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P.S., my husband still loves me at any weight, with zits on my face, with bad morning breath, with greasy hair, with my bad attitude, with weight gain and weightloss.

I had lap band on March 5th 2014 upon release from the hospital I felt like I was about to live the life I was meant too with weight loss. Then the weight loss wall hit and hit hard I was 349 to 275 and have been there for 2 months. My diet is very minimal bad food but I am not without sin. I exercise regularly and very intense. I do not know what to do. I used to look foreword to weighing in now I stay away from the scale in fear of weight gain. I have had 3 fills and have some restriction based on the meal and the day. I know what some will say " look at what you have accomplished" but to me I am no where ear where I should or want to be. What do I do what am I doing wrong is this normal am I doomed.

Thank you for your responses. I knew what I have been experiencing since the weight gain was real. I definitely relate to people almost looking through you or being invisible. You guys nailed it. Also I feel like they think because I'm obese that I'm "lower class". It's sad that being obese not only comes with aches and pains but "silent fat shaming" . As far as the sabotaging I've also seen that first hand from some, women mostly, when there friends were trying to diet. They would bring doughnuts, candy, pizza whatever it took and practically beg there "friends" to eat it. It's definitely their insecurities.

you are worth the changes we need to do. we became obese because we never said stop to food, right? now you have a new challenge, you are worth it. take one step at a time, take a breath and see what happens. walking will help you get your mind off the weight gain, start now. keep in touch with the forum. we want to see you succeed, you can do it. drug addicts and alcoholics stop using, so can you. I have been drug and alcohol free for almost 29 yrs. if I had looked at stopping everything past one day or even one hour at a time in the beginning I would never have made it. the best thing I did was get and use support of a group. I trusted others who had gone through the same issues, it works. smoking is not good for you, it is a drug. take care of you, you are worthwhile!!!

That's a great post and terrific questions! I've found just the opposite- I'm finding myself reconnecting with friends I've let go as I went into hiding the larger- and more depressed because of it- I got. My weight gain came over the course of nine years, with years 3-7 being the worst. I began "hiding". This spring, after about a month after surgery, I came out of hiding. Friends were excited to see me! They missed me!!!! How happy I was, not only to pick up where we left off, but that I was finally feeling good. I was never a drinker, but most gatherings do revolve around great food. I ate before I went out, and didn't think twice. No one noticed I wasn't eating because we were too happy chatting. It is certainly liberating to be out and about. Now, almost 10 weeks out, the difference in me is very noticeable, and when I see someone I haven't in a couple of years, usually it's accompanied by a "Lisa, you look great! Are you feeling better??" I've not opened up about my surgery. But they knew I was sick. I simply reply "thank you, yes, feeling much better and I'm finally off all the steroids. ". My advice- surprise yourself with the people who were/are close to you. They will simply be happy you are feeling better, motivated, etc. and likely just accept the fact that you are THERE.

Im in the same boat. I injured my back & after a Toradol injection and muscle relaxants, anti-inflmmatory drugs felt no releif so I broke down and started taking steroids. Medrol which is a 6 day treatment starting off at 6 pills a day down to 1. I was at 202lbs on Wed & this morning at 207.8 I knew to expect the weight gain & I also get really hungry...ravenous is a better word. . I was in so much pain that I didnt care. I was sooooo close to onderville but I know that it will come back off. They say it takes few weeks to get out of system. Dont get discouraged. This is life & we will face hurdles every now & then but I know I have the band & that the weight will come back off. Wishing you the best & hope you feel better soon.

Weigh yourself every day. Track all of your food. If you do these things, you don't have to guess why you are gaining. 5 pounds could be water weight. Without any information and summer heat, I would say water weight before a real weight gain. Are you are goal and gaining from a maintenance weight or are you still trying to lose?

It is said a loss is a loss. Better than gaining but there will be times we gain but we can't let weight gains go over 5lbs. They say eating to low calories can make you gain. Normally, eating anything below 1200 calories per day make your body assume there's a food shortage. The end result causes your body to go into what is known as Starvation Mode. During this mode, your metabolism will slow down and try to conserve energy. So guess we have to find a balance and at first you get way under 1200 and we start losing water weight and when your able to eat more at first will be a weight gain but we have to get out of starvation mode and eat enough but not to much. Keep going we all will learn through trial and error. You got this. Sent from my LM-Q710(FGN) using BariatricPal mobile app

Below is an edited version from 3 weeks ago when I was conceivably talking about getting a bypass with the medical group. Now the Doctor Thinks a Sleeve Would be Better Then a Bypass. With battling weight most of my life 10 years ago I got a lap band put in. I am now 57 years old, 15 years ago I was diagnosed with type two diabetes At the time my Lap Band was put in my weight was 230 pounds. That might not sound like a lot of weight but for a male 5’8 it was a lot for me. In addition to having type two diabetes I have also had two neck surgeries and three back surgeries over the years. The Lap Band gave me significant weight loss. I got down from 230 to 160-165. I also lowered my Metformin from 1000 mg to 500 mg. I lost approximately 70 pounds of weight and maintained this weight for about nine years. To say that it was an easy road for me would be lying, I was constantly having the band loosened tightened loose and tightened like being on a roller coaster. I had problems with the Lap Band being so tight that I was having major acid reflux problems. In addition to that I had some small ulcers around my esophagus next to my Lap Band. Last year I decided I had enough of this and had a lot of Fluid taken out of my band. The major acid reflex went away immediately however, I still have some ongoing small minor heartburn and a small cough because the Lap Band is still in place but a lot of the fluid has been taken out. Because of that removal of fluid I have gained back for the first time in 10 years 35 pounds. Now I am back up to taking the same amount of diabetic medicine Metformin 1000 mg because of the 35 pound weight gain. The bariatric center in Los Angeles is now recommending that I conceivably switch to a Sleeve. This decision is not completely final yet and the acid reflex problems I’ve had for so many years which only really developed soon after getting the Lap Band 10 years ago. As in all surgeries there are risk concerns for changing the body anatomy, any advice or opinions from anyone that has been down this same kind of road would be much appreciated. Thank you for your time and concern. Hopefully one day I can help someone else.

Hey Mvpo, I haven't really had any tests yet, they did one test, but according to what I've read, and what my aunt said (she's a doctor) they did the test wrong, so I'm not being treated in any way for the Cushings yet. I didn't know that weight gain was one of the primary, but I"m still learning about it. Not much that I've found, other than one support board that isn't like LBT, and a few other sites that just rehash the NIH site information, or quote it directly. I think being able to maintain any thing has been amazing.

Grazing will cause weight gain. My Dr. Says 3-4 meals a day and you only eat for 30 min. It's the in between snacking that will get you.

Hi All :help: I have had great loss of more then 65 pounds but once again find myself additcted to the ice cream and weight gain. Does anyone have any idea's of how to get off the ice cream or has found any "subsitute" for ice cream? I just can not get enough of anything that is "ICE COLD". I even drink 2% milk only with ice in it. What ever happened to back in the days when they made ICE MILK? Any thoughts or suggestions please? David dkgingras@comcast.net

I have been in Pristque for years and did not affect my weight at all. Zoloft did cause some weight gain. Good luck. Pre Op: 298lb / Surgery Day: 288lb / Week 1: 278lbs / Week 2: 267.5lbs / Week4: 263.7lbs.

I have taken numerous antidepressants over the course of many years and have not felt they have affected my weight - although I have had other medications that caused severe weight gain. It is always something to watch for- but you may be pleasantly surprised. Also, your doctor could start you with a medication with a more appropriate side effect profile keeping in mind your specific situation.

Oh my gosh!!!!! This is the BEST thing I ever did? My one regret: (and I have heard this SO many times...). I wish I would have done it sooner! I was 57 when I had the sleeve done 10 years ago. I lost 80 lbs and just in the last couple of years I have put 15-20 lbs back on which is why I am back here to figure out how to stop the gain. I went in with the mindset that this was a very exciting time in my life and I was finally going to get a handle on it and I did!!! I wrote a book called Queen of Crop where I kept a blog faithfully each week....I suggest you do as well because it will be a very exciting year for you. You will be in the Honeymoon phase for the first year....but listen and learn so you don't regain. Sadly, my surgery was very early on and I was traveling for a year so had very little (if any) follow up support so here I am fighting some weight gain. But oh, the freedom of feeling thin!!!! Good luck and have fun with it. My passport photos taken exactly one year apart!

Hello all! I am 41, married with 2 grown kids and 3 grandkids that all live out of town...(husband is 15 yrs older so I inherited all the kids and grandkids!) No children of my own, but we have 2 dogs that get treated better than most humans! I have had back problems since I was a teenager (and in shape) but that has been made worse by my weight gain over time. My breaking point to decide to do this has been pretty recent when both my back and my knees got so bad I could barely walk. It is such an embarrassment every day at work as I hobble down the hall to the ladies room, out to the parking lot, etc... I work with a bunch of fit people that work out multiple times daily, so I feel so judged most of the time. Whether they are actually judging me...who knows but that is how I feel. Some folks won't even look me in the eye anymore as they pass me in the hallway. I live in the Houston area and I am getting banded a week from today, April 4th by Dr. Spivak. I don't have any pre-op diet to follow but I have started replacing at least 1 meal a day with a protein shake more as a way to test out a few different brands/flavors. My husband is incredibly supportive as well as the few people I have told. I was so embarrassed that I let myself get into the position of neeeding surgery, but everyone I have told has been so supportive since it is obvious my weight is really beginning to take a toll on my body. I am having sugery on a Monday and my husband convinced me to take the entire week off so I could heal properly. Not an ideal way to spend vacation time, but I know it will be worth it in the long run! At this 10 seconds I am not nervous about the actual procedure, but I am really scared about everything that follows. Knowing that when I wake up in the recovery room, my life will be different is hard for me to get my hands around. I am ready to make this change, but if I am to be completely honest I am scared too. Don't get me wrong...I am excited too! I have never been a great fan of exercise, but since walking is so painful for me now I have to say I am looking forward to being able to move again. Just dropping 20-25 lbs will help in that respect. I don't think I will take being ABLE to exercise for granted again! I am tired of living in pain, having no clothes that fit, etc. I am looking forward to being able to shop somewhere other than Lane Bryant and Avenue. I have shopped there for so many years I cannot even begin to imagine what that will be like. Anyway, that is a little about me. It's been nice reading about everyone and I am looking forward to hearing about everybody's experiences as we all go thru this in the next few weeks.

I *love* my Mirena! After about 5 years of HEAVY periodic bleeding due to peri-menopause, finally found an OBGYN who didn't just pooh pooh my symptoms with "well, everyone's different, yes, things can get heavy or light, you just have to put up with it till it's over..." -- sorry for TMI, but weeks of passing major blood clots, being terrified to even stand up for fear of "flooding", always putting towels underneath me, etc -- ugh, don't want to remember all that -- but got the Mirena about 2 years ago and it literally changed my life - for the better! Don't know how/if it affected weight gain, but at least the **&&^^ bleeding STOPPED.

I agree with all the responses. For me, I wasn't getting in my required fluid intake due to swelling in my stomach. After surgery, I had a 10lb water weight gain. It took forever for the weight to come off. Once I was able to get in more liquids, the weight starting rolling off. I'm currently in another small stall, but I know it will continue to drop. Good luck!

I do feel compelled to say, however... (though it has been said before) It seems a lot of us with medical issues that contribute to weight gain (myself included at one point) tend to act as though food has nothing to do with the weight gain. If that is true, weight loss surgery wouldn't help. It is important to be honest with ourselves and realize that our eating habits are indeed a problem. Maybe not the ONLY problem, but a problem.

My Doctor (who is the inventor of the Duodenal Switch), doesn't believe in the liquid diet. Just clears 24 hours before. Due to my medication which was changed recently, my hormonal treatment made me gain weight. My doctor spoke with my Endocrinologist who verified the reason for the weight gain and understood. Weight gain, for people with medical illnesses could come for other reasons besides over eating. A good doctor will look for the reason why. My surgery is still on target for February 28, weight gain and all.

I don't think I ever experienced weight gain with bc. Maybe it depends which one you were on. I've had the best luck with a pill called Kariva. Fairly regular cycles, only 4 days max and I barely needed to use anything. Loved it. Def talk to your doc. They would know better!!

Hi, I read your post and my heart went out to you and your fiancee. I am 28 years old, and I was diagnosed with PCOS 3 years ago. Not many people know about this condition, but it is one of the most frustrating conditions, given all the odd symptoms and limited treatment. I was also told that PCOS led to my weight gain. I decided to get the surgery because at my last physical my doctor said, "There is nothing wrong with you other than the PCOS; but if you continue at this weight, you will have health problems in the future." I was tired all the time & I was uncomfortable in my own skin. I have had lap-band surgery and it was the best decision I have made in my life. Most of my PCOS symptoms have gone away, or diminished tremendously. I don't think this has to do with wanting to be a thin girl, at least completely. It is very difficult to be obese and feel good about yourself; it's just more difficult to live. I can at least speak for myself when I say that I was physically uncomfortable all of the time, had trouble sleeping, breathing & moving. Also, one cannot even begin to explain the feeling one gets when strangers give you certain looks & people judge you, just for being big. I don't think anyone can understand how that feels unless they've lived through it. Also remember that all those horrible side effects from the surgery are rare, and depend on the patient follows the Dr’s post-op plan. Yes, it does restrict the food that we consume, but we aren’t starving; we just survive on less from now on. I think it’s wonderful that you are on this site asking for advice and insight, but try to see this from her point of view as well. It can be a painful life living an obese life; physically, emotionally and mentally. Good luck with everything!:rolleyes2:

I chose the sleeve, because the complications and malabsorption with bypass always bothered me. When I heard the sleeve was proven effective I knew it was the one for me if I was going surgery route. I first attempted to lose on my own a few years back. I also have hormonal conditions such as autoimmune thyroid and PCOS, which lead me to believed I had malabsorption issues just from things I noticed with how I felt. They did confirm when they did Vitamin levels that I was deficient in several and close to being deficient in one. I feel more comfortable giving my body the change to absorb as much as it can by still having my stomach and not re-routing GI tract and lose/maintain healthy weight at the same time. Plus, I've never been fixated on being an unrealistic weight goal or loss. I am very realistic - my goal was in line with the weight range my dietitian gave me which will still have me in the obese category technically for my height... I'm looking to be healthier, more mobile, and have more strength not to be thin per se or a certain pant size. Lastly, I had hoped to avoid as much distress of loose skin, and thought I'd be better with sleeve since my end goal after surgery would still be quite overweight. I've lost around 7% so far of my body weight at a normal, healthy rate, and honestly I've already started noticing changes with my skin. When I lost significant weight (almost 100lbs) a few years back I had virtually no loose skin except an unnoticeable to others amount on my stomach. As I lose now I am coming to terms with the likelihood I will require some skin removal, and should start savings now. I had hoped I could just be okay with it and wear it proudly, but I'm actually having skin irritation already just from around 25lb loss. Each weight loss journey a person has is different. This experience is so much different from my last one just a few years ago. And as everyone pointed out you can gain with either option which is often shown on weight loss documentaries. I was told by my program's psychologist to prepare for a 10-20lb weight gain after you hit your goal weight, and to set a limit you will not allow yourself to go over i.e. 200lbs, so if you reach that point you reevaluate yourself and get back on track, because weight will always be an issue for each of us, and everyone that loses through whatever means has to stay on top of it or it'll become uncontrollable. Sent from my SM-G530T using the BariatricPal App

I read a couple of posts from people who were told by Kaiser that skin removal and other post bariatric plastics are not part of their plan. I don't want anyone to suffer for years as I did because of being told the wrong information! I'm learning to push back when told NO since often times the people on the other end of the phone tend to not have all the answers or are told to derail people with questions from learning the real truth in order to save $ Anyway, there was a class action in 2015 against Kaiser sparked by post WLS denials. And as it turns out this can have repercussions for insurance that systematically deems skin removal as an elective surgery that isn't covered in cases of extreme weight loss. Link https://blog.cvn.com/kaiser-ordered-to-broaden-reconstructive-surgery-coverage-after-class-action-trial https://legalnewsline.com/stories/510629463-calif-judge-rules-that-insurer-at-center-of-class-action-over-skin-removal-surgeries-must-broaden-coverage When I went to be evaluated for plastic surgery in 2017, we were told we could have one procedure. Dr said I didn't qualify for a panni because it didn't quite hang low enough, just to clarify...their measurement is 'abdominal skin must cover pubic region entirely'' which is BS with the years of skin rashes I have had. He said I just barely qualified for breast reduction surgery which I had 5 months later, the waiting list was long. He said I would be a C cup (from a DD) and I wasn't happy when I ended up a B but worse things could happen. I'm 16 years Post Gastric BP and should've had a revision 4-5 years ago when weight gain started creeping up, no longer going down... about 15 lbs a year since 2018. I could never break past 170 to reach goal of 155 but I'm goin to pursue the distal revision as of this week. It's now or never, I have to get a social life! The rule is you have to be at your goal and stable for months before a skin removal surgery will be covered by insurance so I'll have to wait longer even longer for that as consequence of procrastinating on a revision! I've been disabled with an autoimmune illness so I never returned to the job I enjoyed after the WLS. I didn't put much effort into pursuing solutions for skin removal after research showed it would be very costly out of pocket expense and not covered by insurance. So I haven't really felt the freedom of losing 140 lbs because I still cover up my body! No swimsuits, no sleeveless anything or clothing that accentuates the possibility of a waist, LOL. I wish I had the confidence of those who wear what they want, no matter their size! I've wanted to leave Kaiser to return the awesome Dr I previously had who actually listened and treated me like a human being. Staying with Kaiser only until these surgeries are done and I'm out of there! Kaiser ruling.pdf

How Do You Know When You Hit a Plateau? Simply enough, a plateau is when you stop losing weight even though you want to. It’s not just a day or two without weight loss. It’s a period of a few weeks or more when you keep trying to lose weight, but the scale does not budge. You think you are doing everything you can and should be doing to lose weight, but still you do not see results. That is a plateau. It can be frustrating and discouraging and seem to be unfair. Stay Positive Plateaus can be maddening, but the absolute worst thing you can do during a plateau is to give up. If you decide that your diet is not worth the effort, you are almost certainly going to gain weight. Going back to your old, pre-surgery diet habits, taking oversized portions, and eating high-fat, high-sugary foods will not just make you gain weight. These bad habits can erase your health gains. Worse, they could cause some of the weight loss surgery complications that you already know about, such as the following: Stretching of the sleeve in vertical sleeve gastrectomy Dumping syndrome in gastric bypass Esophagitis with the adjustable gastric band (lap-band) Feeling nauseous or having diarrhea Another reason to stay positive is to keep up your motivation to continue all of the other healthy behaviors in your lifestyle. Don’t fall into the trap of “all-or-nothing,” in which you decide to give up all of your healthy efforts just because your weight loss isn’t quite what you want it to be. These include: Taking your daily vitamin and mineral supplements Getting enough protein and fluids each day Following your regularly exercise routine It Could Be Worse And it will be worse if you give up. It may sound strange, but you can stay positive by thinking about how much better your weight is now than where it could be if you gave up trying. If your careful diet is not leading to the weight loss you had hoped for, it is still preventing weight gain. If you give up, you will gain weight, and probably be pretty disappointed in yourself. Measure Success in Other Ways Another way to stay positive is to stop focusing on the scale. Find other ways to measure your progress. Tracking your body measurements, for example, can let you know that you are shrinking and building muscle even if your total weight is not decreasing right now. Tracking behaviors instead of measurements is another strategy. For example, you assess your success according to whether you eat well, such as hitting your protein goals or sticking to your planned menu. Other successful behaviors to be proud of yourself for are planning and preparing meals ahead of time and making sure you drink enough fluids at times other than meal times. Be Honest and Go Back to the Basics “Why me?” That’s a natural question when you hit a plateau, but most people don’t ask it seriously. However, if you think seriously about what is causing the plateau and how you can fix it, this question can actually help you break through the barrier and get back to losing weight. In many cases, you can figure out “why me” by asking yourself these questions. “Am I logging every single bite that goes into my mouth?” “Am I following the meal plan my nutritionist or surgeon gave me?” “Am I measuring – not eyeballing – all of the foods I eat?” “Am I exercising as much as I am supposed to be?” “Am I getting in my protein each day?” “Have I been too busy or preoccupied to plan my meals and snacks in advance?” If you answer these questions honestly, you might discover that you have slipped up and are not keeping up your good habits quite as well as you thought you had. Go back to the basics of meal planning and nutritious eating, and you are almost sure to see the scale move again within weeks. You’re in Charge! Plateaus are frustrating and nobody wants to experience them at some point, but almost everyone does. These steps can help you when you notice that you are in a plateau. Stay positive and keep up your healthy behaviors. Focus on other measures of success besides the scale. Assess your diet honestly. Make any necessary changes. You can get over your plateau, and you will be stronger for it! Just be patient and do what you know is right for your health.