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Hi everyone, I've been reading up on this procedure and all the things everyone here has to say. I really want to do this. My BMI is 32, but I weight more than I ever have in my life...more than I did 9 months pregnant with my first child (21 years ago) and I've done every "diet" known to man. I've lost the weight, gained it back, plus 10-20 every time! I guess what I want to know is...is it worth the (self) paying to have this done and force myself to lose this weight (forever)? Should I try "one more time" to do this on my own? Any advice? Thanks.....and I really enjoy reading what's going on with everyone out there...Keep up the good work!!!!

38. if i could have gotten the band placed to PREVENT the weight gain in the first place - i would have.

Hello everyone! This is my first challenge as well. I am just over a week post op and I am already down 17.5 pounds since post op. In addition to this, I lost 5 pounds on my pre-op diet, which gives me a total of 22.5 pounds lost since this whole process began. My starting weight was 215. My current weight is 192.5, and my goal for the October challenge is 179. Optimally, I would like to lose somewhere between 13.5-15 pounds. I know that's probably overly optimistic...but I've already lost this much so far with absolutely zero exercise, and I think that once I add that in the mix I will only continue to lose. I do have a concern, though. I am currently on the pureed/mushy phase of the post-op diet, and I was wondering if many people experience significant weight gain once returning to "regular" foods. This is one thing that I am very worried about since I have been so fortunate in my progress so far. Good luck everyone!!

Congrats on the girl Juno! When are you due and do you have any kids already? Cyrena - pretty name by the way. I can only speak for myself in that my lapband surgeon ok'd me for a fill while I am 11 weeks pregnant because I have gained a lot of weight, being very loose since January. On the other hand, my OB says - get the fill if you want, but why risk a healthy pregnancy and malnurishing your baby. He said this "80% of Americans are obese, don't worry about the weight gain", so I'm not going to. I have the band as a tool to help me loose the weight after pregnancy. What do you want more? A small, cute pregnant body or a healthy baby? If money weren't an issue, would you follow the doc's orders & get the unfill if it were free? I don't get fills/unfills using fluro. My doc just feels for the port & sticks the needle in, then I drink water to make sure it can go down. No sweat. I will probaby get a complete unfill when I feel I need it, probably around 7 months. Read all of the posts on this thread, it might help you decide from other banders experiences. If you are truly having reflux though, you should probably get an unfill. Sometimes, I just need someone to make the call for me. Sounds like your doc and your hubby already have!

HeatherO wrote: I have also been on a fruity yogurt kick lately. I like the Yoplait Whips or the Yoplait Light "Thick" yogurts. I like the different textures, there is plenty of calcium and not too many calories. Hey peeps! Heather, are you eating yogurt sweetened with aspartame, as most light/fat free yogurts are? I've been looking everywhere for non-fat yogurts sweetened without aspartame and can't find any....since preggos can't have aspartame, I've been eating regular lowfat yogurt, but at nearly 220 calories per cup, thats just hard on me. I am up about 5-7 lbs depending on the day I weigh. Not great for only 7 weeks, but I am TRULY getting hungry all the time now, so trying to make good choices. My cravings are similar to all of yours, mostly sweet stuff (powdered donuts, grapes, blueberries, yogurt and cereal) I think part of the weight gain is due to constipation and water retention...at least I hope so!

SouthBeach Diet Tips and Guides The SouthBeach Diet is different from the Atkins diet in that it is not a low carbohydrate diet. Regardless of which phase you are currently in, you should follow these recommendations: Drink a minimum of 8 glasses of water, decaffeinated beverages such as club soda, tea, coffee, or decaffeinated sugar-free soda every day Limit your intake of caffeine-containing beverages to 1 cup each day Take one multivitamin and mineral supplement daily Take 500 mg of calcium for both men and women under the age of 50, and 1,000 mg for women over the age of 50, each day Eating can be both pleasurable and healthy as long as you eat the proper foods. All the meals in the SouthBeach Diet consist of healthy combinations of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Dishes can be made by anyone and the ingredients can be found in most grocery stores. These foods will satisfy your hunger without depriving your system of the low-quality starches and sugars that caused problems with your blood chemistry in the first place. The SouthBeach Diet does not involve counting calories, fat grams, or portion sizes. This plan was designed to be simplistic and will help you understand the principles of metabolism and put it to work for your own body. A major key to success with the South Beach Diet is the Glycemic index (GI), which ranks carbohydrate foods based on the effect on blood sugar levels. When you start adding foods back into your diet in Phase 2, keep your focus on low-GI foods such as apples, berries, grapefruit, high-fiber cereal, and whole grain breads. Preparing For The Rest Of Your Life Mindset Change for South Beach Diet You have learned what the South Beach Diet is, how it works, and what to eat. Now, you need to get prepared to change the way you eat, for life. Start by accepting that the first couple of weeks will be a big change but one you will not regret. The first morning of this diet, you will eat a breakfast that may consist of a two-egg omelet with two slices of Canadian bacon, cooked in either spray canola or olive oil. In your old life, you may have toasted bread or a bagel and had fresh fruit or fruit juice to go along with your omelet. However, with the South Beach Diet, the bread will have to wait. Most people have been conditioned their entire life to add bread to meals. You have toast with breakfast, sandwiches on bread for lunch, dinner rolls with dinner, and cake, cookies, or pie for dessert. However, during Phase 1, you will have to forget about the bread. It may take a few days to leave old habits behind but keep in mind that it is during this time that your body’s inability to process sugars and starches is being reversed. After trying numerous diets, most leave you feeling hungry, is one of the most difficult aspects of any diet. A common denominator seen with overweight people is that most of them skip eating breakfast. When this happens, blood sugar drops, which then increases the desire for bad carbohydrates to escalate until lunch when the entire meal is blown. Planning for South Beach Diet Planning will help you stay away from snacking or substituting things that are not healthy and could cause weight gain. Remember that once you start into Phase 2, carbohydrates will start being introduced back into your diet along with fruits. You also need to remember to eat your mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks, even if you do not feel like it. Some of the greatest low-fats foods to incorporate into your planning include cheese and yogurt to replace the fats since they have no bad carbohydrates. In addition, the sugar is found in the lactose, milk sugar, is one of the things you can have with the South Beach Diet. The South Beach Diet is a lifetime change, lifetime commitment, and a lifetime of health and vitality! How Does The South Beach Diet Work? As mentioned, the South Beach Diet is unique, successful, easy, and works in a three-phase process. Unlike many other so-called diets, with the South Beach Diet, simply substitutes your bad carbohydrates and fats for good ones. After trying this, you will be amazed by how well and quickly it works. South Beach Diet Phase 1 South Beach Diet Phase 1 lasts for two weeks. During this first phase, you will eat normal meals of chicken, beef, turkey, fish, and shellfish, lots of vegetables, eggs, cheese, nuts, and garden salads using 100% olive oil for your salad dressing. Each day for 14 days, you will eat three, well-balanced meals. While eating until your hunger is satisfied may go against most diets, with the South Beach Diet, it is part of the plan. Trying to lose weight and become healthy by depriving the body of food makes no sense. In addition to the three meals each day, you will also eat a snack between breakfast and lunch, and then again between lunch and dinner. Even if you do not feel like eating these snacks, for the South Beach Diet to work, you need to, and after dinner, you will even have dessert. Additionally, during this phase, you can drink all the coffee and tea you want and be sure to drink lots of water. You may be thinking that this is a lot of food - it is! With most diets, you deprive your body, eating only small portions of foods that are unappealing. The change you will make during this phase is that you will cut out all bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, baked goods, fruit, candy, cake, cookies, ice cream, or sugar. Keep in mind that these eliminated foods will be added back into your diet, starting in Phase 2. In addition to taking these foods out of your diet temporarily, you will also need to avoid beer, or any kind of alcohol. Once you start Phase 2, reasonable amounts of wine can be added back in. Instead of feeling overwhelmed about the foods that will be taken out of your diet during the first two weeks, stop and think about this for a minute. To achieve a life of health and lose unwanted weight, two weeks is a small investment to make. After all, you are worth it! The first two or three days will be somewhat challenging, but breaking any bad habit starts out a little bumpy. Once you pass this small hurdle, the rest of the time will go by quicker than you think. When you see the results that these changes bring, you will be glad you did not give up!

By the way the scale said I was +3 lbs this morning. Boo on weight gain! Although I am not surprised. But still, boo.

So for the last few months or so I was having a terrible plateau and when I was losing the scale was barely moving down. Had a fill and the same thing, even though I felt more restriction this time! So I have been going crazy because I am following the plan, exercising and have been using spark for my food journal...nothing has changed in that way at all. I have increased my work outs in recent as well! I have notice I am hungry at night and have been making great snack choices, nothing bad! So anyway, I went for a 5 mile hike with my trainer yesterday and we got to talking. She just could not understand after reading my food and exercise journal why this was happening. (and talking how my weight loss has stopped....and actually now I am up four pounds) So she asked me if I take any meds and I said no just Advil PM. She literally stopped in her tracks and said DUH! that stuff will do it to you every time. She said it is an appetite stimulant, you hold Water weight ( I am so feeling bloated which is what started the conversation in the 1st place) and it increases constipation! Anything with with diphenhydramine in it can cause weight gain, when using at night because it slows you down too much, and apparently effects your metabolism! I started doing research and it is all over the net about this exact topic. I found this blog all about it! Cranky Mommy Anyway, I wanted to share just in case any of you use sleep aids or benedryl at night and your weight loss has not been exactly fast or slowing down. I have officially quit taking Advil and Tylenol PM as of tonight! And will certianly update you if the scale starts moving again. I just feel horrible that this could have sabotaged all the hard work I have done, it has also slowed my progress down immensely considering I have been taking this for a few months. UUUGGHHHH at least I figured it out now instead of later....

Hey ladies. Congratulations to all the new mommies and mommies to be out there. And Laura0703, congrats on the BOY! I'm 17 weeks now and have gained about 3 or 4 lbs. I'm hoping to keep my weight gain in the 15 - 25lb range but we'll see what happens. I still have my fill. I got a slight unfill (-0.3cc) at 8 weeks and have been fine since then. I was lucky and didn't have any m/s and my band has been good to me so far. We go for our BIG ULTRASOUND next Monday (Feb 8th) and we're so excited to find out whether it's a boy or a girl. For some reason i'm thinking BOY. I will be really surprised if they tell me it's a girl! I'm ecstatic about either! I've had a really good pregnancy so far and the only thing i'm really dealing with is some tiredness and headaches. I'm still not showing yet, but i can feel the baby bump if i rub my lower tummy. I think i might have even felt one of those "flutters" they talk about as being baby moving. It's hard to tell though!

hiya girls dooney... big hugs sweetie ..i wish i could be more comort on reliabily of downs test but i really dont know but have faith and we will all pray you and baby be fine. raynie.....dont worry about the nits ..lol..i you or anyone else has caught them use a whole bottle of conditioner and lice comb and comb like mad thing or a few days and they will go,i have four sons who go to nursery and school and have caught them before ........lol...i did freak out though as the word nits makes you itch!!!!!! lay of them cookies....you will only regret it ...they sound good but they BAD BAD BAD....LOL...IM HUNGRY NOW . <!-- google_ad_section_start(weight=ignore) -->niecyrenee....i think that we will initially gain weight as calorie intake goes up as we have been eating so low in cals but im hoping that it will settle down ..or maybe im just being an optimist,as for doctor i think he shouldnt be getting his knickers in twist about 5lb gain its not alot and he would be more concerned if you losing weight ..ive lost weight since my 8 week check and i dont think they will be pleased at all with me and im so worried for baby as i was so preoccupied with myself i was still eating too little as i feared weight gain i was exhausted...i must add eating well now and totally unfilled.<SCRIPT type=text/javascript> vbmenu_register("postmenu_597146", true); </SCRIPT> oh and about weight gain every single person different and all pregnancy different..a normal heathy gain is between 24-28lbs total but it depends on weight at beginning and size of baby etc and even sex of baby apparently carrying a girl = more weight so not looking good or me as the 4 lb i gained came back off....i think it was caused by constipation..how embarassing but remember this my fifth so my body not going through quite as a dramatic change it done it b4 and you never really quite go back to the way you were i wish i had some signs a lump at front as is just my deflated tyre looking at me .

Cool thread. I loved to eat, but I always played sports. I was active and could eat like that, but then I went through a bad breakup with my ex-fiance. I didn't start really gaining weight until I was a Sophmore in college. I thought I don't want any other guy to treat me that way so I will eat. Well I stopped blaming him for my weight gain, but I didn't stop eating. I dieted on and off for a few years with diet pills. I lost 40 pounds with those, but when I went off them the weight came back on. I then decided I wanted to look good in my cousin's upcoming wedding, and I knew I would have health problems later down the line so I decided to have the surgery. I'm glad I did so far.

Is maladaptive eating slowing or sabotaging your weight loss? Let's take a look at how that happens and what we can do to change it. WHAT IS MALADAPTIVE BEHAVIOR? The term “adaptation” brings Charles Darwin to my mind. His theory of evolution is considered heresy where I live, but whatever your personal belief about the origin of the human species, you’ve probably observed many times that humans and other living things have an amazing ability to adapt their behavior, and even their forms, to better survive and thrive in its environment, and that as the environment changes, so do the creatures living in it. Here in Tennessee, the weather is getting hot enough to send us into our closets to bring out the shorts and sandals and bathing suits we need to comfortably survive the summer. At the same time, our dogs and cats are shedding the extra fur they’d acquired to keep them warm during the winter. The humans are adapting their dressing behavior and the cats are adapting their forms to adjust to hot weather. This is adaptation in its positive sense, but adaptation also has a dark side. Defining “maladaptation” requires us to assume that certain behaviors are normal, while others are abnormal. That does not necessarily mean that normal is healthy and abnormal is unhealthy. Someone (or something) is considered “normal” if they conform to a widely accepted standard or practice, and abnormal if they deviate from the norm. A behavior can be identified as maladaptive or abnormal only in the context of an environment. It is not intrinsically wrong or evil, and its degree of deviance or abnormality depends on things like cultural and social rules and norms (cannibalism may be a normal behavior in one society, but not in another), systems of psychological and medical thought (a mentally ill person may be “abnormal”, but able to function despite that); as well as political beliefs and ideals (in a democracy, the practice of communist principles is considered “wrong”). I’m going to try to bypass all those interesting but knotty aspects and give you definitions and examples that don’t require a PhD in sociology or psychology to decipher them. Some maladaptive behavior is disruptive to society because it interferes with group functioning. A child “acting out” at school in reaction to the stresses he experiences at home is an example of this. His frustration with his home life turns into anger that fuels temper tantrums in the classroom. His behavior is maladaptive because it doesn’t eliminate the stresses at home and creates a whole new spectrum of stresses and problems at school as his teachers and fellow students react to his aggression. He can’t learn lessons in school that he needs to learn because his “bad” behavior gets in the way. Other maladaptive behavior is expressed in an inward fashion. A shy, anxious art student is horrified when her painting teacher publically critiques her painting and tells her and the rest of the students that her artwork is exactly what they should not be doing. The art student loses confidence in her talent and changes her major to another subject. Her behavior is maladaptive because it makes it much harder for her to achieve her original goal of becoming an art teacher. My own definition of maladaptive behavior is this. It’s a nonproductive behavior that prevents you from adapting to situations, or changes in yourself or your environment, in a healthy way. It can begin as an attempt to deal with or avoid an unpleasant experience but it does not solve the original problem and eventually becomes dysfunctional. You adjust to a situation in a way that makes sense at the time but that eventually misdirects your energy and focus, and interferes with your personal and interpersonal functioning, your health, and your ability to achieve your goals. At the start, the behavior feels like a helpful, even positive response to abnormal, difficult, or negative circumstances. As a bandster, I used both old and new maladaptive eating behaviors. My decades-old behaviors, like eating to deal with stress, did not disappear on the morning of my band surgery, and 5 years later, I’m still working on changing that. I also developed new behaviors in response to the experience of having an adjustable gastric band. The long-term result of these maladaptive behaviors is unintended and undesirable. The maladaptive eating tactic may seem to solve a current problem while it's actually creating future problems: slowed or stopped weight loss, weight gain, band slippage, band erosion, and so on. SOFT CALORIE SYNDROME & OTHER DANGERS A classic example of bandster maladaptive eating behavior is known as Soft Calorie Syndrome. I discovered the perils of this syndrome for myself when I traveled to New York City to attend a trade show when I was about 8 months post-op. I had gotten a fill the day before I left, and by the time I got to New York I had realized that my band was too tight for me to tolerate. I couldn’t eat any solid food, so I spent the next 3 days eating soft, high-calorie, low-satiety foods like soup, milkshakes, and ice cream. I was just trying to survive long enough to go home and get an unfill. My eating behavior achieved a temporary goal (comfortable survival) while sabotaging my long term goal of losing weight. In fact, I gained weight during that trip and ended up feeling disappointed in myself. A frustrating aspect of maladaptive behavior is that it’s often easier to see in others than it is in yourself, but even someone who’s fully aware that her or his behavior is counterproductive may feel helpless to change it. If I had a dollar for every time a bandster has confessed to eating to relieve stress or boredom, I’d be a wealthy woman now. Emotional eating tends to be so longstanding and deep-rooted that it takes on a life of its town, like a devil lurking inside us who seductively whispers, “Chocolate! Chocolate will make you feel soooo much better!” when you’re too vulnerable, tired, or upset to make a different or healthier choice. When I was being treated for PTSD years ago, a counselor asked me to make a list of behaviors and activities that I could choose to do instead of engaging in self-destructive ones. At first the exercise seemed contrived and silly, but eventually I realized its usefulness. I was not able to think clearly and make good choices when in severe emotional distress. All I could think of was razor blades. My index card of alternate behaviors reminded me that I could telephone a friend, go for a walk, take a bath, listen to music, pet a dog, and the like instead of playing with sharp objects. Now, I very much hope that you’re not dealing with severe emotional distress (which I would wish only on my worst enemy), but I do believe you can benefit by making your own list of alternatives to emotional eating. Carry a copy of that list with you everywhere you go and keep a copy in an easily-accessible spot at home (I tacked mine to my bulletin board). TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES In the 1960’s and 70’s, contestants on the “Truth or Consequences” game show would try to answer ridiculously obscure trivia questions and be forced to perform silly stunts in punishment for getting the answers wrong. The host ended each episode by saying, “Bob Barker saying goodbye, and hoping all your consequences are happy ones!" The relief or pleasure or other immediate consequences of a maladaptive behavior may seem like happy ones, but they generally short-lived, so the behavior must be repeated over and over for the benefit to be felt. As with an addiction, it takes more and more of the behavior or substance to cause relief or pleasure. An anxious person, whose mother lost a leg to gangrene (death of flesh) from bacterial infection in an untreated injury, naturally fears germs. She washes her hands thoroughly and often, especially after touching anything that might harbor germs. At the start, her own home is clean and safe, but because her hand washing doesn’t remove her basic fear, eventually she must practice it all day, every day, over and over, even in her own home, until her skin is scrubbed raw. She sees the abrasions her scrubbing has caused as more vulnerable to germs and increases the hand washing. Soon the hand washing excludes all other activities and she dares not leave her home. The salutary practice of hand washing has become a maladaptive and destructive behavior. Unlike the hand washing or other compulsive, fear-based, abnormal and ritualistic behavior, maladaptive eating is rarely perceived as strange. Eating is socially acceptable as long as the meat on your plate belongs to a different species. It’s also something that’s easy to do in secret, while you’re alone in your car or your bathroom or wherever you go to escape other people. But when you do it over and over again, your repetition of the behavior cements it into a wall around you, keeping you locked inside instead venturing forth to find relief elsewhere. And should you confess to this maladaptive eating behavior, people who don’t use food in this way simply cannot fathom why you would do it. They say impatiently, “Put the fork down! Step away from the table! Just say no to chocolate!” Ah, if only it were that simple, that easy… SMALL-TIME CRIMINALS Some maladaptive behavior arises from ignorance, misconceptions or misunderstanding. Take the case of Martin. He received minimal pre-op education, so when he found himself PB’ing (regurgitating) on a daily basis after his 3rd fill, he assumed that this was simply a fact of life for bandsters. His problem is ignorance. The same thing happened to Annie, who assumed she was doing something wrong but was too shy, ashamed and embarrassed to ask her surgeon about it. Her problem is misconception. And when PB’ing intruded into Carol’s daily life, she believed it was like vomiting, caused by “a stomach bug”, so it never even occurred to her that her eating behavior might be causing it. Her problem is misunderstanding. All too often, a maladaptive behavior seems like such a small “crime” – it was just one ice cream cone – that the bandster minimizes its importance without realizing that the cumulative effect of a series of small crimes can be just as destructive as a single big one. It’s kind of like ignoring the posted speed limit when you’re driving your car. You shudder at the news of a fatal car accident when an acquaintance driving at 70 mph in a 35 mph zone loses control of his vehicle and crashes into a telephone pole. In that instance, ignoring the speed limit is clearly a bad choice. But when you’re late for work (again), run a few yellow or even red lights (again), and drive at 70 mph in a 35 mph zone (again) in your eagerness to get to work on time, and nothing bad happens, speeding doesn’t seem like such a terrible crime…until the day you can’t stop in time to avoid the car turning into your path and end up as a bleeding mess choking on dust from your car’s air bag while an ambulance carries off the person you killed because of your maladaptive behavior. IS THIS BEHAVIOR GETTING YOU WHERE YOU WANT TO GO? A bandster once confessed, “I eat pretty good all week and then I allow myself a junk food day...a bad mistake on the weekend since that usually means a junk food weekend...once I start, it’s so hard to stop and of course weight gain is the result and I end up beating myself up. I'm never going to be where I want to be if I continue this behavior.” I want to repeat that all-important last sentence: “I'm never going to be where I want to be if I continue this behavior.” That, my friends, is the take-home message of this article. Take it to heart, take it home, and take it out and study it often. Ask for help in identifying and dealing with your maladaptive eating behaviors. Take them seriously, but don’t build them into mountains right in the middle of your path to success. Sometimes the solution or treatment for a big maladaptive behavior can be a small piece of common sense. One of my favorites is: Don’t keep trigger foods in the house. If chocolate is your bête-noir (the black beast that’s the bane of your existence), you’re not going to be able to gorge yourself with it the next time you’re feeling weak if there is no chocolate in your house. Yes, I know you can hop in your car, ignore the posted speed limits, and pull up in front of the Chocoholic Market in a matter of minutes. That’s why we have to be vigilant, honest and aware. And remember this, from page 299 of Bandwagon: It takes anywhere from 18 to 254 days of daily repetition to make a new behavior automatic….so, practice, practice, practice!

I really need a perspective on whether or not to have s sleeve. Bmi is 32. Weigh 200. 5'6" have 40# to lose. Already approved. Now having second thoughts. Not because of short term issues like pain, nausea, tiredness. really concerned about success after 2 years. I hear so many people commenting on revisions. Weight gain, etc. I'm trying to lose with weight watchers. It's a toss up of the sleeve vs liposuction in my tummy area. And arms. For contouring. Any comments appreciated. Question. For sleevers out 2 years and more, would u do it all over again Sent from my SM-J727V using BariatricPal mobile app

I am due June 9th as the official due-date although by LMP it should be the end of May. I was 150 or so around the time when I got pregnant, dropped to 141 over the first two months. I have pretty much held steady but I had seen 143 on the scale for 2 days in a row now . . . and I fear the higher weight might stick. I feel like so far I have been lucky with my weight . . . my lack of weight gain has had nothing to do with me maintaining a strict dietary plan. I have been eating when I am hungry, drinking tons of milk and water and trying to avoid too much sugar and fat (but sometimes I indulge). If I am hungry, I eat and have now gone up to 4 meals a day instead of 3. My extra meal generally is a small bowl of cereal because I have been craving it a lot. I don't want to gain more than 20 pounds . . . but I guess it will be what it will be when I get to the end. I know I have my band waiting to be kicked back into action when the time is right.

Diphenhydramine/Ibuprofen All medicines can cause side effects, but many people have no, or minor, side effects. Check with your doctor if any of these most COMMON side effects persist or become bothersome when using Diphenhydramine/Ibuprofen: Constipation; diarrhea; dizziness; drowsiness; dry mouth, throat, and nose; excitability; gas; headache; heartburn; nausea; stomach pain or upset; thickening of mucus in nose or throat. Seek medical attention right away if any of these SEVERE side effects occur when using Diphenhydramine/Ibuprofen: Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; trouble breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); bloody or black, tarry stools; change in the amount of urine produced; chest pain; confusion; dark urine; depression; fainting; fast or irregular heartbeat; fever, chills, or persistent sore throat; hallucinations; mental or mood changes; numbness of an arm or leg; one-sided weakness; red, swollen, blistered, or peeling skin; ringing in the ears; seizures; severe headache or dizziness; severe or persistent stomach pain or nausea; severe vomiting; shortness of breath; stiff neck; sudden or unexplained weight gain; swelling of hands, legs, or feet; tremor; unusual bruising or bleeding; unusual joint or muscle pain; unusual tiredness or weakness; vision or speech changes; vomit that looks like coffee grounds; wheezing; yellowing of the skin or eyes. Interesting thing is once I read the side effects I have actually been suffering from a few of these.....huh! I have also had a stiff neck lately and some unexplained dizziness. I guess I am a lucky one who had a negative reaction to this one.

I can't wait to buy boots that aren't wide calf!Literally coming from doing JUST THAT! And they are SMOKIN' Hot with 4 inch heels all the way to my knees. Looking at a pair now that come over the knee. Beauties by Ralph Lauren.... Mmmmmmmmm. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App I am seriously jealous, I still have quite chunky legs and am short so still struggle to find boots that fit well and you can wear four inch heels - I think you're my new hero Mind you I'd probably be banned from going into our office as I work with a lot of blokes that are desperately easily distracted and apparently I've stopped being invisible... New hero.... Mmmm. Maybe I WILL dress for Halloween. Put a cape on with the new boots? Lol Seriously- I'm as excited as the next gal here. Years of competition gymnastics, cheerleading and volleyball left me with very muscular thighs. Even before weight gain, I had a hard time with fitted knee high boots. The WLS and years of inactivity were key- I had (finally) lost muscle mass in said calves, and with the weight loss they've gone to a "normal" proportion. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I noticed a lot of people were able to drink milk and eat milk products on their diets. My Dr. strictly forbade that, saying that milk in all varieties(regular, soy, rice etc) were high in calories and could cause weight gain. I've been mixing my protein shakes with water, which taste alright when you throw in a few pieces of frozen fruit. Michelle from Washington

If someone has had a clot in the past, the mirena IUD can still be use (they don't recommend putting it in someone with an active DVT).. It's progesterone. Estrogen is contraindicated for people with DVT's. The progesterone is mostly local, in the uterus but there is minute amounts in the blood stream. The weight gain is minimal or none. The paraguard (10 yr iud) has no hormone so if hormone is a concern, it's a great choice. It's amazing to me that there are surgeons who requires removal of the IUD before surgery because to me if you get pregnant for whatever reason you will GAIN A WHOLE LOT MORE WEIGHT. Just my opinion, I'm an ob/gyn

Thank you so much for sharing your strategies. I've employed much of the same strategies, unfortunately with a lot more medication. I just hope that when I'm post instead of peri, I can sleep better! I didn't manage the insomnia very well. I honestly think the insomnia contributed to my continuing weight gain through my 50s and 60s. There's all kinds of research that links insomnia and weight gain. Here's what I'm doing these days that's helping a lot: * Post-WLS I'm drinking less coffee than I did before -- no more than a cup a day. That is helping. * I'm exercising a lot more than I did 100 pounds ago -- and that physically "wears me out" and lets me rest better at night. * About 50% of the nights I take either a Melatonin or half an Ambien. It helps. Sometimes. * Since WLS I go to bed when my husband goes to bed, in other words -- at the same time every night. Following that sleep schedule rule really does help. * I manage my reflux a lot better since WLS -- meaning that I actually take my H2 blocker antacid (Ranitadine) every day and on time. * Since losing 100 pounds, I don't have stress incontinence and don't have to get up during the night to pee anymore. Not a single time. * Finally, I'm just a lot less stressed at 100 pounds less than I used to weigh than I used to be. I fall asleep easier and generally sleep better throughout the night. However, one thing I have NOT conquered that still messes with my sleep is to deal with the damned cat who always wants out when I'm sleeping soundly; I then have trouble getting back to sleep. I think the cat and I are going to have a serious discussion. I think he's going to have to spend the whole night outside from now on. Thanks for making me focus on this a little better. The cat won't appreciate it, but I do.

Thanks for your replies Jacqui and Emily- Jacqui: It's funny but I didn't think of it that way at all. I really like my surgeon in fact and he has a lap band himself. He told me that he has had too many people show up for surgery with a weight gain and has had to turn them away so this is a way for him to see who is serious about real lifestyle changes and not an easy fix. He is of the mindset that it's VERY important to have the liver shrink before surgery. It makes sense to me on some levels. Emily: I also think it's sadistic. LOL My DH just reminded me though that while it will be tough it means less weight that I have to lose later. I am just trying to think of it that way. Anyone else have any suggestions about things they have done to make it through the pre-op liquid diet?

Menopause is not kind to us in many ways. I had shortness of patience... And slow weight loss.... However always quick weight gain Simply. NOT fair !!! No option for me as hormones will not be ok for my body. Sigh. Mid life!

ok, so I am almost 2 weeks out from my port replacement and doing fairly well. I did have to get my lortab refilled. I had trouble sleeping. Still am not losing. But I figured I would have to get a fill right away anyway. I am wanting to ask you all your opinion on something. Dr K said he would be going after the manufacturer for the cost of the surgery and such. What I was wondering, is should I make a case for extra? With all the flights, hotels, recovery time, weight gain, wasted time etc.? What do you all think? I have obviously never been in a position like this before and would love some input. Thanks!

Good morning, all! I had my post-op visit yesterday with the nurse, and she said everything looked great (I was banded on 1/10/14). I finally found out where my port was! I am still losing weight, albeit more slowly, and am really trying to watch what I eat, although the nurse said that a weight gain is fine at this point. She said the main idea is to heal. Right now, I've lost a little over 23 lbs. She also moved me off mushy foods and onto soft foods - yay! I'll stay on those until the 31st, and then get to move to regular foods. I've decided to make this my week for really planning my diet in the weeks ahead, so I'm sorting through recipes and making my grocery list. I feel like this is a whole new life for me! My first appointment for a fill is on February 18th - I asked that it be after the weekend of the 14th because I will be out of town at a business retreat, and will be eating out a lot, so I figured that would be easier. Hope everyone here is doing well!

Hi All, Ok..lets start with the bad news. Up 1 lb this week but it is TOM so maybe that is a factor. I sure hope so and I can share better news next week. Ugh! Funny story about TOM.....for the longest time as I was reading these threads I thought you guys were refering to Tom (the PA in Dr K's Office). I couldn't figure out why everyone was blaming their weight gains on him. I just made a mental note to never get a fill from him:-) Duh!!! Bahot...Thank you Thank you Thank you for the clothes. What a nice pay it forward. I even wore some of them to San Diego this weekend. You should all know that I learned so much about Denise by adopting her old clothes. She is so the kind of girl who finds something she likes and then buys it in every possible color. Very cute. Amazing pic of you water skiing. You are such an inspiration. You look like you are so happy out there on the water. Brandy and LA....I'm worried about both of you. Please update us as soon as you have any information. Munchkin....My 26 year old sister is a cop in Phoenix. It is very scary for me to think about sometimes, but she is very suited for it. I know what you mean about just being worried. Very brave women. Mal, congrats on your weight loss....I'm so happy that the scale is actually cooperating for you finally. I'm glad you are enjoying some of the clothes you adopted from me. Yay for free clothes! I went to San Diego for the weekend to attend a workshop on Men and Marriage. It was so amazing and I just had the best time. I have more to share but I'm running out of time here. You guys keep me so busy.....I feel like I'm behind on my homework when i don't check in for a few days. For those of you that have surgeries coming, I'm pulling for ya. I'd like to meet any of you that are traveling from out of town, so keep us posted on your visit details. Welcome to JillyPoo. You are gonna love it here! Happy day to all!

Midnights did contribute to my weight gain. There are studies out now stating lack of sleep is proven in weight gain. 15 yrs of midnights did a number to me. Are you northern lower Michigan or northern UP Michigan??