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1. How long have you had your band? 7 months (june 29 2010) 2. How much weight have you lost? 90 glorious pounds. 3. How many fills and unfills did you get until you found the "sweet spot"? 3, I have 5.2 cc's in a 10 cc band. (This will change with the more weight I lose) 4. If you stick to a particular diet (ie weight watchers, low carb, atkins, etc) which on works for you? I count my protien and calories 5. How often do you exercise? Yes, daily - 30 min cardio plus 30 min strength training. I do miss a day occassionally. 6. Does anyone do Yoga and how long did you wait until you started practicing again? Never tried it, but would like to 7. Do you ever drink alcohol? Once in a great while. Had 3 glass' of wine xmas eve, would have one or two drinks at the lake last summer once in a while. 8. What foods give you a problem? Bread, scrambled eggs, pasta. (better if I try at night, sometimes I can eat them but I pretty much don't even try any more) 9. Does your port stick out? no (not yet) not sure if it ever will. 10. How much water do you get in each day?64 - 80 oz or more. once in a while i fall short. 11. Any tips that will help on the journey? Listen to your stomach, not your head. Get to know if you are hungry or just want to eat. Drink your water and exercise. Good Luck to you!

Hi..I'm Dee I understand what you are going through. It is a roller coaster ride. I have good days and I have bad days. It will get easier as time goes by. Hang in there and good luck on your new journey. 1. How long have you had your band? I was banded on the 19th of Oct. 2. How much weight have you lost? 33.4 lbs 3. How many fills and unfills did you get until you found the "sweet spot"? I have had 2 fills. 1st was 4.5 cc, 2nd was 1 cc and no I still have not found my sweet spot. 4. If you stick to a particular diet (ie weight watchers, low carb, atkins, etc) which on works for you? I just do high protein. 5. How often do you exercise? walk at work but not to much. 6. Does anyone do Yoga and how long did you wait until you started practicing again? No 7. Do you ever drink alcohol? Sip every now and then. 8. What foods give you a problem? Anything dry. 9. Does your port stick out? No 10. How much water do you get in each day? Between 52oz -64 oz 11. Any tips that will help on the journey? Be patient....everyone is different.

Hi, I'll certainly answer your questions. Hope it helps! 1. How long have you had your band? Since September, 2008, which would be two years, 3 months. 2. How much weight have you lost? 70, then I kind of didn't pay attention because I had other surgery which distracted me, now I've lost an additional 10 3. How many fills and unfills did you get until you found the "sweet spot"? I've had three fills, no unfills. 4. If you stick to a particular diet (ie weight watchers, low carb, atkins, etc) which on works for you? No, just watch calories. 5. How often do you exercise? Need to start up again... 6. Does anyone do Yoga and how long did you wait until you started practicing again? No 7. Do you ever drink alcohol? No 8. What foods give you a problem? More than 1/3 piece of bread, sometimes chicken and turkey, definitely rice 9. Does your port stick out? No 10. How much water do you get in each day? 4 bottles religeously 11. Any tips that will help on the journey? Stick to it, it works if you work it!! Great questions, made me think...

I've had my lap band for 2 months now and The first month I lost 13 pounds, the second month 0 (zero). Here are my questions. Feel free to copy and paste and answer them with your own personal information. 1. How long have you had your band? 2. How much weight have you lost? 3. How many fills and unfills did you get until you found the "sweet spot"? 4. If you stick to a particular diet (ie weight watchers, low carb, atkins, etc) which on works for you? 5. How often do you exercise? 6. Does anyone do Yoga and how long did you wait until you started practicing again? 7. Do you ever drink alcohol? 8. What foods give you a problem? 9. Does your port stick out? 10. How much water do you get in each day? 11. Any tips that will help on the journey?

Good Morning! Im in for the challenge!! Name, real or screen~Michelle Age~35 Weight on January 31st~198 Goal Weight for February 28th~188 Exercise Goal for February~To exercise atleast 4 times a week and stick with it!!! Dietary Goal for February~Less carbs Personal Goal for February~Less alcohol Date Banded~2.22.10 Total Weight Loss Since Banding~ 40lbs

I need help letting go, food has been my escape and friend for my entire life. Now, I am waiting on insurance approval and date for my sleeve procedure and I'm scarde. Fear, I know, is my will trying to predict outcome, control my situation. I am 14 years clean and sober (on March 15), food has taken the place of my drugs and alcohol addiction. Actually, food has probably always been my drug of choice. My weight is about 260, and worse than that I feel awful. My husband is almost 300 lbs, and also going through the process of having a sleeve surgery. We are both active in AA and NA, but have not let go of food addiction. What will my life be like when I can't use food to isolate, escape? Will I replace it with yet just another addiction? God help me to finally surrender.

Check the ingredients on the shakes. If one of the ingredients is Sorbitol or one of the other sugar alcohols that could be your culprit. Sorbitol was originally developed to be used as a laxative when they discovered it was a great sweetener

Before my first fill, and even now, I track my food on Livestrong.com's The Daily Plate function. I set a calorie goal to lose 2lbs a week, and I try hard to stick to it. I eat when I feel hungry, and stop when I'm full....definitely making smarter choices than pre-surgery. No soda, no fried foods, no alcohol...and try to walk as exercise every day. Just take care of yourself, listen to your body, and try to eat balanced, with all your Protein, sneak some veggies in, try to avoid the bad carbs, and all your Fluid.

Wish I could afford any kind of retirement place. Doubt I'll move out of the area with so many grandkids and both our families here. I'll just have to deal with the cold like my parents and grandparents and most people we know. We will, I'm sure, downsize. Most trailer parks around here are, unfortunately, not retirement communities but are for the poor and dispossessed. The uneducated, addicts, alcoholics, drama specialists, etc. Not fun and relaxing. Most condos are priced out of our range. They cost more than our house. I'm kind of leaving it in God's hands because I have no clue what life will bring. Great ideas on Chicago. We do need people's input. The Segway tour could be wonderful for those who can't walk distances. What a great idea. I'm thinking we should have "It's a beautiful day outside" plans with alternate "The weather sucks" plans. There's as much to do indoors as out. Gotta get going. Student coming for tutoring at 9:30. Lunch with my friend at 12:30 at Panera. I love their chili. We may go on to Borders after that. I also have $10 in Kohls' cash to spend and there's a Kohls there as well. Have a great day. Cheri

Alcohol is discouraged because it is liquid calories. That said, I do drink alcohol, but mostly it is red wine which has some health and, purportedly, weight loss benefits in moderation. I wouldn't drink a whiskey with coke because of the carbonation in the coke, but I do occasionally have a margarita, vodka cranberry, or gimlet (none of which have carbonated mixers). That said, some bandsters do carbonated beverages sometimes and just take the risk with the band. I'll say this-- you certainly won't be able to drink as much as before.

I have a totaly ramdown question to u... what about drinking alcohol a month later of the surgery? I ask this because once a month I socialize going to club or any social events and I have heard that I can NOT CONSUME ANY TYPE OF ALCOHOL BEVERAGES I LOVE WHISKEY W.COKE. ANY ADVISE

I wanted to slip the s*** out of her. But didn't. My husband and I work at the same company. He works downstairs in computers. I am a social worker. I told her that I didn't that was a good idea. I wouldn't want her raising my kids. She is just jealous. She in a miserable marriage, etc. I feel more sorry for her than any thing. My husband told me he wouldn't want her. She is a CRAZY person. I guess my whole point with offering that was to say not to listen to people who have no idea what they are talking about. Stay with the people who are successful...the same thing I tell my clients who are getting clean off drugs and alcohol. I am so happy to have support on this website. Thanks to everyone

Im pretty sure the net carbs are after you subtract the Fiber and any sugar alcohol carbs.

At 20 months out, the eating slow, chewing things to mush is not my life. I do not eat slower than my girlfriends or family UNLESS, I want to eat more. Stretching the meal over 45 minutes, allows me to eat more food. I haven't been chewing food to mush for a year now. I did it until I got into maintenance because I had to get in more calories until my body was settled. As for Protein first, I don't always, and will never follow that rule 100%. I love veggies/fruit, and especially salads. I eat salads 2-3 times a week, I get in plenty of spinach, and other veggies. Never was a big fruit eater so I have it on occasion. This whole difficulty with drinking is short term as well. Yesterday, I slammed 20oz of Water in 3 minutes. I think that's pretty normal. I had zero pain, I did burp once, but no discomfort. As for the drinking/eating simultaneously thing, I sip during my meals. Again, this is a way to eat more. If I eat a bunch of dense protein, the water kind of just sits there. But, if I eat meat and veggies, liquifying my meals can lead to that empty feeling because food gets soft faster and can pass through the pyloric valve faster. I never get hungry so I can not comment on getting hungrier faster if eating and drinking at the same time. I do drink wine with my meals sometimes, and alcohol relaxes my stomach and allows me to eat more food as well. Avoiding "drinking" with meals helps you keep a good satiety level with your meals. There is plenty of data out on partial and full gastrectomies for stomach cancer and ulcer patients that indicates they have zero issue consuming enough calories/protein/fat/carbs over their lifetime. Even though the "sleeve" is fairly new, it's actually been performed as a stand-alone since 2001-2002, research is slow to report, but gastrectomies have been performed for decades upon decades. The concerns you are reading about are for people that are still early out with major swelling/trauma from the surgery. Some heal faster, some take longer. I was one of those that took longer, and I relied on soft Proteins to get in my calories/protein goals. It was boring, but my body did not suffer. My labs have never been anything short of stellar. Bread, Pasta, rice, crackers are all sliders for me at 20 months out. Nothing gets stuck. Cornbread causes some discomfort, but all other types of bread really go down just fine. Early out bread did expand in my sleeve and I had zero room for anything else. Now, not so much. If I eat bread and meat together, say a hamburger, the bread goes right down without issue, and I can actually eat the same amount of meat, it's like it gets mushed up along with the protein and goes right down.

I have suffered from Acanthosis nigricans since the age of 11. I was made fun of continuously because most people don't know it's a condition related to being overweight or having diabetes. Most people think it's from poor hygiene like not cleaning your neck well. I scrubbed my neck so hard with alcohol and soap so much growing up I made it rough which makes it look worse. Anyways, my question is I noticed that with the 80 pound weight loss it's better but still there. Is there anyone out there that has lost all of their weight and it cleared up significantly?

Sticking to a low carb diet and always eating your Protein first. Allowing yourself to have a treat once a week. Cutting down/ cutting out alcohol. Drink lots of Water Work out 3 - 5 times a week and try to walk as much as you can. Having patience and realise that it is going to take time. If you're expecting to lose 5lbs a week, it's probably not going to happen. Deal with plateaus (I've just come through a 4 month plateau). Give yourself realistic goals and stick to them. Avoid places you know you will want to splurge. I think the hardest thing for me has been dealing with the slow weight loss, but I've overcome that by thinking that this is now a way of life for me. I feel like I eat like a normal person and my hunger is under control (as long as I stick to a low carb diet). I wasn't huge to begin with with a BMI of 39 but it's taken me 7 months to get down to a BMI of 29 (finally not obese anymore!). The main thing I have trouble with is the alcohol. I'm 28 and single so I like to go out at the weekend. So now when I do go out I drink vodka/whiskey and water.

Fair warning – This was a lot longer than I thought it would be. You might want to have your Water bottle with you before starting! Today (plus one day that I've confessed to above) makes one year out for me. WOW! What an incredible year. In some ways it seems like forever and in other ways, just like it was yesterday. As my signature states, I’ve gone from an 18W to size 4/6. My BMI changed from 32.8 to drum roll please .... 20.1. Hard to believe!!! My surgeon was Dr. Thomas Umbach in Las Vegas, NV. I found him through Medical Tourism and am very thankful that together we’ve made sure I have a nice long, healthy life. The typical question – would you do it again? YES, YES, YES! I was known as a “lightweight” since my BMI was “only” 32.8. Was I fat? Definitely! Did I have risk factors? Definitely! I’ve often said that I was the smallest obese person in my family, but I had to personally realize that I was still obese. I really considered this surgery due to my father. I lost him in March 2009 due to complications from his obesity – congestive heart failure and uncontrolled diabetes. He was only 64 years old. It broke my heart to lose my dad at such a young age. I want to be around for my kids (currently 20, 17, and 9) and their kids! Not only do I look better, I feel better. I can run up and down our stairs all day! No more having to sit down because I’m tired after one trip up. I can go to costco, shop, put the food away & still have energy for more chores/tasks. INCREDIBLE!!! With that being said, I still have not been good about regular, planned exercise. My stomach may look better if I had (but part of me thinks not – skin just isn’t going to bounce back but so much). I am thinking breast augmentation, but I probably won’t. Just invest in more push up/padded bras. Do I want to punch out people that say I took the “easy way”? Yep! Is it hard? Yes. Do people who say I’ll gain it all back annoy me? Yep! Does my new tummy give me a tool that can make me successful? Heck yeah! Am I already successful? YES I AM! Am I concerned about maintenance and gaining again? Yes, but with continued dedication & support groups like this one, I can make it! The next question – how much can you eat now? Slider foods – more than I thought I could/should. I can pack down close to pre-surgery amounts of Cookies, ice cream, popcorn, etc. I have been testing a bit with “normal” foods … the other day, I was able to eat almost all of a McDonald’s hamburger with just the top bun & all but 3 slices of the Apple Dippers (no caramel sauce). I had one or two more bites left of the top bun, but knew I was done. I can eat about 3 ounces of steak with a bite or two of salad & maybe 1/4 of a baked potato. My biggest battles right now are (1) head hunger at night and (2) not counting foods as “bad” or “good”. I am trying to change my thinking to “good for me” or “tastes good, but not very nutritious”. I met with a nutritionist last week to talk about my eating plan for life. While she questioned if I still needed to track every bite I eat, I told her that it helped me be accountable. I am now tracking to 60g Protein, 64+ ounces of water, 100+ grams carbohydrates, and somewhere between 1500-2000 calories a day. I will add a confession here – I track Monday to Friday, but rarely on Saturday & Sunday. I just kind of eye ball/mentally track on the weekends. OK – enough rambling … Just want to leave with 2 more things. (1) If you are on the fence about this surgery, I want to strongly encourage you to investigate further. This surgery has truly saved my life & given me a new future and (2) At one year out, I thought it would be fun to go back and read some of my old posts – my worries, fears, doubts and successes. I don’t know if it will help anyone or not, but I’ve listed a few here: Surgery & Post-Op: · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/3255-on-my-way-to-the-airport/page__p__29783__fromsearch__1#entry29783 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/3363-weird/page__p__30519__fromsearch__1#entry30519 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/3403-surgery-recovery-sucks/page__p__30905__fromsearch__1#entry30905 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/3471-im-gagging-over-here/page__p__31374__fromsearch__1#entry31374 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/3538-concerned-should-i-be/page__p__32047__fromsearch__1#entry32047 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/3602-finding-the-time-to-stop/page__p__32545__fromsearch__1#entry32545 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/3687-advice-for-road-trip/page__p__33232__fromsearch__1#entry33232 Losing: · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/3884-took-measurements-today/page__p__35215__fromsearch__1#entry35215 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/3944-time-to-increase-the-portions/page__p__35826__fromsearch__1#entry35826 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/4565-need-some-support/page__p__40607__fromsearch__1#entry40607 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/4263-wanting-to-eat-more/page__p__38113__fromsearch__1#entry38113 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/4778-size-12s-and-medium-tops/page__p__42293__fromsearch__1#entry42293 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/4827-gotta-get-serious-about-exercise/page__p__42772__fromsearch__1#entry42772 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/3769-am-i-the-only-one-wanting-sweet-liquids/page__p__34103__fromsearch__1#entry34103 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/5217-its-a-fat-day/page__p__46024__fromsearch__1#entry46024 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/5065-post-op-when-did-you-have-your-first-carbonated-drink/page__p__44749__fromsearch__1#entry44749 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/6305-my-funny-nsv/page__p__55830__fromsearch__1#entry55830 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/5869-normal/page__p__51835__fromsearch__1#entry51835 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/7060-why-cant-they-just-say-congratulations/page__p__62386__fromsearch__1#entry62386 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/7964-irritated-with-people/page__p__69470__fromsearch__1#entry69470 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/7376-i-cried-tonight/page__p__64804__fromsearch__1#entry64804 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/8064-need-to-be-accountable/page__p__70372__fromsearch__1#entry70372 Moving to Maintenance · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/8602-calling-those-on-maintenance/page__p__75039__fromsearch__1#entry75039 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/6171-weight-regain-with-vsg/page__p__54548__fromsearch__1#entry54548 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/8392-today-7-months-out-and-642-pounds-gone/page__p__73224__fromsearch__1#entry73224 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/9506-goal/page__p__83431__fromsearch__1#entry83431 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/9995-almost-9-months-out/page__p__87012__fromsearch__1#entry87012 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/10260-i-am-not-controlling-my-sweet-tooth/page__p__89285__fromsearch__1#entry89285 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/10135-holiday-strategies/page__p__88283__fromsearch__1#entry88283 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/10981-nsv-nsv-nsv-for-me/page__p__95104__fromsearch__1#entry95104 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/11548-so-discouraged/page__p__99499__fromsearch__1#entry99499 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/12379-this-is-why-journaling-food-is-so-important/page__p__106369__fromsearch__1#entry106369 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/12406-fruits-and-veggies/page__p__106553__fromsearch__1#entry106553 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/12769-not-quite-a-year-out/page__p__109462__fromsearch__1#entry109462 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/11607-i-have-a-question-about-alcohol/page__p__99986__hl__alcohol__fromsearch__1#entry99986 For newbies … this is a great place to start: http://www.obesityhe...or-New-Members/ (yes, I know this is another website, but many of us frequent there as well as VST.J)

When I went to my WL doc on Monday, he asked me the same old questions and these were my answers. . . Doc: are you getting 62oz Water in Me. much more then that Doc: are you getting 60 g protein in Me much more then that Doc: are you snacking Me yes Doc: are you drinking alcohol Me yes Doc: are you exercising Me 1 - 3 x per week Doc: how are you feeling overall Me I'm living life, I'm finally living a normal life and loving it . . . He just smiled and said you're only 12 lbs from goal! What are you going to do when you get there? I told him that "I'll see when I get there" He said I was afraid you'd say that, just promise you won't get too thin . . . I don't want to put you on a feeding tube. . . we just smiled at each other, he left and the NP and I did the victory dance!

I meant only good carbs, I think at this stage bad carbs (refined sugars cakes chocolate ALCOHOL) shouldn't be part of are diet. In fatsecret.com the carbs come out when you log you're food in. I do agree though you need to see what your doctor recommends. As I said earlier I wouldn't recomend the bad carbs at this stage

you can put your tuna, hummus, dip-stuff on sliced cucumbers if you are looking for that crunch, you can bake salami slices till they get crispy, make parmesan crackers. If you want wraps, certain lettuce leaves work really well, and these thin spring roll wrappers that come in dry flat sheets that you soak. I am 6 months in and I do not eat rice, grains, potatoes of every kind, bread, oatmeal, bread coating or bread crumbs. I do not eat these things because they take up too much space, both in my tummy and in my calorie/carb count. However, when I was home on vacation I ate fresh baguette from the bakery, tiny little high tea sandwiches made with bread, sugar cookies, and alcoholic drinks and I lost a ton of weight so, go figure!

I was able to take pretty good sized pills 3 days after surgery. I was offered liquid hydrocodone, but I took the pill because the liquid was gross! (it was like alcohol) I can take several big pills at a time if I swallow them one at a time. I think metformin wont be a problem to get down.

Newbie here. I have been researching WLS for a while now and am thinking the Plication is the way to go. However, I'm deeply afraid of the emotional/head hunger that I will probably experience afterwards. I have realized that I'm addicted to food, as much as an alcoholic or drug addict is. So, my fear is that when I get that urge to "binge" or reach for the comfort food in times of stress, since I won't be able to do that after the surgery, I'm afraid I'll have a lot of trouble emotionally with that. Right now if I try to resist it, I actually have episodes of anxiety that just get worse until I give in to the temptation. Have others experienced that and how do you get through it once you've had the surgery? Since there is no turning back once the surgery is done, how does one move forward through those difficult emotional times? Thanks for your input!

I was really nervous for my psych eval...It turned out to be fairly easy...A straight forward questionairre about feelings, moods, and stress levels about certain aspects of life, work, family, etc. It also seemed like a screening for clinical depression as some of the questions I know from my limited background in college psych classes. He did ask about sleep patterns, social situations, past/present drug/alcohol abuse, past or present history of depression or suicidal thoughts/attempts. He asked about dieting history, body image, expectations of surgery, support system at home regarding surgery, etc.. I felt like maybe I was a bit too honest, with some of the direct questions he asked, but at the end he said I seemed like a very good candidate, and that he would forward the write-up of my eval to the surgeon. I think if you are severely depressed/suicidal and not being treated for it, it can postpone surgery...basically, you need to be emotionally stable and ready for surgery. I think that many of us that are clinically obese may have some things that could be seen as "depressed", but when answering questions remember that psych is asking about your emotional state, not your physical state... For example...I am physically exhausted from my weight and medical issues, but I'm not exhausted due to emotional reasons that is common with depression. I know that when I lose weight, I do regain a lot of energy and enthusiasm for activities... Now, if that isn't the case for you, the fatigue and exhaustion could be emotional.. Also I'm in pain a lot, so that limits my desire for social activities, that could be perceived as depression..but I was clear in telling the psychologist that I have pain and have had a rough year of illness. Hope this makes sense... and for those that still have to take evaluation, just be honest, but keep it in perspective with what he/she is actually asking...If you are unsure, at any point, ask him/her to clarify the question... Ultimately, they are there to help, and if you do need counseling or medicine, better now to find out, then down the road, while dealing with such a major life change that WLS brings. Hope this helps....

Coops,, have you considered a medical issue or medications? Why Aren't You Losing weight? By Carol Sorgen WebMD Weight Loss Clinic - Feature Reviewed By Charlotte E. Grayson, MD You're following a weight-loss eating plan. You're exercising almost every day. You're proud of the new healthy habits you've learned. Yet week after week, the scale barely seems to budge. What gives? Chances are your food portion sizes have crept up (time to get out the scales and measuring cups again). Or your workouts may not be quite as intense as you think (start checking that heart rate). But if you know you've followed your reducing plan religiously, there's another possibility: A medical condition -- or medication -- may be to blame. "If you haven't been able to lose weight and you can't understand why, you need to determine whether there's a medical condition underlying your weight problem," says Peter LePort, MD, director of the Smart Dimensions Bariatric Program at Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center in California. "You need to cure that problem first before you can address the weight issue." Medical Reasons for Weight Gain Several conditions can cause weight gain or hinder weight loss, says Rebecca Kurth, MD, director of PrimeCare at Columbia-Presbyterian Eastside and associate professor of clinical medicine at Columbia University. Among them, Kurth says, are: Chronic stress. When you live with anxiety, stress, or grief, your body can produce chemical substances -- like the hormone cortisol -- that make your body more likely to store fat, especially around the waist. That's the type of weight gain that really increases your risk of serious health problems. (Extra weight around the hips and thighs poses fewer health risks.) Cushing's syndrome. This happens when the adrenal glands (located on top of each kidney) produce too much cortisol, which leads to a buildup of fat in the face, upper back, and abdomen. Hypothyroidism. If your thyroid is underactive, your body may not produce enough thyroid hormone to help burn stored fat. As a result, your metabolism is slower and you will store more fat than you burn -- especially if you're not physically active. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). This disease, the result of a hormonal imbalance, afflicts more than 5 million women in the US. Common symptoms are irregular menstrual bleeding, acne, excessive facial hair, thinning hair, difficulty getting pregnant, and weight gain that is not caused by excessive eating. Syndrome X. Also called insulin resistance or hyperinsulinemia (high insulin levels), syndrome X goes hand-in-hand with weight gain. Syndrome X is a cluster of health conditions thought to be rooted in insulin resistance. When your body is resistant to the hormone insulin, other hormones that help control your metabolism don't work as well. Depression. Many people who are depressed turn to eating to ease their emotional distress. Hormonal changes in women. Some women may gain weight at times in their lives when there is a shift in their hormones -- at puberty, during pregnancy, and at menopause. Two other considerations: people tend to gain weight with age for unknown reasons, and though it's not a medical condition, drinking alcohol in moderate to excessive amounts can sabotage your efforts to lose weight. Alcohol (including beer and wine) is a refined carbohydrate, similar to sugar, candy, and white flour. Besides adding calories, alcohol may raise blood sugar and insulin levels, which can contribute to weight gain. A Prescription for Weight Gain? It's not only medical conditions that can add pounds. Some medications can also cause you to gain weight, or keep you from losing it, says Ken Fujioka, MD, medical director of the Scripps Clinic Nutrition and Metabolism Research Center in San Diego. "It's not only medical conditions that can add pounds. Some medications can also cause you to gain weight." This was from a quick search.

Why, oh why, didn't I think of this before?? I hope it's OK to post this here. I haven't been sleeved yet but I have started dieting in preparation. I've enjoyed everyone's stories, I've laughed and cried. I know we are all in search of the same goal. Everyday I look at the before and after pics. I read all the posts. Y'all are my inspiration. It hit me like a ton of bricks this afternoon, so I thought I'd share a little. I'm 44 years old and life has been a roller coaster, just like my weight. My battle of the bulge is similar to many. I didn't get fat overnight. It was fast, but it wasn't overnight. This is the biggest I have ever been. Yesterday, I thought I was 250#, but noooo, that was just cruel joke my scale played on me. I had just lost 10 pounds. I went to the doctor yesterday and he weighed me in at 262#. That can't be! I just lost 10 pounds, it should say 252#! That just added insult to injury. Damn scale! So actually I started at 272#. I realized I was staring 300# in the face, I was over half way there.......I just wanted to cry, it was tough holding the tears back. Anyway he made it better. Everything is gonna be OK, once I get my sleeve. I am trying to prepare myself mentally for the upcoming changes. I've read things like head hunger and food addiction. I can relate to that. I LOVE food. I eat even when I'm not hungry. My life revolves around food. I've come to realize I'm a food addict. Food is my drug of choice. It satisfies me, it comforts me. I'm no stranger to addictions. I really hate to admit this and probably shouldn't, but in my early 20's I had a nasty drug habit. I kicked it on my own and have been clean for 22 years and have never touched it again. Fast forward a few years and I married an alcoholic. That is a recipe for DISASTER! We have been together for 18 years. He has been sober for the last 6+ years. My husband wasn't your everyday drinker. He was binge alcoholic. He could go weeks or months and not touch a drink. But when he did, all hell broke loose. That's a familiar word. "binge". It was very ugly. I won't go into all that. He needed help. He tried "Antibuse", that didn't work. It was supposed to make him violently ill if he took a drink. It made him sick even when he didn't drink. AA didn't work, all that talk about drinking triggered him to want to drink. I was at the end of my rope. Nothing was working. I started researching, there had to be a way. Other people quit drinking. I quit drugs, why couldn't he stop drinking??? My research lead me to www.rational.org. OMG! that opened our eyes. It worked for us. He has been sober for almost 7 years. It can be used for ANY addictive behavior!! It's free. It can't hurt to try it. I used it 3 years ago when I lost weight on Adkins. I got down to 160#. Major life upset and I let my eating get out of control AGAIN. My bad. Anyway, while I was vacuuming today, it all came back to me. I went back to the website and it was still there. I encourage anyone that needs help to take a look at it. I am starting to use it again today. It can't hurt. It is another tool that some may find useful. Anyway here is the link and an explanation from their website. It was originally geared to alcohol and drugs but they found it works with all addictions and bad behaviors. The key is to change the words alcohol/drug with food/binging/overeating or whatever your vice is. Change the word abstinence to healthy eating. I know that it works and I will use it. It helped me to get a piece of paper and write it all down. It's not that long. Don't rush through it, think about what they are saying and let it sink in. It makes so much sense. When you read it, it's like flipping a switch. It will hit home for some. If it works for you, it's awesome. It will only take about 15 minutes to read through it. Another tool for your weight loss journey.. www.rational.org (copy & paste the link) This was taken from their website: Quick Start on Rational Recovery ©2009, Jack Trimpey, all rights reserved. There is enough information at this website for you to totally recover from any addiction, e.g., alcohol, crank, crack, heroin, opiates, sex and porn addiction, overeating, computer addiction, gambling, or other personal behavior that goes against your own better judgment. • If you're drinking/using today, you won't learn much of anything. Come back in the morning or when you aren't under the influence. • To quit your addiction you must first stop drinking/using long enough to learn AVRT®. Quit Now For Life! You now have access to Addictive Voice Recognition Technique® (AVRT®), a powerfully simple means to defeat any addiction, to any substance or behavior, in as short a time as you like. The link below will guide you through the decision making process to total recovery, before you sleep tonight. Go to www.rational.org , on the right hand side of the page click on the blue button that says CRASH COURSE ON ARVT Before you click this link, however, observe your thoughts and feelings, positive and negative, about abusing food. Feel the hope, but notice the dread! Thoughts and feelings which support continued abuse are called the Addictive Voice (AV); those which support abstinence are you. When you recognize your AV, it becomes not-you, but "it," an easily-defeated enemy that has been causing you to abuse food.