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I have read so many posts about being discouraged and "losing faith" in the process, and, believe me I've had my own struggles. The one thing I've found that REALLY helps and makes total sense is this. When I start wondering why I'm working so hard and not seeing any results, I ask myself this.. "If I continue to eat the correct foods and portions, and continue to exercise, will I gain weight long term?" The answer to that question is obviously no. Then I realize, that even if the scale or my clothes are not showing me the results I want, I ABSOLUTELY KNOW, without ANY DOUBT WHATSOEVER, that what I am doing is the BEST for my body FOR LIFE!! Not for the day, not for the week, not for the month, but FOR LIFE!! Believe me, every single one of you, if you KEEP doing what you're suppose to do, YOU WILL see results!!!! It took me 2 MONTHS (yes, 8 weeks people) of seeing NOTHING but weight GAIN here and there with proper diet and working out like a fiend. Then, one day...BAM!!!!! The scale MOVED and STAYED!! I lost 6lbs and stayed there. I have gone down ever since, but I KNOW I will STALL again! If you have realistic expecations, and understand that you DON'T understand how your body is going to react, AND Understand that what you are doing is EXACTLY what you need to do, you will be ok. PLEASE don't expect to lose a pound a day, or 3 pounds a week and get discouraged if you don't. NOBODY can predict what the human body can do and is capable of, but EVERYBODY knows that proper diet and exercise are the recipe for long term success!!!!!

Thank you before the weight gain i was a very well self esteemed 170 and full figure thats what i want again to obtain! Thank you for the support!

Unfortunately my fiancee likes Star Wars, Star Trek, and Computers..pretty much it. He's lucky that he has the metabolism that he has really. He's not big on swimming but he is starting to get interested in weights because he err's on the side of scrawny a lot and he's hoping to put on some muscle. I told him I was gonna start secretly feeding him Weight Gain 3000 and see what happens lol!

I am sure you'll be fine! It's all done laproscopically now, so much less chance of complications and healing time is quicker. I would advise staying away from reading up on complications now as you'll just freak yourself out. Be prepared for a little weight gain after surgery; you're just wanting to heal at that point. Good luck, it will all go well!

I have been following RNYTalk.com for a while now and decided I should share my experience. I had RNY in January 2005 at age 24. I was 249 lbs at the time of surgery. I did fantastic with no complications other than needing my gall bladder removed in December of that year (which is very common). I lost my weight steadily and at six months I had got down to 152 lbs. I never had a specific goal in mind but this was a great weight for me. After that I stabled out at 157 lbs for four years. In January 2009 my life dramatically changed when my very painful divorce was final. More or less everything that had been my life was gone. I was going to be 30 in just a couple months and I was back living at home with my parents in a dreary basement apartment with no job, no insurance and no hope. As many of us know all to well when depression strikes food becomes our medicine, our friend and are only consistent source of love. Needless to say I started to gain my weight back. I was in complete denial that it was my eating habits but instead something was "wrong" with the surgery. I even went to my surgeon who performed an exploratory abdominal procedure and found nothing of significance. Sinking deeper into my depression my weight gain continued and for a long time I just denied it all together despite having to buy bigger and bigger clothes. My self-esteem was down to an all time low and was now I was trying to attempt to date for the first time in 8 years. Boy, what fun was that! When I finally found a good man (who I married last summer) I was up to 200 lbs. I didn't care anymore and my husband loved me for who I was and not for how I looked. Now exactly 3 years since our relationship started I am 225 lbs and have been at this weight despite efforts to lose the weight. I have decided to see a new surgeon that is a revision specialist and have my RNY revised. I am now in the beginning stages of getting the process rolling. It is treated just like I never had the surgery before. Supervised weight loss, seminars, NUT meetings, blood work etc. I am having an EGD in two weeks and next month I will be done with the supervised weight loss requirement. My own therapist will provide the pysch eval and we will be doing that at the end of the month. I don't have an actual surgery date yet. My main point in sharing this is that this surgery is just a tool. I know we all hear this but it is so, so true and not a lifelong fix no matter what. If you stop eating right, stop taking Vitamins, stop following up with your surgeon you will gain back the weight. I am not writing all this to scare anyone or make anyone reconsider their decision. Having GB was the best thing I every did myself and I know I will be able to do it again. My mind set is 100% different and I know so much more than I did 8 years ago. This is my story and I look forward to be getting a second chance on my life and getting control of my weight once again.

I am a 49 yr-old female who had an emergency appendectomy after going to ER Friday night ( surgery didn’t actually occur until 2am Saturday ) They said my appendix was NOT ruptured but was really nasty. They had a really hard time getting IV’s in me and therefore kept a bag of Sodium Chloride? dripping all the time once I got there and even then they had to change out my IV 4 times to different locations. Back on March 11 of this year I had a a gastric sleeve done. No complications at all. Went home in about 17 hours. No nausea or vomiting. I had lost 47 pounds when I went to ER for pain this past Friday. I thought it might have been another Kidney stone, had those in the past or possibly gallbladder ( heard those are common for weight loss patients ) Anyway, after my surgery in wee hours of Saturday morning I still felt very crappy, Doc said they were going to keep me another night or two due to the infection chances from my “Nasty” appendix, but again didn’t mention that it had busted or anything and kept giving me bags of sodium chloride ?? and bags of antibiotics. Sunday morning because I was in sooooo much pain they ordered a contrast CT where I had to drink lots of this lemonade tasting stuff before the test. They said everything seemed fine for someone at this point so soon post -op. My question is should I feel this crappy still ( 10 x worse than Gastric Sleeve procedure ) and MORE CONCERNING, why have I gained 15 pounds in 3 days? I feel like I’ve been punched and beat up severely. I don’t want my surgeon to think I’m questioning him or the results of the CT on Sunday, but is this pain and WEIGHT GAIN normal? I really appreciate your responses I don’t want to proceed with my doc ( which was the ER on call but from highly respected clinic in our area ) unless this seems abnormal. I have a follow-up Thursday in his office because we are leaving for vacation on Saturday, July 5th.

Sleeved Feb 17th 2012, starting weight 329 "according to the doc". Today is June 2,2012 and I weigh in at 248 even. I have had a 4lb weight gain from starting to lift weights and supplemental water weight gain but its starting to come off now. Thank god. Still to this day I am never hungry. God blessed me lol. Yes I am gonna win. Capacity is equal to 3 tablespoons max Foods not tolerated are switching up constantly except for chicken and eggs <-just cant eat them Overall I feel good, no problems, and I feel like I never had a surgery at all. I just take it a day at a time knowing that this was the best thing in my life that I could have done for myself. I am glad all of yall are doing good and feel good. May we all reach our goal and then some. Capt D

You will be alright. Although for future reference, remember to stop after you initially make a bad choice. That thinking of "I might as well eat all that I want, since I've already blown it" will get you into trouble. One bad food choice shouldn't have too much of an effect on your weight loss. It is the continuation of bad choices after the initial one that will lead to weight gain. Think about it, when you run a red light, do you decide to go ahead and run red lights for the rest of the day? No, that would be silly. It is the same for food choices. If you make a small slip up, own up to it and move on with your bariatric diet.

I'm thinking that him not being upfront about his physical appearance is the root of your disatisfaction with him. He probably considers his weight gain as being unattractive and a fault for women, so he's trying to get women to meet him in person and get to know him before crossing him off simply because of his weight. Honestly speaking, isn't that the mentation that we have all lived with for way too long? He just hasn't owned up to his weight gain--yet and you not only have acknowledged your weight, but are dealing with it. I think that is the reason, why you got those "negative vibes" at first appearance. It's not that he was overweight. It was because he failed to take responsibility for it and didn't think anyone could possibly be attracted to him with the extra weight. He "sold you short" before ever even meeting you. You've been there--Done that. We all have.

Hi All!! In preparation for my plastic surgery consult (and hopefully procedures) this spring I've upped my workouts to try and get into the best possible shape. I hate that even after all of my successes, I still let the number on the scale dictate my moods and my actions. In the past, when I've started working out harder I gave up because the number on the scale actually went UP. Logically, I know this is inflammation, Water retention, possibly not getting enough calories and going into starvation mode...anything but "real" weight gain. BUT, I let it get to me anyway and would stop working out (which of course didn't result in losing a bunch of weight, lol). Currently, I have about 5 more weeks until my consult, and I've just decided to stay OFF the scale. I don't really care what the number is (for the first time in my life I'm happy with my weight) and I know that working out and eating right will get me where I need to be. Right now I'm working out twice per day: waking up at 5am and working out doing either light cardio or strength, and then again when I get home from work, usually more intense cardo training in the evening. So far, I feel great. This is my third week into it...and I haven't given up!! When I go in for my consult in April I'll be looking to do a 360 lower body lift and breast lift. I've gotten some good advise about the lower body lift, and have learned that the better shape your core is in before surgery, the better your recovery will be. I'm going to give it all I've got, and hopefully I'll continue to see positive changes!

Calorie dense food eaten often combined with liquid calories. I could polish off a couple pizzas in a day if I felt the inclination to do so. It would literally take the entire day but I could do it. Add on a Starbucks milkshake that's almost half your daily calorie allowance and boom. Weight gain.

I had gastric bypass in 2003 and kept weight off for about 7 years. Due to medications etc unexpected weight gain resulted. After working with doctor and nutritionist for about 2 years -- having revision surgery next week.

Hi everyone; I've been "lurking" for the past week, gaining valuable information! Had my first consultation, and today scheduled the psych eval and other tests. Can't get in until late in August which is a bummer because I WANT THIS RIGHT NOW!!! Patience isn't a strong suit, but the weight didn't come on overnight so I guess I'll have to be patient a little longer. I'm truly convinced this is the right path for me. I've been overweight for most of my 36 years of married life. My husband has been wonderful; never complained about my enormous weight gain (90#'s) and has always put up with my crazy dieting patterns. I guess that's what true love is. But now I want to get thin and healthy for him as well as for me. Lulu Dr. Engstrand

Hey there Audra! Read your message just now. The nurse at my surgeon's office told me to call my insurance company every 2-3 days to check on the progress. I was nice and waited a week first...lol. Anyway, my info was reviewed on Feb. 8th and the nurse that reviewed my info at my ins. co. (BCBS of TN) sent a reply back to my surgeon's office on the 16th. I definitely understand how you feel. I'm jumpin' through all their hoops too. I am morbidly obese and have all kinds of co-morbidities and I have had a psych eval many times over within the past 10 yr. of my life. However, the ins. co. told me that they needed documentation that I had been evaluated within the past 2yr and they need documentation that I had tried structured weight loss within the past 2 yr. as well. The ins. co. has been sent all kinds of medical documentation about my depression and weight gain (and weight loss) from the past 7-8 of my life but they want more so....I'm gonna give um' more...lol. Just don't give up!

Hi Sue, I have been thinking about this too. I had some weight gain from my lowest weight and weighed 193 when I had my PS. I have been having trouble to get back to my lowest weight and my body is telling me its comfortable at 190-200 lbs. Yes, thats still overweight/mildly obese, but honestly, I dont care if I never get to 145-150 which is a normal BMI for my height. The strange thing is that I know about nutrition, I know about exercise, most of us are nutrition experts after years of fighting obesity, but that doesnt stop me from eating the cheesecake and then going for a second piece. Have I learned anything??? I'm really not sure. Time will tell because the one thing I know for certain is lapband or not, I can gain all my weight back if I give up the battle. IT was really easy putting on the 12-15 pounds that I gained when I quit smoking. Its really scary and even the fear isnt motivating enough..... I do think that people that learn to love and respect the power of exercise are more likely to keep the weight off because I dont think the fact that we are obese is solely genetics. I think turning some of that fat to muscle really makes a difference to help keep the weight off. Babs in TX 334/180 ish

my surgery date is October the 6th. I have been waiting for about 4 months now and I did also read and watched a lot about the band. I am looking forward to that. I know I am the one to blame for all the weight gain but you know there are a lot of factors that made me gain weight. Like miscarriages, depression and so on so I look at it as a second chance to make my life better and to be able to move around more without hurting my back or my knees. That alone makes me look forward to it. I hope you will feel better about it.

I had a reduction a few years ago. Don't regret it for a second and even with the weight gain- the girls still stand at attention. I hope to lose some and am confident they won't totally go away. Yey girls!

It was good to read everyone's posts. I had been on a roller coaster with fills and unfills. My band has slipped twice due to my own negligence. The last time I had to be emptied completely for 6 weeks. That was a very critical time because I had NO restriction at all so I did gain weight. Afterwards I didn't recover well from the weight gain, so I gained even more. I am just now getting back on track and my PA has been adjusting my fills up and down until I get back to the right place. I know that I cannot eat dry chicken, breads, or asparagus without problems. Today, I found out that pork neckbones don't sit well with me either, Up-chucked it all! I find that sometimes it's trial and error. Other times, I just know better to not eat certain things like breads. After 4 years, I've only lost 52lbs, then gained back almost half of it. I am refocused and plan to get support here for encouragement to continue in the right direction until I get to my goal weight. I hope to have significant weight loss before the spring. I haven't posted here in a very, very long time and miss it. It helps to share with those who have gone through the same things and understand this Lapband journey.

I don't think a little weight gain soon after the surgery is uncommon or anything to worry about. Just focus on the protocol and let it run it's course. If it gets to seven or more pounds, then you probably will want to talk to your doctor.

You look amazing. I'm sure that is a common fear. I'm just a couple months post op and I'm already fearing weight gain. Maybe a before and after photo on the fridge might help. I'm not sure. Welcome.

OP: Have you tried therapy to address your emotional/overeating tendencies? And is your “hunger” actual physical hunger OR could it be head hunger, due to GERD, or are you still chasing the full feeling you had with the band? Relying on appetite suppressants after so many WLS procedures will also not address the root cause(s) of your weight gain. One’s pouch or sleeve is just a tool and long term success must include healthy eating and portion control. Good luck!

My doc wanted to check my thyroid, turns out it is lazy. Might explain the 44lbs weight gain in the last 18months, or at least how more easely they came than before. So I am starting on some thyroid meds. But what I am worried about is does it affect the surgery or more so the weightloss after surgery? It would suck so bad if it will cause me to lose less after taking this step and all the sacrifice.

Does anyone know if you can actually gain weight when you start increasing your cardio activity. Last week I really amped up my exercise, went from basically nothing one week to 2 times at the gym the following week, then the week after went to the gym 4 times, walked the dogs a bit and started back on Wii fit. My weight is up a couple pounds and I am getting really upset by it and I do WW and I have been staying within my points, so I know I am not overeating. I also thought maybe water retention, from working out and it being so hot out recently so I upped my water intake, but nothing. The only otpions I see is wait it out and see what happens or actually eat some more, I have heard that you may need to eat more points when you work out. What do you guys think? I need advice and opinions on this. TIA

Hello. I'm not really sure of where to begin with this post, but I guess that I'll start by saying that I am dangerously... well, obese, I won't lie to myself any longer about it. I am 5'4" and as of yesterday evening, 302 pounds. I have a BMI of almost 53, which has scared the living daylights out of me, especially since I'm still able to not only walk, but run, stand on my feet for long periods of time, fit into "standard" sized seats, etc. I simply didn't think that I was "that bad". But the inevitable health problems have begun to crop up, and I'm frightened that if I don't do something now about the weight (I'm 38 years old), it'll simply get worse over time. Last year, my health provider suggested the idea of surgery, but I immediately nixed it because I was under the impression that it was a very dangerous procedure (however, it wasn't LapBand I was thinking of, but Roux-en-Y, which I still would rather not do - I think I'd prefer the weight problem over my stomach being stapled). Unfortunately, I no longer have that same health provider due to an insurance switch - so now I have no idea of how to go about it finding out how to get qualified for the procedure. From what I've read on this board and others, I know that I have to meet a certain BMI requirement (at a BMI of 53, I don't think that'll be an issue), and that possibly I may have to show that I have tried other options (which I have, I've been on Weight Watchers since November of last year with little to no results). I have not tried Jenny Craig or Nutri/System or the like - and I'm hoping that I don't have to, because I don't think they're going to work for me at this point. I know that I need to see my primary doctor at this point and explore options. I know that I'll have to be tested for everything under the sun before they'll approve a surgery. I'm honestly scared, as I've had some really rotten experiences with doctors and health care in general - but I know I have to do this. I also have a lot of mental health issues (severe depression, amongst other things) which I think may have been a major contributing factor in causing the weight gain in the first place. Anyhow, I just wanted to introduce myself, I guess. If anyone could point me in the right direction as to how to get started, what I should do, what things I can expect, I'd be grateful. Thanks.

it's funny how small dishes give you a total outlook on stuff. . .i use a teacup saucer as my plate and a normal fork and teaspoon. . .after having done this for the past 6 months, when we go out to eat the plates they bring out look ENORMOUS!!! I always make a funny noise when they bring the plates and straight away ask for a take out box. . .that food i take home usually lasts me 2 days. . . it's really weird how this has changed the way i eat. . . sure i eat slider foods but only a bit, not in hugh gobs like before the surgery. . . i've been blessed with no serious weight gain. . .1 or 2 pounds but that is usually water weight, take some lasix and poof it's gone. . .but those small dishes sure do give you a different sense of life. . . good luck