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Worked in property management for quite a few years, had a "I had kids young and don't feel like I have had any fun moment" so i went out and took classes for firefighting. Got one good season in as a wildland firefighter in 2002 and then it got interesting from there. After back surgury, some problems with my heart and a TON of weight gain (I have never been small by any means but was soooo much healthier) I find myself temporarily back as a community manager for a property manangement group. I am currently going back to school for a few different things..... 1. I am going to finish my degree in fire science (only have 12 credits to go) so I can put a "diploma" to all the hours and hours of time I spent in class. 2. I am taking classes at Clayton College for a bachelors of Holistic Nutrition (this is just for me so I can learn a better way to take care of me and my family for the long run) 3. I am going to Arizona in September to get certified in permenant cosmetic application. My goal is to find something to do with the USFS that is fun, only part-time and only in the summer, plus not as stressing on my body as fighting fire, then I can do the permenant cosmetics on the side as a creative outlet (that just happens to make really good money) so I can enjoy the last few years my boys are home (they are 12 & 15) and have flexible schedule to spend time with my wonderful DH that doesn't have a flexible schedule (he is a police officer).

I ordered the one called Potatoes Not Prozac: How to Control Depression, Food Cravings and Weight Gain... Sounds real good!@ thanks again

Hey Dee! How's it going? I didn't get filled yesterday because I'm on the "remedial learn how to eat with the band" plan. No weight loss, no weight gain.

Oh, no doubt. I didn't mean to imply that it did. I can only speak from my experience, because my experience is all I have. I still look longingly at cheese. I love cheese. Cheese is like nirvana to me. But I know that if I eat it, I will pay for it, either in weight gain or in pain from the band. Does that mean I never eat it? No. It just means it's a treat, and not something I'd eat often, or much of. I don't even buy my favorites (salami-cheese or cracker barrel extra sharp) because it goes to waste. There's no sense spending 3 bucks for a package of cheese that I'm going to eat less than 1 ounce of before it goes bad. This band surgery doesn't make *anything* magically go away. I don't think I, or anyone else here implied that it does. As I've said a few times, you have to work with the band. If you don't, you're just killing time. I wasn't speaking in absolutes. No one - and I mean no one - eats perfectly from the time their band gets put in, until they reach their goal weight. Working with the band doesn't mean forcing anything for everyone. Working with the band, for ME, means giving up many of the foods I stuffed in my mouth without really tasting, enjoying or thinking about before. It means stopping when I feel full. It means that pizza is a treat, not a weekly dinner. It means that if I am committed to seeing the scale continue to drop, I can't eat many of the things I enjoyed before /shrug. I don't consider it deprivation. And I do occasionally (seriously occasionally - once every few months?) indulge in something that I enjoyed weekly before. But in much smaller portions and in much fewer instances. Really. I'm not being preachy. I know that sometimes fast food is the only option for folks. I know that sometimes, your body is screaming for ice cream. I know that sometimes it pays to give in to a craving in a small way rather than over do it by putting it off. But I also know that the less I give in, the better I feel. And right now, at this stage of my banding progress, I'd rather feel better right now than order from Pizza Hut because I'm too tired to cook. It's a personal thing. Everyone has to do it *their way*. Banding: The Burger King of Weight Loss Surgery. (Have it your way!)

Does anyone have trouble with weight gain after going back on solids? I had a fill on 1/30 and after a week of fluids/soft foods I lost 2 pounds, only to gain them back after going back to solids this past weekend!! Help! I know I'm not eating ANYWHERE near what I did pre-band. My body must just be fighting this whole weight thing. I know my metabolism is so slow . . . I'm frustrated. It feels like I have to be on "nothing foods" to loose.

Today I am up a couple of pounds from the water weight gain from salty foods and junk over the weekend. Today I am feeling more in control:clap2: , I hope it lasts., I will try hard. I went grocery shopping and bought my protein. Those out of control, need to push food into my mouth are so intense and sneaky that they are here before you know it. Missed the onset cue. :phanvan AM 3 bites cereal and millk coffee, splenda, cream

Today I am up a couple of pounds from the water weight gain from salty foods and junk over the weekend. Today I am feeling more in control:clap2: , I hope it lasts., I will try hard. I went grocery shopping and bought my protein. Those out of control, need to push food into my mouth are so intense and sneaky that they are here before you know it. Missed the onset cue. :phanvan AM 3 bites cereal and millk coffee, splenda, cream

Sure we can, this is simply an exchange of opinions. I've got nothing against Sam in any way, I don't doubt that harm was ever intended in any way. I just reflect on my own obesity and my own habits and I can see a direct correlation between treats, and weight gain. Adding some humor is what I try and do - and it can be misinterpreted (and clearly has been). Sammee - If I caused you upset, I apologise. My thoughts on bad food is entirely personal. I fear sugar, I have fears for my grandchild that he lives in a society that sees a massive consumption of 'hidden' and obvious sugars. It scares me. If my humor is inappropriate, I apologise. I sincerely thought when the note was posted about 'trying to kill..." I thought you were lending humor to it as well. I was merely playing along (in my mind). I HAVE to do my diet without treats. I have no band. I have no physical restraint. I have only me. So, I hope you will trully support my belief that it can be done without treats, because if not, I am doomed to be fat for the rest of my life.

I had an interesting conversation with the fitness director at the gym I work at today. I work out quite a bit, more than the average joe for sure. I'm at the gym 5 days a week at least, sometimes more. Last week I did 7.5 hours of t-shirt soaking cardio, and 3 hours of weight training. I think my average calorie intake a day last week was around 1300 calories. I gained 2lbs....actually I gained 6lbs, but 4lbs came off over the weekend so I'm guessing it was Water weight. Anyway I was talking to the fitness director and telling her this. She said, well maybe you aren't eating enough. Okay, maybe. I really want to get my metabolic rate checked soon. Get this...she eats around 1800-2000 calories a day, and runs 30 minutes 3-4 times a week. She didn't mention if she did any weight training. So lets review, she eats 500-700 calories MORE a day than me, and did 2 hours of cardio versis my 7.5. She weighs maybe 110 soaking wet? The lapband is not the easy way out, because as you can see above I am working it hard. I try to stick mainly to protiens, I don't drink any calories except the occasional protien shake. Overall I'm eating healthier than I have ever eaten in my entire life. I'm a bit on the frustrated side right now because of the weight gain. I had someone say something today that implied that this was the easy way and it kinda of bugged me...mainly because I don't think this is the EASY way.

rorysmom, Then obviously you do NOT think obesity is a disease, do you? Have you ever been obese? I certainly understand what you are saying about the other problems I mentioned--that they are things you can't help--like losing your eyesight, etc. I'm really passionate about this, so forgive me if I get slightly angry in tone... I have been overweight all my life. My mother tells me that she put sugar in my baby food (because my ped. doc. told her to). Along with this, she gave me honey Water as an infant. From studies I've read, all the fat cells that one will have in life is determined as a child. You cannot get rid of fat cells (unless you go the liposuction route); you can only shrink them. I believe that I obtained many fat cells as an infant. I exercise daily. In fact, in college, I jogged five miles/day and could never get below 175lbs. (I'm 5'5). Now, I jog 1-2 miles per day and take a powerlifting class 2-3 times per week. Along with this, I have an autoimmune disease, called hypothyroidism which makes it really difficult to keep weight off, much less lose it. I am not making excuses for all my weight gain--I have eaten too much in the past--and too many wrong things. BUT THERE ARE OTHER CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO WHY I AM OBESE--MEDICAL FACTORS--THINGS I DID NOT ASK FOR IN LIFE--AS A PERSON WOULD NOT ASK FOR CANCER. Please understand that if you have never been obese (which most doctors say is a DISEASE) then you really can't give any valid comments. Have an eye-opening day!

Kim, prayers go out to your FIL and whole family. Praise God that he is going to be OK! I'm also praying the truth will come out. You would think that the trooper would take statements from the medic too? Dianne, hang in there lady. You'll have a date soon, and be as good as new ... or actually better! Angie, I'll eat Soup with you Melissa, you're looking great. Please don't sweat a little Water weight gain. Had a good weekend, but a sweet old gentleman in our church went to be with the Lord this weekend. He suffered from congestive heart failure and had been on Oxygen for at least 1 1/2 years. I'll attend his services tomorrow (Tues.) afternoon.

And what a puzzle it is. It's so overwhelming that I'm still trying to put it all together in a way that makes sense to me, much less to my peers who I'm asking for opinions! First of all, BMI is a ratio. Had I achieved the rather unambitious goal weight set for me (variously 18#-20# from my current weight) then I wouldn't have been obese anymore by BMI standards. That part is simple. {As for the Tummy Tuck or Abdominoplasty -To those who have not have yet had cosmetic surgery: I did have an Abdominoplasty. This surgery is very different from weight loss surgery or lipo. The traditional abdominoplasty is not a weight loss procedure - it does do not ultimately affect your scale weight either way. In fact after a Tummy Tuck, there is often an initial weight gain, due to Fluid retention and swelling. (I already factored that in with my latest weight issues.) I was told I was close enough to goal to be within range to have a this done and I knew with some effort, I could have it covered at 100%. So I was happy to seize that opportunity for a much needed procedure. I sought 4 different plastic surgery consultations and my WLS surgeon's advice before I had it and it was definitely the right move. But never ever think a Tummy Tuck makes will mean significant weight loss. It's a wonderfully complex procedure but it changes how your body contours, but although it might change your posture or even how your clothes fit, it may not change your weight. If you see Fatty meat on a butchers scale (ewwww ), you may see that the marbled fat doesn't weigh as much as the meat's muscle and bone, and Abdominoplasty surgery primarily removes skin and it's associated flab and repairs muscles if needed. Just an FYI! :straight } I'm trying to clarify all the parts of the story because it seems a bit disjointed with the way I outlined it. Chalk that up to emotion. But I have to wait until my medical records are in my possession to put ALL the missing pieces together. There is much more to this for me to work through and the more information I have, the clearer I will be on what's really going on here. So as I really do appreciate everyone's comments, I will take some of this very much appreciated and very much solicited advice under counsel. I posted here first because I needed to hear what other Bandster patients thought about how I should proceed next. I've been very grateful especially to those who contacted me privately and attempted to help me work through it. Yes, I had a very visceral, heartfelt emotional response to the letter (which just seeing a certified letter, much less one from a surgeon, nearly scared me silly :cry ) and I think my post reflected that. I was upset (still am) overwrought (no longer that) and shocked. Now I'm justifiably upset but I am trying to look at my options. So, for now, I should remove my post before I make a bad situation even worse. It's bad now, so I should try to have enough presence of mind to not inflame things further or seem unclear, especially when I lack all the true details here. I am crafting a measured written response to the office, but of course I have accepted his decision. I do accept that this is as much as I could have done (to whoever said that, I do realize they have no idea what I've gone through - hopefully I can expand on that later also) so such hold on to your hats. Once I get my medical records released I think I'll have a very relevant and thought provoking story to tell my Banded (and de-Banded) Bandster peers. No one likes to admit they made a mistake. I am no different. I fully believed the Band could take me to an acceptable level of weight loss. Maybe it still can but it's a bit discouraging to hear your medical professional say you've come to the end of your road. (Again, those were his words.) If he thinks I should be satisfied to have come from where I was to where I am now, then he really didn't ever clearly hear my goals, aims, and wishes. And if it sounds like belly-aching to say I did NOT undertake the time, money, effort and blood, sweat, and tears just to end up still obese - then a belly-acher I am. My goal was to get to a healthy, and satisfactory weight. This isn't it. Again as I promised, I will first attempt to get the records released, get them analyzed by another professional and then know how to proceed next. Then hopefully I'll be in a position to put ALL the pieces together and then more clearly outline the details on why my journey with this surgeon, is being cut short. No matter what my (former) surgeon thinks, I am not definitely through trying to succeed at this. Again thanks.

With all this talk about band erosions, port infections, etc. and people second guessing themselves: Should I have gotten the band or not?, I'm slightly unsure now which WLS procedure to pursue. Anyhow-- Haven't they (bariatric surgeons) been doing Lap Band surgeries in Europe for years now? What do the studies/statistics show there? All the Lap band literature says that the band (ideally) should be left in (forever, if possible) to prevent weight gain. Are the Eurpoeans having these same issues 1-2 years down the road. Has anyone had the band in for over 5 years? 10 Years? If these procedures have been occurring for a long time--longer than in the US or Mexico--what is the consensus among European doctors? Just wondering if any of you had any info. on this. I want so badly to be successful...

I'll check in with you on Monday to see if the evil weight gain has gone. Congrats on the 5 lbs.!

quote=chill01]weight gain sucks especially after u lost all of your weight. I go to Dr. Fred Maese, he does my fills (my insurance covers it) but when it didn't it was $100 he is GREAT!!!!!!!

weight gain sucks especially after u lost all of your weight. I go to Dr. Fred Maese, he does my fills (my insurance covers it) but when it didn't it was $100 he is GREAT!!!!!!!

Hi this is Julie, Julie; i go to see Dr. Jay today at 1:30, I am two weeks out of surgery;i too am on mushy foods and i hd lost 14 lbs but i see a couple pounds creep'n up; i have been told that the main thing is healthy and yes there could be some weight gain until the fills start; i have even been walking a mile + to keep it even but you have to admit going from broth to eggs, beans etc is going to put some on; the sugar fre pudding chocolate is to die for.

I have a gothic fairey on my left upper arm~I love her sooooo much!! Shes sorta my alter ego~ I have a phoenix on my right calf, coming out of flames and a black dream catcher on my chest~ I wanna get the one on my chest covered up...but I am gonna wait till Im closer to goal weight. I think the amount of "damage" done to a tat depends on where it is, how badly the skin is affected by the weight gain and weight loss. I got my fairey when I was 50 pounds heavier, and so far so good, shes holding up!!!

I have the japanese symbol for "eternity" on my right ankle and a thingy with a gem in it on my left ankle. Fortunately neither of them changed much with weight gain/loss, but they are a little faded and need a color touch up. I'll probably do that with an addition of something new when I get to goal or something..

EGD - esophagogastroduodenoscopy Former medical transcriptionist here. LOL. Haven't worked for two years though....had to retire due to disability (arthritis). Sitting at a desk for 20 years transcribing and then 13 more years at home at a computer makes for a lot of weight gain and ultimately contributed to the arthritis.

Hi all, I am new to the site and not sure where to put this... I was banded back in May 2004. I have lost about 55kgs and am now about 85kgs - still wanting to lose at least 15-20 kgs. I have read others posts about how slow the weight loss can be. Initially, I lost weight very slowly, then it picked up, and now it is slow again. Part of the reason for it being so slow at the moment is that I appear to have become fixated by all the foods that I CAN eat with the band but SHOULDN'T eg. chocolate, icecream, chips etc.... I went without these for AGES and it seems as though now I have tried them again I can't stop. I have had to had my band loosened recently because it was forming a "pouch" over top of the band which was causing problems. (The doctor said it was too tight - I thought it was great because it really limited my food intake....). SO, bottom line - I guess I had hoped not to revert to my "old" ways of eating and suddenly I find myself doing this (but with a slightly different kind of food..) Bottom Line?? Weight Gain. I got down to 83kgs, then went up to about 90kg, back down to 84 and now up again to 85/86 kgs. How do others cope with the cravings of the food that does actually go through the band. One think I have learned - you still need lots of willpower with a band. What do others think? Its driving me crazy!! Kaysha.:help:

Most doctors give the first fill about 6 weeks out from surgery, once you've completely healed. The band isn't designed to work without a fill, so try not to panic. Many people lose weight during this time because of the liquid diet, but some doctors allow a much quicker return to regular food and that means weight gain for some. Hang in there - it will get better once you have restriction!

Recently, someone posted (somewhere here) that her husband wanted her to get the balloon rather than the band. I do think he was in the military, so probably stationed in Europe. I had very little in the way of English language research that I could access online, but the one thing I did see was that it must be removed within 6 months and it has caused life-threatening erosions of the stomach wall. Anyway, this is a news article on the gastric balloons and you can expect to hear more about them as Europe begins to face their ballooning problems with obesity. -- Theresa Stomach Balloons Used to Fight Weight Gain By MARTA FALCONI AP ROME (Jan. 29) - Vittorio Campati is a 40-year-old restaurant chef. He weighs 308 pounds, likes Pasta and sweets and has failed many diets. His last resort? A balloon inserted into his stomach in a procedure that lasts less than 20 minutes. European doctors hail the technique as a simple, less invasive way to fight obesity. "I'm having this balloon inserted in the hope of reducing the quantity of food that I eat," Campati said shortly before being sedated at Rome's Polyclinic Hospital Umberto I. Being a chef makes that hard. "I eat a lot of carbohydrates and I did several diets, but all of them failed," he said. Inserted down the patient's throat, a round silicon balloon is filled with a saline solution and remains in the stomach for about six months, when it is deflated and taken out before the material degrades. "We introduce a balloon of half a liter volume (about a pint) in the stomach and inflate it so it takes up space and helps slow down the eating," said Dr. Nicola Basso, the obesity surgeon who performed the procedure on Campati in early January. "This causes a sense of fullness, and the patient is helped to lose weight." The balloon, which also contains methylene blue to signal any leak, does not alter the shape of the abdomen and is too big to slip down into the digestive tract. Basso, who has performed the procedure on about 700 patients in six years, said the technique allows an average drop of 33-44 pounds over six months, although the weight loss is often temporary. "The efficacy of the treatment depends on how the patient is able to use these six months to change his dieting habits in a more or less stable way," Basso said. Basso hopes the procedure, which he said is less invasive than techniques like gastric bypass or stomach-stapling surgery, will catch on in the United States. Initial trials with the balloon technique are being conducted in Louisville, Ky., although the procedure has not yet been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, he said. Basso acknowledged the operation's long-term effects have yet to be determined. Scott Shikora, a general and obesity surgeon at the Tufts-New England Medical Center in Boston, said the results appear encouraging. "I think it could be approved in the (United) States with probable limitations on how long it can be kept in the stomach," he said. "It looks to be safe and can be used to start weight loss for other procedures or on its own." Patients who seek the procedure first go through eating behavior therapy and psychological screenings. Basso said they also are monitored and psychologically assisted after the operation. "After years of failed diets, I got to the point of not being able to go on with my life, or even go out," said Maria Pia Di Liberatore, 21, who weighed 242 pounds in 2003. Two balloons and two years later, she was down to 141 pounds. "Life simply got better, it was a big revenge," she said in a phone interview from her hometown, Teramo. Sabrina Spalliera, a 33-year-old in Rome who lost nearly 66 pounds, described the sensation of her balloon as "drinking a lot of Water all at once." "I felt full up after only a few bites," she said, looking fit in a tight, black suit and high-heeled boots. Spalliera, whose weight dropped from 220 pounds, conceded that stomach cramps and nausea were part of the deal, but she is asking for another balloon while trying to lose 22 more pounds. "Given the result and how rapidly I've achieved it, I'm really enthusiastic," she said. Obesity affects 27 percent of men and 38 percent of women in Europe and causes illnesses such as diabetes and hypertension that are estimated to account for as much as 7 percent of the European Union's health care costs. In the United States, about 31 percent of adults - 61 million people - are considered obese. Basso said about a third of balloon patients return to their initial weight after the device is removed, but another third maintain a permanent loss for years and the final third regain only some of the lost pounds. The American Obesity Association says weight loss usually occurs soon after other obesity surgical techniques and continues for 18 months to two years. Few regain it all, averaging a loss of 60 percent after five years, the group says. Basso said at least 1.5 million people in Italy might benefit from surgical intervention against obesity, which he stressed is not just a cosmetic issue. "Obesity is not a minor problem. It actually reduces life expectancy by a quarter," he said. <SCRIPT type=text/javascript><!--adSetType('J');htmlAdWH('93218503', '438', '180');adSetType('');//--></SCRIPT><SCRIPT language=JavaScript src="http://ar.atwola.com/html/93218503/416492981/aoladp?SNM=HIDBFV&width=438&height=180&target=_blank&tile=2&TZ=360&CT=J&hw=docw"></SCRIPT><SCRIPT language=JavaScript src="http://twx.doubleclick.net/adj/TW.AOL/News_USNews;MN=93218503;dcg=00413224;dclu2=D00536005BD03107;u=55EC2E246E8FAF8D;wm=o;sg1=13;sg2=9;af6=1;am6=1;aah=6;chl=1;chn=1;inc=3;mar=1;hme=2;ccb=1;ccg=1;pmi=10;ten=694;clv=4184;aol=1;r23=1;r38=1;r39=1;r60=1;cby=1;dwe=2;soc=9;wwm=1;mob=1;mre=1;nie=4;car=1;res=1;l0=1;l2=1;l11=1;l23=1;l41=1;l72=1;r82=1;sz=438x180;tile=2;dcove=d;ord=416492981?"></SCRIPT> Copyright 2006 The Associated Press.

I'm here, I'm here. I just posted on the 'Slow Loser' thread. I have an awesome new job that unfortunately requires that I travel more than 3 weeks out of every month. When I'm on the raod, I don't have an opportunity to check in, except on weekends. I'm still turtleing along here. No weight loss, in.... I don't know... three months?!?! But - no weight gain either! And that was through the holidays AND a CRUISE. There is no way I could have done that without my band. Hang in there turtles!

Morsaille, Joy's first meal after her doctor cleared her for mushies was mashed potatoes at Chili's. She's been doing cream soups, sugar free puddings, scrambled eggs, malt o meal, oatmeal. As for the sodium and the water weight gain, just keep drinking the water. I know it sounds kinda strange, but you need the water to flush your system.