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Sunsett Usually the weight gain is in patients that are on long term steroid use. In your case the doctor is treating you with predisone because it will decrease the inflammation caused by your asthma and respiratory infection hence allow you to cough up all the mucus in your lungs and prevent pneumonia from forming and let you breath easier. Predisone also will increase your blood sugar drasticly if you are diabetic. There are other options avaliable instead of taking the predisone but this usually works the best. 5 days of predisone is nothing, I would suggest to take it and feel better before Christmas arrives. Good Luck! and Good Health!

Dianne, don't worry over the prednisone. My daughter had walking pneumonia (at age 6!) last month and the doc gave her the antibiotic and liquid pred. She was much better in just a few days! It really helps. Take it like the doc ordered, and please don't stop now! You have 11 people at your house over the weekend...you need to feel your best! Throw out the scales until you have been on and then off the pred for a week. You will pee like a racehorse for a few days after the pred is done and then you will know it's safe to get on the scale. Your weight loss journey is for the long haul. A little temporary Water weight gain won't hurt you...really!!!!! Warning: long and complicated plans ahead... I got a call today from my sister-in-law from Texas. Shhhh...it's a surprise! She, my brother and my 16yo niece are driving in to Charlotte late tomarrow night! Yay! Our Christmas is complete! So noone knows but me. Geez! Talk about pressure! I have my dad coming over for coffee tomorrow night, then I gave hubby the heads up that me and dad need to go out and do something secret after 11pm. Please don't freak out...we'll be back. Fine. So I'll wait for the call, load up dad, stop and get my sis, and meet them at the Cracker Barrel on Billy Graham. They will be so happy! We will get my bro and bring him back to my house. He'll go home with my dad and stay there with him. My SIL and niece will drive on to her sisters house in South Charlotte for the weekend. THEN! My Mom and her fiance (yes, drama at our house this Chistmas...lets just add the new fiance to the family pic this year, huh? sigh. Wish I didn't like him so much, right? He's a great guy.) Anyhow, Mom still doesn't know. I called her today and said..."I just talked with Cathy. Her Mom is coming into town from Tx with our gifts so she doesn't have to ship them. Can you come have hamburgers Friday night and stop by the sister's house to pick up our gifts? We'll send ours back with her when she goes back after Christmas...they'll be late but it's okay" blah, blah, yada, yada, yada. So Mom will go to the sister's house and find her Daughter-in-law and Granddaughter there...Get in her car and come up for burgers. Surprise! And we'll all be together Friday night. With the new fiance. Let's just add to the plate! Then we'll be together again on Christmas day here. That's 14 people Friday night and Christmas day. Time to go grocery shopping? Karen: I'm so glad your Christmas musical is going so well. God is so faithful, I love to see His Spirit move. Bless you for using your talents. Angie: I posted about your surgery on the other thread...keep us updated! Melissa: you sound like me with appoinyments. It's a busy time of year to be scheduling these things! But, they are important. I wish I had a nutritionist following along with me. Ya'll all be thankful for your insurance! Me and Sherrie will ride your coat tails, okay? Kim, I really hope your back feels better. Yuck. Do you like the Chiro? I have always wanted to get adjusted several times over a month and see if I can just get a better feeling of well-being. They say so many things can be out of whack and cause problems all over...sinuses, allergies, digestive system issues, foot pain, etc. I hope that works for you. If I were desperate enough, I'd drink an adult dose of the liquid and wash wash wash it through with plenty of water to keep it off the stoma, ya know? I wonder if your doc would allow that? You don't need it everyday, right? Might be worth it? Pat, that sounds so nice...even just one night away at the beach with the girls would be worth the drive! How fun! How far is it to the Outer Banks from here...isn't it an 8-9 hour drive? Yowza! I'd love to do it. It doesn't even have to be summer! Okay, I need to wrap one gift tonight...then I'm hitting the sack! Night all!!!

Hi vinesqueen, I am down 41 lbs, losing slowly but going in right direction. I was on prednisone when I had my Chemo 3 years ago, my weight went through the roof. But I was on 100mgs for 5 days for 6 cycles, it was not fun. I am sure that if you are on a short period of time the weight gain will only be temporary. Hang in there...

I am really conserned about the weight gain. It is only for 5 day, but 20pounds Mothernature! Did you loss it as soon as yu stopped taking it. After hearing that I sure don't want to take it! YIKES

Ok, so I have decided to see how far I could go without throwing up and I feel like a bottomless pit. I was banded Nov. 15 and am going back for my 1st fill next week. I lost 15 lbs but have gained 6 of it back. It's x-mas time and I am having a hard time of it. I can eat a lot more that 1/2 cup of chicken. I guess the hardest thing for me to do is not drink anything until an hour after eating. Does anyone else have problems with this? I am getting discouraged.

Good for you! I remember feeling the same exact way when I was at my heaviest as well. I was literally letting life pass me by. I remember avoiding people that I had went to school with (I mean ducking into aisles at stores) just so that I wouldn't have to be embarrassed by my weight gain. Now, even though I know that I still weigh more than what I did back in school, I can look those people right in the eyes with confidence in who and what I am, and not be ashamed of ME! Kuddos to you, because that was a very huge step in moving on with your life. It's awesome when we come to the realization that we really are worth something, and we really do matter!!! Good for you!

Hi, I was just reading your post and thinking maybe you should try upping your calories for a while, then cutting down again. Upping your calories alot will jolt your metabolism into action. I would try upping them to maybe 1,500 or so for like two days, then dropping down again. Milkshakes, ice cream, or even those weight gaining powders will do. It sounds like your metabolism is shut down and isn't burning anything. I remember that my doctor gave me this advice and it would work wonders. I would always lose when I would up my calories for just a day or two. In fact, he recommended a diet where you eat 1,000 for three days, 1,200 for two days, 1,800 for two days, then repeat the whole cylce. When I could stick to it it worked the best. Your metabolism needs a jolt. Also, have you tried sustained exercise where you get your heart rate up to your target range and then sustain that range for 30 minutes every day? I bet if you try regular intensive exercise and upping your calories for two days then drop back down, you will see that scale move.

well, no one hates taking prednisone more than I do. However, I know that typically if they prescribe it for me, and they know me, I had better take it, weight gain and puffy face be damned. Asthma and pneumonia are nothing to fool around with, espeically since people who ignore their asthma tend to die from it.

OK I need advise please. You all may think I"m being stupid, but here goes. I started with a really bad cough over a week ago. I do have asthma that comes and goes, never that bad though. A week ago today my cough added a bad cold to it. Last Wednesday I went to the doctor. She did not take an xray, but gave me an antibiotic and Predisone. I remembered how nuts my daughter was when she had been on Predisone so I decided I'd wait to start that. The I remembered the weight gain also goes with the crazy moods. I'm crazy enough as it is, I sure don't need help! My girl friend told me that she was on them for a few days and she had the weight gain and her face got puffy! Just what I want when I have relatives who I haven't seen for months coming over. (I'm down over 40 pounds) Well I finished the antibiotic yesterday. I still have the cough, but not as often and the cold is still hanging around. I went to the chiropractor today and she nothing in my chest was moving and that I had phemonia. I just hate the side effects of that medicine, and I would do anything not to take it. So if you have any suggestions I'd really appreciate them. Thanks for your help.

Today Tell Newyear's Day The Average Person Will Gain 7pound's Of Weight. Due To Over Eating And,( Also Liquid Calorie's ) Add Up Fast. Putting Off, There Daily Walk. I,will Do It Tomorrow. Mine Is Over Eating Candy! That Is My Down Fall! I'allow My Self To Eat Some What Of Junk Food One Day,a Few More Hundred Calorie' Intake That Day Then Fight The Calorie's The Rest Of The Week! I Hope Every One Out There In Band Land Will Have A Safe And Loving Time With Your Family's And Friend's Over Christmass!!! And Also Remember To Think About All Your Choice's Of Food,however If You Been Fitting A Few Pound's For A While Now Is Not The Time To Let Your Self Go With Eating As You May End Up Fighting For Another Month.weight Loss. Well Good Luck Most Of All God Bless You All! Have A Safe Hoilday! And No Drinking And Driving "i Want To See You All Here Back After Christmass.johnq

I have always wanted to be able to walk my dogs. I would be content with that. I think a treadmill would be awesome, except for the fact that arthritis prohibits the walking part. I so hope that the banding will in some way help the arthritis. I may be reaching for the stars, as there are very thin people with arthritis, but I know mine has gotten worse with weight gain. The thought of buying and being able to use a treadmill would be an ultimate goal, just as walking the dogs would be. I'm kind of scared the banding won't work if I can't really excercise. Someone suggested Water therapy, but the thought of me in a bathing suit is about more than I can bear. I want to actually be able to walk without pain. Has anyone had arthritis that improved with the banding? I would love to someday jump on a threadmill, but the first goal is simply walking 2 little dogs. As for the emotional aspect, I'm not yet banded, but I expect I will go through a range of emotions. Perhaps an anxiety medication would work. I know I have panic attacks and they settle in my chest. It's a very scary and uncomfortable feeling and I take medication for it. I'm not really pushing medication, but I feel sometimes we really benefit from it as a coping mechanism. There is only so much we can fight on ourselves.

Sorry but you will just have to live with the weight gain until you are off steroids. There's nothing you can do to avoid it. I am so sorry. I would be so frustrated if I were you! But the good news is that once you are off the prednisone, the weight will fall off pretty quickly. Predisone will also m ess seriously with your moods and the condition of your skin. So be careful. Right now just work on getting good nutrition.

My DH is a kidney transplant recipient. He takes Prednisone and has suffered several side effects including weight gain. He also found out it can cause early stage cataracts. I am thank ful that this drug keeps him alive everyday, but 36 is too young for cataracts. He is having his cataracts removed in January.

I am also a frequent prednisone user. The source of most of my weight gain. I am a terrible asthmatic. When I discussed this with my dr. he said that he might prescribe a short term appetite suppressant during my steroid courses if I wanted. It is definitely worth asking. I have not needed any since the band. If not, keep your head up and work really hard when you are finished with the prednisone. During the course, curb the hunger with as healthy of food as possible and exercise! Good luck to you, I hope this is short term!

The band was not designed to only drink your meals, you should still be able to eat solids before 5:00 pm..if you cant then I would say you are too tight and need a slight unfill, remember as little as having .2 cc's removed can make the biggest difference in you being able to eat solids but still have enough restriction to lose weight. Being too tight you are at a higher risk of slippage, reflux, gastritis, esophagitis etc... From the Inamed Handbook That may be helpful to you With the Lap Band system in place, you should be able to eat only small ammount so the food you eat should be as healthy as possible. Do not fill your stomach pouch with :junk: food that lacks Vitamins and other important nutrients. Your meals should be high in Protein and vitamins and low in carbs. solid food is more important then liquid food or soft food. The lap Band system will have little or no effect if you only eat liquid or soft food. It passes through the stomach outlet very quickly and does not make you feel full. Here is another excerpt form the book If the adjustment (fill) results in too tight of a stomach opening you could have a hard time eating most foods, sometimes this causes people to avoid solid foods. They may drink liquid meals or soft food meals and this may result in weight gain. A band that is too tight may cause reflux symptoms and can also cause frequent vomiting.

I had my first fill on 11/17 and I have no restriction. 1.5cc I have lost 30 pounds since surgery 9/8. Since my fill I have not lost any weight. Gain 2 pounds lose 2 pounds kind of thing. I am scheduled for another fill 12/30, I hope and pray that will give me a jumpstart to weightloss. My doctor will only give you a fill if it has been 4-6weeks since your last fill anyway. I am hoping I can lose 10 pounds by Jan 8 which will be 40 pounds in 4 months.

There's are lots of ways to handle this, all of them good. I have noticed something in my weight loss that no one's mentioned here yet, so I'll put that on the table for ya. I track my weight on fitday.com...then you can see a little graph of your weight loss over time. I have a pattern: drop some weight, gain a little back, hold for a while (maybe even a week, or two), then whoosh some weight comes off. Repeat. My graph, while overall moving steadily downward, has little peaks in it where my weight goes up after it goes down. Now, I just consider the progress "interesting" and don't get emotional about it. It took 3 months to get the idea, and now I'm almost 5 months out from surgery...I like analzying things, so I like to watch the pattern. Probably just me. Do whatever works for you! Cindy

Your shoulder pain will eventually pass. I was miserable for about 3 days after my surgery. I too wanted to over do it. But rest, get plenty to drink, and don't worry about weight gain. You just had major surgery and this is the healing process. Check with your doc for pain meds if the pain is too much. A heating pad helps with the shoulder pain. Also do a search of old threads on here, there is lots of useful info. Best of luck!

I put on alot of weight pre band too. I had all the last suppers of all my fave foods I thought I would never be eating again. Well sitting here 8mths later with pretty good restriction there is nothing I really cant eat if I am careful...so all that binging trying to get everything on was a waste. Actually I can eat steak but I find it so not worth the chewing chewing for so long...so if you like a good sized steak Id recomend that, because I dont think I have seen anyone here who is properly restricted and can eat steak easily. Anyhow I really wouldnt worry too much about the weight gain, but I do look back and wish I hadnt put on so much pre op because it was so much more I had to lose. Good Luck

I had a tummy tuck four years ago-it was a great decision. After a csection for twins, my stomach was never the same. The recovery is much worse than having the band, though. My only warning is that the surgery has a "rolling pin" effect...all of your weight gain travels upward. I gained all of my weight in my arms and upper body. So...it doesn't make the weight disappear-it just shifts it!

Yup, I get plenty of Water, and I take benifiber quite frequenly, nearly everynight, espically now that i'm so darn tight. And I've tired the mixing it up like you suggest Eileen, too, but that didn't work any more than anything else has Good point about the meds Paula. I 've check my meds myself, and weight gain was only an indicator when I was on birth control this summer. I am still gaining and losing those same five pounds.

I'm curious why your Dr. suggested bariatric surgery - and that's not me being cycnical, that's me having a friend who went through something similar. Here's what makes me wonder: "when I went back to only eating one healthy meal a day I gained every pound back and am still gaining." This tells me that food intake isn't the cause of your weight problem, but something medical is. I had a friend who was in the exact same spot, who chose RNY at her doctor's recommendation. The kicker being - without GB, she was aready eating about the same as what she would with GB. "One healthy meal," especially since you're exercising, is not going to cause weight gain. There is something other than food causing your weight gain and the lap-band isn't going to address those issues. My friend, now about 2 years post-surgery, is still morbidly obese only now she's also suffering from LT side effects of her procedure, and has all the other negatives of having her operation. I'd hate to see you in the same spot. Just seems like they're treating the symptoms not the cause...

Jessica, I am so glad that you and your mom have found the lapband. I wish something like the band was available when I was younger. I would like to offer you helpful hints regarding the post op diet plan for folks with PCOS. What works the best for people with this disorder is a low carbohydrate diet. I was diagnosed with PCOS/hyperinsulinemia in 1995 and was put on a seried of different medications to control my insulin resistance since my main problem was not fertility but weight gain and hirutism. None of the medications worked for me and I gained instead of losing. I was always a volume eater, but most people that know me did not think I ate all that much but continued to gain. When I was banded, from day one I stuck to a low carb diet plan that worked really well with the band since most of us eat Protein first, then veggies and starches and carbs only if we have room in our pouches. I lost 120 pounds in a year this way. But I preface that by saying that I did exercise 4 times a week at least 40 minutes per day. SO if you can stick to an exercise regimed and stay away from the carbs you will lose your weight in no time at all. I am really excited for you and wish you lots of luck!!! Babs in TX 334/180/170 -154 pounds

Maur, Don't worry about the weight gain right now as it is fluid from surgery. You are in the healing stage right now not the losing stage so just get rest and the losing will start soon. Welcome to LBT.

Holy cow, Jane! Congratulations!! :D Do NOT sweat the weight gain, you know better than that. Babies are the only really good reason to gain weight. Yay, I'm so happy for you!! :banana