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Sherrijo: I really feel for you and pray that things at home will improve. How are you doing "bandwise" with this stress? Are you feeling okay? Is there any chance that your hubby would see a counselor with you? If so, I would highly recommend this. In the meantime, hang in there, try and do things for yourself that are special and pamper yourself if nobody else will pamper you. If money isn't an issue, go get a pedicure, manicure, hair done, make up, massage or something else that you enjoy!! You are worth it!! Well, I went to my "exercise class" today and even used some boxing gloves. I was so sweaty but it was fun (in a painful way...lol). I also did extensive abdominal exercise (crunches) and was so proud of myself. My "inner athlete" is coming out. I was an athlete in high school and ran 3-4 miles a day in college for exercise, but over the years with the weight gain and knee problems, haven't worked out as much. Did join Curves over a year ago and did that between surgeries, etc. But, what I'm doing now is fun and challenging. I had to drag myself there, though cuz I like to stay up too late!! Oh, I lost another 2 lbs. Hurrah!! And this weekend I will do my measurements because it's been around 12 weeks since my pre-op diet began. I'm celebrating. The fill is helping me stay satisfied between meals and I'm happy about that! Well, hope to hear from everyone. Some of you haven't posted in awhile. Where are you?? We miss you??

Sorry it took me a while to answer you Kim. I'm still trying to figure out the bells and whistles of answering threads. Dr. George Field is originally from Australia. He is not only my surgeon but he is also a lapband patient himself. He was the eldest of seven siblings from a well-to-do family in Australia. Every one of his siblings, including his parents were slim and all ate the same food and had the same family activities except that Dr. Fielding took after a relative several generations back who was always heavy. Dr. Fielding believes in the "fat gene". So ten years ago, when the lap band procedure was new, he had his procedure, lost the weight and got off the nine medications he was on and decided to specialize in lap banding. To make a long story short, he came to NYC and met with Dr. Christine Ren, director of the NYU Program for Surgical Weight (she is world reknown in her own right) and he is now also an Associate Professor, Surgery at New York University School of Medicine in Manhattan, NY. My orthopedic surgeon, also at NYU, recommended Dr. Ren and Dr. Fielding to me last April and said they are the best. I went to Dr. Fielding's seminar in June and was blown away. He is on a campaign to alleviate the morbid obesity in the United States. Now what's more, Kim, is if you go to their website: thinforlife.med.nyu.edu you will learn everthing about Drs. Ren and Fielding and their program. In addition, go to the menu for Payment Options. Dr. Fielding raises funds so that people who desperately need the lap banding but have trouble because of insurance, etc. can qualify to get funding for their operations. I highly recommend their program. Their staff are tremendous. In fact, four of the people on his staff have had the lap band procedure. They are healthy, happy and can share in what we are going through. Their surgical staff are top notch. I must tell you that I feel great and am finally on the way to the light of my deep dark abyss of just waiting to die because of the weight gain, high blood pressure, heavy doses of the "witch's brew" of medications and side effects and inactivity.

The way I look was a major factor in my choice to have this surgery. I live in the core of a large Canadian city. Like New York, we have good urban transit and we walk a lot. People who live downtown tend to be well-groomed and slim. I started gaining weight after I went through an early menopause just like my mother, and just like my mother all my weight gain was on my torso. At first I was fairly relaxed about this but when I was switched, for reasons of treating my problems with depression (also hereditary), to a fattening cocktail of pharmaceuticals, this weight gain stopped being a joke. I joined a gym but exercise alone wasn't doing much and by now I weighed too much for liposuction and a tummy tuck. The truth was that I had become fat, was going to get fatter, and I felt that my body was totally out of control. It had become my enemy and I was embarassed by myself. A friend told me about this procedure. I made an appointment in order to find out whether I would be a suitable candidate and now here I am, another bandster! I was banded September 7 of this year. I haven't been weighing myself because I got out of the habit of using a scale when I was 25 and I can't seem to break the groove. I have been having some NSVs however and I am learning how to break some of my more self-destructive habits. But it was my vanity that started this journey.

:clap2: Hi Everybody, I got my lap band last Monday, October 2nd. The operation, done by my doctor, Dr. George Fielding, at NYU Medical Center, went very well. I am so pleased. I finally see a bright light at the end of my very dark tunnel. You see, my journey started ten years when I suffered a comminuted fracture of my left ankle in a boating accident. In other words, it was crushed and required five operations to reconstruct it. The first thing my orthopedic surgeon said was, "Lois, you're going to put on a lot of weight because you are going to be in a wheelchair for a long time while we try to save and reconstruct your leg." Always being active, I had no idea how much weight he meant. Oh, I also had a "silent" heart attack the year before and had already been gaining weight because I wasn't feeling well enough to hike as I used to. So in one year I put on at least 40-50 pounds because I wasn't doing the cooking. And it kept on coming on. Then in 8/99 I had a quad bypass. The bypass was scary but a piece of cake. Really. At cardiac rehab six months later I was working out beautifully but slowly kept gaining weight in spite of belonging to Weight Watchers and various other diets. Eventually I was working out with a trainer four times a week getting stronger but not losing weight. Then in 2003 I had an implantable cardiac defibrulator put into me and came out of the hospital with a "goody bag" of nine medications. That was my downfall. I couldn't work out as I did before the implant and it's been a losing battle ever since with the side effects of weight gain from the medications. Then, last April, my orthopedic surgeon recommended the NYU Surgical Weight Loss Program. I went to Dr. Fielding's seminar where he is not only a surgeon but he is also a patient. I was blown away. I immediately called my insurance company, Oxford Freedom Select, and found out they covered the surgery. I did the pre-equisite psychological testing and met with the nutritionist and finally, Dr. Fielding. The surgery, only a week ago, has changed me in so many ways emotionally. I don't feel as I am in a bottomless hole any more. I am not waiting to die. I have been so inactive because of my high blood pressure and do not feel helpless any more. I listened to his great support team and took it easy last week and did not lift anything heavy, just rested. I must tell you that two days after the surgery I woke up feeling like I had done 100 situps at the gym but I took Aleve and soon I was fine. I realize that I have to sip my Water, not gulp. A couple of times I forgot and felt the pressure because I drank too much at one time. I'm learning to listen to my body. I'm on the thin liquid diet and then after the esophagram this coming Friday and doctor's visit I guess I will progress to the next stage, pureed foods. I got the cookbook for recipes for people after weight loss surgery and it is so helpful. I made a great Bengali chicken Soup and pureed it and thinned it out and it is very satisfying. I highly recommend this procedure to everyone facing "surgical intervention" for their weight problems. I started out on the pre-op liquid diet at 282 and went into surgery at 272. I want to get to the weight the doctor's say is right for me, which the psychologist said, would be 190. I don't want to be skinny. Gee whiz, I'm 63 but I want to live another 20 years. God willing. I just want my blood workups to come out healthy. I want to be able to ride a bike and go swimming once again. P.S. You won't believe what just happened in my office. Someone just brought in a plate of lunch from a faculty meeting for me. I threw it in the garbage. I'm not even saving it to take home to my husband after work. Oh well, this won't be last time that will be happening. Get used to it.

Hi guys- Good thread for some who has not been banded yet (me ). I am at about 32 BMI give or take and have been for 10 years. Prior to this I was always around 25 BMI because I was a competitive athlete through my early 20s. The reasons I want to be banded are below. 1. I met and married a partially handicapped man and although he has little outward signs of his handicap (a small limp) so no one really knows how bad it is, it is pretty difficult to do any physical activities together. Even going to NYC for a date is out of the question because of the invariable amount of walking involved. We've been together for 10 years and I've packed on my extra 70#s in that time. I will be able to get 30-45 minutes of exercise 3X a week in on my own time but never more with my marital situation. The 2 hours away is already painful and I don't want to spend more time then that away from my husband. 2. My mother's and father's sides (a mix of course) have histories of MO. All the co-morbs that come with are happening to my mom right now. I am 34 and see nothing but additional weight gain as my life progresses because of this and #1. 3. I work in a very fashion conscious, appearance obsessed industry but are amazingly good at what I do so have been able to get away with not keeping up with my peers on that front. If I were to fit into traditional women's sizes (I'd be happy with a size 10/12) after a banding, I could spend time on my appearance and I would feel less awkward socially and clear up some of the depression I have experienced about my looks since gaining weight. To summarize, I want to be banded now to prevent the co-morbs which are on the way and to prevent even more weight gain as my metabolism slows even further into my forties and fifties (health) AND to feel better about myself on the inside (mental health) when my outside matches the vigor of youth I feel on the inside (external societal pressure). This is the truth. Does it make me a bad person? I don't know. What I do know is my weight consumes my thoughts all day long. The way those studies say people think about sex 15 times a day or something like that, I think about my fat body, lack of energy and pending health nightmares. If I can do something about that, I am going to. Thanks for hearing my thoughts. This board rocks.

I was banded last Friday and am surprised by the amount of pain I am in - I decided to weigh myself today and found that I had gained 1 1/2 pounds even though I am eating at the most 3 Protein shakes a day and Water. I decided today to stop using the pain medication prescribed by my Dr. I(in case it was increasing my constipation) even though I still feel very sore, especially when I lie down or get up from a lie-down position. I haven't been able to have a bowel movement and am wondering if that is increasing the soreness I am feeling. I started to take Colase (stool softener) and today I took Correctol but still no luck. I'm sort of ranting today - feeling uncertain about what to expect and whether this is normal. All I know is that I hurt, am constipated, have no hunger, but am gaining weight. Oh yeah! The other thing is that I am on an Insulin Pump and I haven't needed to add any insulin since this started which means the pump is giving me about 70 units a day spread out over 24 hours. Prior to getting the banding, I was using about 300 units a day and still had uncontrollable blood sugar levels.

Is this medication regime or the severity of your endometriosis going to affect your fertility? I too had endometriosis, granted nowhere as severe as yours. I fought the idea of a hysterectomy for years. Finally uterine cancer took away my options, I had the hysterectomy....and my life improved in so many ways!!! Now looking back I wish I had done it years ago, followed by the band years ago...it's that 20/20 hindsight!!! Meanwhile, at least while you get a handle on the illness issues, the band will keep your eating in check, and stop any weight gain. Many times these type of things cause eating as a response to depression. What type of exercise are you capable of doing at this point? Can you think of any ways in which we can help you? Let us know!!! Kat

Lynn, Glad to hear you are doing fine. Please take it easy as you don't want to overtire yourself. Getting up and moving around will definitely help with the gas pain from surgery. Make sure to drink your Protein drinks and get plenty of Water. Once on mushies you can get real creative. My favorite is refried Beans, chili con queso. I mix them together on my plate. Yummy. Also bean and bacon soup puree. It is very tasty and filling. Just remember that when you do go to solids you might see a little weight gain. During this phase you are healing from surgery and shouldn't be concerned with weight loss. The first fill will start giving you restriction. Right now you are wide open so will be able to eat once the swelling goes down. Good luck on your journey.

Lighter02, I'm so sorry for your frustrations. Did you know going in that you were going to be continuing with lupron? If weight gain or retention is a known side effect of that medication, banding wasn't ever going to have any impact on that. Some people find out after banding that they have a medical condition causing their weight problem and have to address that. While that's frustrating for sure, banding still had an impact because if they hadn't been banded the medical condition might not ever have been found. So maybe you know something you didn't know before, and when/if that situation is addressed and you can remove that factor, the band will still be there waiting to help you control your caloric intake. And in the absence of other influences, that will always help someone lose weight. The best of luck to you!

I was banded almost 3 years ago. I actually reached my pre-band goal. I wore a size 10... ok, maybe it was only for a day or two.. but i did get size 10 on my butt. THEN... I gave up the other butts. I quit my 2 1/2 pack a day smoking habit after 25 years. (started when i was bairly a teen) I've gained 30 pounds in 9 months since quitting. I have good restriction. I suck at dieting. I joined weight watchers, thought i had a great week.. I gained a half a pound. I feel huge again. I'm only down 30 pounds from my banding weight. I don't eat much. I just make the same bad choices too often. Tell me there's hope?????

I have been trying to quit smoking for a year. I quit for two months and gain weight so right back to the cigs. I have again quit and I am determined to not start again. The problem I am having is weight gain. I was banded almost 2 years ago and lost 70lbs in a year. Since I started to work on the smoking I have gained about 30lbs back. I had an endo appointment yesterday and he said "maybe what you need is the full by-pass". I am pretty freaked out about it, but I am also scared that if I continue to gain weight I will start smoking again. I do not want to gain back everything I lost. My band is as tight as I dare get it. I currently throw up about 5-6 times a week and when it was tighter it was worse. I am not sure what I am going to do yet????? I could sure use some advise. Dawn

thanks everyone for all the great replies. It's so nice to get support when I was scared I'd get yelled at a lot. Also, I finally got the nerve to talk with my surgeon, and she also suprised me by being very happy and hopeful for me. that the band might be very helpful in keeping my weight gain in the 15 to 20 pound range (i'm only suppose to gain this much because of my current weight). And also that if I need to, I can get an unfill. this whole situation makes me very grateful to have the band, the adjustable band, more than ever.

And it is true vice versa. Women also like to see men and women of like attractiveness yoked up. We all like to see a couple evenly matched when it comes to the beauty department and a disparity is always unsettling to the casual onlooker. This sense of wrongness disappears, of course, when you come to know the couple. The superficial impact of looks always disappears when you come to know the people inside the packages. This is just how it works. My own mate is 9 years younger than myself and while I had been a fairly good looking woman in my day, age and weight gain have certainly damaged my allure. *Please insert irony here, by the way.* As for my mate, well, the body gods have been very kind to him. This has resulted in some occasions where my feelings could have been hurt if I was less comfortable in our relationship. We have, you should know, been together for twenty years. I am also aware that I would have made the same judgement calls had I been on the outside looking in. This is something that we are prone to do is all.

Genn So sorry to hear of your injury. Take care. Barbara4 Time of day, amount of clothing, etc. have a lot to do with how much is on the scale. Surgi-Center scale is also digital and they do sometimes go off. My only logged number is what I weigh in the morning sans clothing on my own scale. I hope for a low number at doc's but don't get too jazzed if it's off from mine. You're buying smaller clothing, getting compliments and feeling good--that doesn't sound like a true weight gain. Even the digital scale at my former Weight Watcher's meeting was off. Talk about some unhappy weigh-ins until they announced the malfunction. My advice to anyone who will listen--claim the lowest number you've seen on your scale. Don't get discouraged when larger numbers come back. New numbers are shy, but they always come back with another smaller friend. If I post a gain, it will be because I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I messed up (more than just one meal). So far the band doesn't let me stray too far. Socalgal3--Congrats on being anonymous. Would love a comment on your experience being anonymous. Chuckle--A darling cousin of mine had WLS several years back. Her Mother and Dad announced the news prior to a family reunion. Saw her at a wedding and asked her about WLS. She said "don't know how that rumor got started--it was lo carb diet". I can't go back in the closet, but I do intend to keep any more info to myself.

It's a good thing you decided to get an unfill. The damage an overfill can cause to an esophagus might not be temporary. As you discovered, an overfill doesn't allow for the ingestion of solid proteins and can actually lead to weight gain. I hope you're feeling better.

What a great decision your mom has made. The surgery will be perfect to get her back on track to a healthy lifestyle. I am a cancer survivor as well thats why I have short hair, I have 14 months of hair growth. I know exactly what you mean about not being able to move and all of the medication having an affect on weight gain. In the last 2 months, I am starting to feel like myself again, pre-cancer. It's great! Thanks Libra and Pelerojo for the kind words. Btw, I miss my cartoon chic too! LOL.

taken from: http://www.teeccino.com/weightloss.aspx The following characteristics of coffee have an adverse effect on weight loss: Coffee Elevates Stress HormonesCaffeine in coffee elevates the stress hormones cortisol, epinephrine (also known as adrenaline) and norepinephrine.^{8, 9, 10, 11} These hormones are responsible for increased heart rate and blood pressure, and a sense of "emergency alert". Circulation of oxygen to the brain and extremities is decreased and the immune system is suppressed. The purpose of this "fight or flight" response is to provide the body with a temporary energy boost for intense physical activity. With today’s sedentary lifestyle, the continual state of increased stress resulting from caffeine consumption can negatively affect weight control through disruptions in normal metabolism. [*]Increased Cortisol Levels Lead to Abdominal Obesity Chronically elevated blood cortisol levels that are caused by frequent stress or regular caffeine or coffee intake lead to an increased buildup of fat in the abdominal area; this type of weight gain further stimulates the release of additional stress hormones.¹² [*]Increased Stress Leads to Overeating This chronic state of increased stress caused by caffeine is associated with a markedly increased tendency to overeat. CNS stimulants stimulate anxiety and caffeine consumption increases the tendency of people to overeat or binge-eat and abuse laxatives and diet pills.^{13, 14} Coffee drinking increases physiological measurements of stress, and although this effect is greater with increased caffeine levels, decaffeinated coffee may also influence stress as factors other than caffeine in coffee are associated with stress.¹⁵ Elevation of stress hormones leads to fat cravings.¹⁶ Elevated levels of cortisol increase appetite.¹⁷ [*]Caffeine Exacerbates Insulin Resistance Syndrome Caffine ingestion contributes to insulin resistance and impairs glucose and insulin homeostasis as part of the stress response.^{18, 19} Even moderate amounts of coffee can have this effect.²⁰ Obesity, high blood pressure, impaired glucose metabolism and elevated LDL and lowered HDL blood lipids cluster to generate insulin resistance syndrome. Stress and the release of corticosteroids contribute to the pathogenesis of this syndrome. When people with this syndrome drink coffee as a weight-loss aid, it negatively affects all the conditions associated with this syndrome. ^{21, 22} Drinking coffee can cause insomnia and sleep deprivation, both of which have been found to increase insulin resistance.²³ People who are deprived of adequate deep sleep, and are in situations of sleep debt have lower levels of glucose tolerance, greater insulin resistance, increased concentrations of blood cortisol and stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system.^{24, 25} [*]Caffeine Stimulates Appetite Although caffeine is included as an ingredient in many weight-loss aids, it actually stimulates appetite, and organizations including the Mayo Clinic²⁶ discourage the use of caffeine as a weight-loss aid. Initially, caffeine may decrease appetite through its central nervous system response. However, subsequently caffeine increases cortisol levels, and higher levels of cortisol stimulate appetite.^{27, 28} Caffeine triggers hypoglycemia through the activation of the sympathetic nervous system and the adrenal glands, causing an immediate and sustained constriction of blood vessels, decreased circulation to the brain and a heightened feeling of low blood sugar.²⁹ The body’s reaction to hypoglycemia results in food cravings and increased appetite. People often crave higher fat foods resulting in increased caloric intake, further interfering with the body’s ability to maintain a healthy weight.^{30, 31} [*]Coffee Increases Serum Cholesterol Levels Lipid metabolism is an important factor in weight loss, and drinking cofee is linked to higher levels of serum cholesterol, with particularly high levels noted in people who drink boiled coffee or coffee processed at high temperatures (which includes espress and espresso drinks).^{32, 33} Other forms of coffee including decaffeinated coffee have also been shown to increase serum cholesterol levels.^{34, 35} Coffee drinking also demonstrably raises blood levels of low density lipoproteins in one lipid research study³⁶, although results in other studies are inconclusive. [*]Caffeine Interferes with GABA Metabolism GABA (Gamma-aminobutyric acid) is a neurotransmitter naturally produced in the brain and nervous system as well as the heart. It plays an important role in mood and stress management and influences a persons sense of well-being. Caffeine has been found to interfere with binding of GABA to GABA receptors, preventing it from performing its calming function.³⁷ GABA’s role in stress management is compromised in the presence of caffeine, and increased physiological and psychological stress lead to overeating as well as difficulties losing weight.

Thanx to all that replied. Everything I've researched about Hypothyroid states weight gain even my GP says it related & have no other explaination for the weight gain since I've never been an overweight child plus I was still at a healthy weight before this happened. I've heard good things about Armour. I forgot to ask my GP about it today so I'll ask about it next time. Usually HYPERthyroidism patients are thin so I dunno if the HYPOS just got good drs & good drugs for it as for being not fat or perhaps they got lucky & caught it in time before gaining a lot of weight. TexasTerry, I/we live just west of Houston.

It's really hard to eat enough in one day to cause significant weight gain. If you ate 5 pounds of chocolate candy in one day (and nothing else), you would gain 3 pounds or so. The "Super Size Me" guy who ate nothing but McDonald's three times a day for 30 days only gained 30 pounds. That's one pound per day, even though he was consuming a ton of calories (no pun intended) and getting very little exercise. We did not get to be MO because we had an ice cream cone twice a month. We were over-eaters and made very bad food choices on a daily basis, for a very long time. Between the spring of 2003 and the end of 2004 (about 20 months), I gained 80 pounds. That's about a pound a week - maybe one Snicker's bar per day. Who would have thought????

I read some research once that said that it took an average person 4-5 days to show true weight gain for something they had eaten. In other words, if I pigged out today and was all excited because it didn't show on the scales in the morning, then I should WATCH OUT on Thursday!!

Pinky... You can't relate anything that happens in one 24 hour period to real weight gain - not PBs or exercise or a bag of Snickers. For anything to be truly reflected on your scales, it must take place over a fairly long period of time. You can't work out enough in one day, for example, to lose 5 pounds. Your weight will normally vary a pound or two from day-to-day. It doesn't mean anything unless it's still there (or still gone) a week later.

I've noticed that when I PB--the next day I seem to gain a little weight--even when calorie count was low. Anyone else experience this?

Seppi, I am too wanting to quit so bad, but am afraid of the weight gain. I was going to do it this week but talked myself out of it because of my lack of restriction right now. I am scheduled for a fill on Oct. 2nd, I think I will make that my quit day, therefor, I will be on liquids so I can't overeat. I am going to use the patch. I've heard that even if you don't overeat you will gain some because the nicitone in your system makes you burn more calories at night while sleeping, and if you quit you won't burn that much at night unless you take a brisk 20min walk before going to bed to release some enzyme into your body. Not sure if this is true but I know smoking does release alot of stuff in your body (mostly NOT GOOD). Anyway you are doing great and keep up the good work......

Oh, WOW. She is absolutely beautiful! And you are too, for just giving birth. You don't even want to see what mine look like. I came out looking dazed and confused with frizzy hair and NO eyebrows. You're weight gain is an inspiration to people like me who plan to have more children. You really didn't gain much. Congratulations on your little angel:).

Daisydoodle, congratulation on your precious baby. She is so beautiful. I couldn't believe when I read that you only gained 22 lbs! I've never heard of so little weight gain. The doctors never worried or told you, you needed to gain more? Also, you lsot it all but 3 lbs after giving birth. You are so luck and my new hero!! I hope I have such happy, healthy pregnancy and as little weight gain when I am pregnant:-) K