess and not very effective. You then have your array of spermicides and foams which combined with other methods are ok, but not good on their own. Overall, the best way to prevent against pregnancy is to use either a pill, patch, ring, or shot combined with a condom, every single time. Plenty of people swear by consistent use of only the female portion, but I like to make sure it's doubled up, lol. I don't need a crying baby anytime soon!

Hi I have had my lapband in for about 18 months now and am currently 26 weeks pregnant i still have my fills it was recommended if i could not keep up enough calories to go and have all my fils taken out (eek) .. At first my body just seemed to know it needed the extra food and it let me eat what i needed and more ..... I craved meat a hard food to eat as you all know i would take my time and i managed to eat it ...... My weight gain to date i could not tell you i refuse to get on the scales but i still see a skinny pregnant woman in the mirror , I am at my goal now so weight loss im not to worried about untill bub arrives ....... At times food is hard but you have to be persistant and take your time i tend to eat on and off allday as i can at the minute as im not working ......... I intend to breastfeed but still hope i want need to have any fills taken out i have brought a milk supplement to add to my daily food intake to give me the added boost i need ..... I was sad to read people have sent others hate mail thru simply not having a band fill undone when pregnant !!!!!!!! Are we not here for the same reason being over weight at some point ?????????? And a simple reality being a fat mother puts you at as many risks as a skinny one ........now im off to eat sweet n sour chicken with veg and rice i might only eat half but in 1 hour of 2 i bet i eat the rest .................... skinnysuzalu x ps. our baby is measuring right on record x:tt2:

NSV FRIDAY! Not freaking out as my scale moves up. This has never in my life... Strength training and building muscle. Bring on the weight gain.

Reflux of stomach acid into the esophagus can cause scarring and narrowing of the opening as well as ulceration. The test of restriction is with real solid food. If you're too tight, you will start to move away from solid foods to softer foods so you avoid the golfball feeling of pain in your chest and heartburn. This can actually cause weight gain as you drink your calories down or let them melt down as in the case with ice-cream.