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There was a health fair at a local mall yesterday and it was broadcast on the radio. I caught bits and pieces but it starting me to thinking. When you're overweight all you do is think about losing the weight. HOw the extra weight effects EVERYTHING you do. I was recently diagnosed with pre-diabetes. Something I have been so aware of. I have a strong family history of diabetes...I don't want it. I'm also headed toward hypertension. My life is a little hectic right now and as a result I eat, which leads to me to where I am. I weigh 290 pounds, my BMI is 52.2 I've begun to have little strange things happen...I know they are a result of the stress and extra weight and a little thing called age! :rolleyes So I'd like to do something about it. Lap band was actually suggested to me by a good friend a few weeks ago. I didn't really think about it then. After listening to the broadcast yesterday though...I'm strongly considering it. The risks are what concern me. Flipped ports, painful gas, vomiting, numerous adjustments, weight GAIN....is it worth it...it's like listening to a infomercial for medication that has more side effects than what it's treating!!!! Just wanted to say hello, intro myself and take a look around and take a peek at success stories and not so success stories.

You've done a great job. There is a chance that what you want your body to be at and where your body is comfortable are two very different things. That doesn't mean you can't slowly lose more weight, but perhaps your body has lost all it wants and the process slows down dramatically. I've seen that happen with RNY patients also. My daughter is 35 and is a diabetic. She is 5'5" and 120 lbs. Nothing prepared us for this diagnosis. She had gestational diabetes when she was pregnant but the dr. assured us it would probably go away. It didn't. She is now on insulin every day, so your weight doesn't have everything to do with your being a diabetic. You may lose 20 more lbs. and still be diabetic. Some things you just may have to adjust too. People equate diabetes more with being heavy, but the truth is it can strike anyone. My daughter works out and runs and eats healthy, but the disease got her anyway, and with no family history that I know of. Good luck to you, and congratulations on that great weight gain. Those elusive 20 more lbs. may just be your body telling you it is content where it is.

Sorry, the above response was to joasaint, obviously I need to pay attention to detail more ! And he wasn't the one looking for an answer ! (Geesh ! I need to go find my meds ! ) To enjoythetime, and I say this with all due respect, you've lost159 (!) pounds , and you're asking about a tiny weight gain of 3-5 lbs ? Wow is all I can say! Congratulations on your weight loss ! Id consider a temporary 3-5 lb Weight gain as nothing to worry about, but thats just me. Congratulations again !

As a fellow bi-polar lap band patient, let me say that bi-polar depression is different than any other kind of depression. You cannot 'dig yourself out of it' or do any other non-medicinal types of activities that relieve it. The doctors are careful about giving anti-depressants because some can cause manic episodes, so we are limited in treatment options. Medications that work fine at one time can stop working completely, and they seem to stop working long before the drug companies come out with newer medications. It is a constant battle to find the right medications, at the right dosages, just to make you functional, forget about being happy. Losing weight is almost impossible, especially when so many of the medications cause weight gain. That, coupled with the fact that during the depression you feel like your feet are in cement and you just cannot move from fatigue and exhaustion. I have come to realize that losing weight, even with the band, will be more difficult, and slower that non bi-polar lap-banders. I've had mine almost a year and have only lost 20 pounds. But last year I gained 15, so I figure I am ahead 35. I have learned to be satisfied with slower weight loss, but I am not giving up, I'm in this for the long term. Cindy B.

Mariposa, I think you possibly nailed it in your first post....when you referred to your migraines and the hormones. Fat cells horde estrogen, and when you lose weight quickly as you have up til now, that excess hormone gets dumped into your system---causing the hormone induced migraines, PLUS causing a multitude of PMS like issues---including bloat, and Water retention---which both result in weight gain. You might also notice mood swings, and libido changes, acne breakouts etc. Your body actually adjusts quickly and they will pass. I would not recommend going any lower in calories, and in fact, maybe instead of counting calories for a few days just concentrate on eating as healthy as you can...fresh nutrtious food, avoid the processed often high sodium foods---which will just make the water retention worse. Years ago I had hormone induced migraines, and they went away when I had a hysterectomy (had it for other reasons---not the migraines), never had another one until I got banded!!! Then I had a few during the first month following it, and they went away.....never to return I hope!!! Good Luck to you----I bet it eases up soon, and the weight loss continues! Kat

Wheetsin, I think I had the same name on LBT. It's been a while. My update: I saw my surgeon again this morning. There was some confusion, as I thought they had rescheduled my surgery for 8/24 (instead of 8/31). But it was really scheduled for SEVEN/24. Um, that's next Tuesday, and for a variety of reasons, I just cannot make it work. The big one is I am out of town for work. The next available option he had was 8/17. which was 3.5 weeks later. Fortunately, my surgeon is awesome. He worked me in on 8/3, so I don't have to move heaven and earth, AND I can get it done sooner. The bad news is my band is EFFFED UP! For real. If you've seen your band on film, you know it should look like a slash, '/'. Mine is a perfectly round, big, open, 'O', Yep, it has not only turned, but it has flipped and twisted. Which means my poor tummy is being drug up and through the O and then back down. Not good. He said he's seen worse though. I am thankful for once that my overachieving ways didn't have me in first place. He can't believe I don't have any restriction based on the band's position, but I really don't. Oh, also, my band has ZERO Fluid in it, even though it should have 9cc. Yep, it is a mess. I wonder if he'll give it to me as a souvenir! Sooooo, it's bad enough that I have to wait at least FOUR MONTHS between surgeries for my poor tummy to heal. BUT because he is seriously the most awesome doctor ever, he reassured me that I am NOT to worry about weight gain. He wants me to focus solely on letting my tummy heal. He said he doesn't care if I lose 10 lbs or gain 50 lbs between now and my sleeve, he just wants to see me healed. He said I will get it all off and then some with the sleeve. In fact, he insisted I will be sitting in his office a year from now asking for plastic surgeon referrals because I'll have lost so much weight. It seems impossible, but I know it is true. Whether I have the surgery now or in a few months, a year from now, it won't really make a difference. A lower risk of complication is worth it in the end. There you have it - the latest and greatest from this battling bandster. I have finally stopped crying. I'm still not happy at the prospect of being restriction-free for an additional five months or so, but it is what it is. I didn't have restriction for about six months with the band, so I just need to get in that same head space and do what I need to do. Thanks for reading if you've made it this far!

WTF????? I do not understand what is going on with me and my scale. I got my latest fill a few weeks ago. It worked very well, I was so motivated and lost 8 pounds pretty fast. Then last week, TOM, and Water weight gain + cravings. I didn't give in to cravings, etc. Now, understand that I retain SERIOUS water - like 5 to 10 lbs of water. It sucks. Okay, so water gone, scale went back to normal. I fully admit I fell off the wagon on Friday night and gave in to temptation (Marble Slab Creamery is the of the devil). I logged my food at thedailyplate, and yes, I was way over, but not enough to even gain a pound, much less the NINE pounds that my scale reflected Saturday. I thought it was a fluke, but it was still there Sunday and this morning. NINE pounds - as in, heavier than before my fill. Again - WTF??????

I was allowed to pick up 5 pounds each arm at one month, but was able to do bodyweight exercises at two weeks. No pull ups from a bar, but things like walking lunges with no weights, push ups against the wall, modified boxing exercises, step up calf raises, up and down stairs, walking and speedwalking to my heart's content.......that kind of stuff. Obliques were out of the question until six weeks. The inner workings of your incisions will let you know pretty quickly if you are over-reaching your healing. I tried picking up my 30 pound kettle bell last week, but that clearly is not gonna happen for a while. I could not even get it off the floor. Just this week (nearing 3 months) I have increased my weights to 8 pounds each hand. I wanted to go to ten, but I could barely pick the weights up. I am learning about Paleo Eating and Paleo Fitness from MarksDailyApple.com, and even purchased some Vibram Five Finger Barefoot Shoes, which I LOVE LOVE LOVE for exercise. I am having my boyfriend help me build a fitness course around the perimeter of our back yard, which is about a 1/4 acre. A lot of what I need to do is post-stroke therapy at a modified level, but I am fighting this fat with every weapon I can come up with. Mark explains Paleo Fitness basics as several primal efforts: our ancient ancestors (mine are orkney Island Stone Masons) did not chase mastadons all day. Their day included activities like these: Move Frequently At A Slow Pace Lift Heavy Things Sprint Once In A While Get Adequate sleep Play (No chronic cardio and exercise bulemia) I really like his approach to fitness. Between surgery and the Paleo Lifestyle, I am becoming a fat-burning beast! Since you sound like a fellow beastie who was sidelined with weight gain like I was, you may already know about Paleo. I used to belong to the National and Campers and Hikers Association back in the day and was even a decent archer and pistol packin' mama. I miss it, but I've gotten cushy in my old age. Now that I am post-op and healing, I will be glad to get outside in those barefoot shoes as soon an this frikin' Chicago weather warms up. I wish you good luck and good health.

So last week I turned thirty and celebrated by drinking and eating all week. For the most part I was eating a little more than normal. However the alcohol seems to have speed up my weight gain to six lbs. I pretty much only worked out twice last week. Point I'm trying to make is I thought since I hadnt gained weight I was good. Served as a wake up call that this is a lifestyle change I must make and adhere to otherwise it'd be easy to gain it back. Oh we'll back to the gym and healthy eating =-)

Tina, Congratulations to you! It's a tough decision, and it takes courage to decide to change. Change is the most frightening thing we go through in life. Many people stay fat and unhealthy because of this fear. I was afraid that the Band, or any WLS surgery for that matter, would change everything about my life. And so far it has. But the changes have been good. I no longer fear change, I welcome it. People in our lives have no idea how to be supportive, I'm convinced of that. I'm also convinced that many of the people who seem so unsupportive think they are being just the opposite. But remember, change is a frightening for them as it is for you. They too are afraid. After all, any change in you could result in a change in your relationships. They are afraid, and their fear has no reason behind it. They forget that you will still be YOU whether you band or not. They forget that your quality will shine through. You are afraid, and it's normal. Change is scary. Everyone you talk to knows someone who's best friend's aunt, had an acquaintance whose youngest daughter had the surgery and she only lost the weight on one side then her left leg blew up like a zeppelin and they went in and found the band broken into seventeen pieces and lodged near a perfectly preserved donut in her uterus. (preceding ludicrous story for illustration purposes only). So, if that kind of thing bothers you, by all means, keep it all on the down low. It's your life, and your business. But fear not. The beauty of the band is it's safety. Low complication rate. Non invasiveness, and ease of reversibility. Of all the courses out there it is the logical choice. I had to decide. I picked this, and now I'm one month out, it was easy, fast, and nearly painless. Well, a lot less painful than my overactive imagination had drawn it for me. Diet and exercise do not work. Lose the weight, gain it back, plus a little bonus. Will power is good for the next meal, and maybe for months, but sooner or later the will power fades, and we fall into our old ways. If the will power worked there would be no fat people, no alchoholics, no addicts of any kind. The way I saw it the only way to go was to choose between a short life and a longer one. Keeping my messed up relationship with food was the short life, the band was the longer one. Follow your own star. Make your own decision based on who you are. One thing about these people here, they know how to be supportive, visit often, read the old threads. Contemplate. But move yourself to action. As Red says in "Shawshank Redemption" it's time to get busy living, or get busy dying. I suggest living with the band, you'll smile more than you do now, you'll laugh daily. Good luck, and glad to see you here.

I have been recently diagnosed with hypothyroidism. A symptom of hypothyroidism is weight gain and difficulty losing weight. I have gained significant weight recently that I can attribute to this disorder and have had more trouble taking it off than in the past. However, I have always been heavy and was only diagnosed about a 2 months ago so I would not begin to blame this entirely for my weight issues. I have learned of this in the midst of scheduling my surgery and I have a fear that this disorder will hinder my weight loss after surgery. I am curious if anyone on the forum has hypothyroidism and if it effected their success. I would think at least one person might as it is a fairly common disorder. Any input would be appreciated. Thanks everyone.:thumbup1:

So I was having some problems with my lapband. One day I can eat anything and the next day I can?t eat at all. I went yesterday and had an Endoscopy done. Much to my amazement, I have an eroded band and a small pouch dilation. I was already contemplating taking the band out and putting the sleeve in due to decreased weight loss. I got my band in June, 2007 and have lost about 60 pounds with it. My doctor does not want to remove the band and do the gastric sleeve at the same time. He wants to remove the band and wait 6-8 weeks for me to heal. Of course I want to do what is safe, but I worry about weight gain. I have come so far with this and don?t want to be back at square one when the gastric sleeve is done. Can anybody relate to this? Any suggestions?

dont despair, i was banded on 6/4 at 240lbs. came home from the hospital at 253. I was horrified, keep drinking, some people retain fluid, and the gas and edema can cause weight gain. thurs 6/6/ at md ofice 246, today on my scale at home 235. make sure you drink enough to keep your urine almost clear. Is there salt in the broth? That can retain fluid too. PM me anytine

Do NOT let a little weight gain frustrate you. Your weight will fluctuate both ways when you change up your routine. How much water are you consuming? If you are not getting enough, your body will start retaining fluid. How much protein are you getting? You should be eating at least 50 grams of protein a day. That is the fuel that keeps you metabolism burning. WW points make sure you keep calories, carbs and fat low but they don't help on protein.

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

Well the bad news is I didn't see a great deal of movement on my scale this week - in fact the only movement I had went up slightly - 300g, Taking me back to 12kg loss total!!! The good news is that I saw my dietician this morning and have been well assured that this is actually normal. I clearly need to have another fill which is scheduled for next Friday. I was really bummed about my weight gain yesterday and thank goodness for some very close friends of mine that are there for me all the way and supporting me because I really needed it yesterday. Today I have a much clearer mind and totally understand that it's a process!!!!! livelovelapband.blogspot.com.au

Hi Politisa, I see you've posted this in the low BMI site too, and have had lots of lookers but nobody answering. I was high BMI and in a different situation, but I'll try and give it my best shot. My friend that I got banded with had 70 lbs to lose and was very successful with it. Some time after she had reached her goal weight her band slipped and she had it removed. She's finding it a struggle to keep the weight down but she's managing by exercising like a fiend and eating very little. I have to point out that she's self employed with teenagers so she has the time to spend 2 to 3 hours a day exercising. I think it may be quite different with young twins. (Congratulations, by the way!) I have heard of people hitting plateaus in their weight loss by eating so little that their bodies kind of go into a starvation protection mode. I also know that certain foods take quite a bit of energy to digest, so if you eat tons of broccoli, say, you should lose. The speed of losing 50 lbs on the band? It really depends on the person. It is possible to "eat around the band" and even gain weight, for example if you suck on milkshakes all day. In your case, two things come to mind. First, people who are not heavy have no idea of the physical and psychological burdens that obese people deal with. It's very easy for people to state that if you just eat and exercise right you will reach your perfect weight. While that does happen sometimes, often things are a lot more complex than that. A lot of well meaning people discourage obese people from getting bariatric surgery. Your weight gain is fairly recent and it's entirely possible that you will lose it naturally, although not as quickly as you may like to. On the other hand, many of us who are obese had the whole thing begin with our gain during childbirth. Keep reading posts. Hopefully others will put their two bits in and give more information to help you out. Keep us posted on how it's going for you. All the best!

Hello. My name is Shannon (moeandez1) and I am 29 years old and I currently weigh about 280 pounds. I have struggled with my weight most of my life but didn't start having major problems until after high school. I had a sudden weight gain of a hundred pounds in one year and since then it's got worse. It took over ten years of problems..thinning hair, no periods, weight gain...until I was FINALLY diagnosed with PCOS in about 2009. Unfortunately I have only been diagnosed and not treated. In 2008 I started having issues with feeling like I had a flu all the time. If someone touched me I would yelp. It hurt so much. Eventually my pain got worse and worse and early last year I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis. I have been off work for about a year now. I am still in the process of trying to get the pain under control and finding the right medication. My weight keeps going up and up. I have recently started having issues with low blood sugar but haven't been treated for that either. I've tried a number of very expensive diets and I have been semi successful but then I end up gaining all my weight plus some back. I have made a decision to go with the lap band. I don't want my health getting worse and I really want to go back to work. Unfortunately in BC, the lap band is not covered and any other surgery is about a five year wait. I cant' afford this but I can't afford not to. My husband loves me the way I am but knows that I am unhappy. I have become very reclusive because of my weight and RA and I don't want to live like this anymore. I have my surgery date...June 27th! I am so excited but at the same time I am so scared. I spend time every day reading about the band. I have read a number of peoples blogs and for some reason every link I clicked on in the past day or so has been a negative experience with the band...I have to admit, it doesn't raise my confidence...therefore, encouraging words are defninitely welcome! lol. My husband and dad are super supportive and know this means a lot to me but the few friends I told have accused me of taking the easy way out and told me it's a dumb idea. Of course, all those people are within a normal BMI and have never had a weight problem in their life. I l love hearing about other peoples experiences and would love to hear from people who have had the surgery done or are waiting to have it done. Are you as nervous as I am? hehe.

hon, these are questions for your primary care doctor and/or rheumatologist to answer. I have fibromayalgia and was told it was not an obstacle for the surgery but every case is different. I know that one of the medications that they prescribe, Lyrica, works against you as far as weight gain goes. I am hoping that my dosage can be greatly reduced after my surgery. Consult with your PCP or bariatric clinic. Have you been to a free seminar? There is usually a MD at these. You might find it very helpful....All the best to you, Melinda

My surgeon requested that I not gain more than 5 lbs prior to getting my bypass. I’m still a month out and noticed that I’ve gained 10 lbs since my last appointment. Has anyone else experienced weight gain prior to their surgery date? I have been lenient with my food choices recently since I will be starting the pre-op diet on 4-16...and know my future diet will be very constrictive. I am actually thinking of starting the pre-op diet sooner to counter the weight gain I’ve experienced. I’m curious to know if others have experienced these issues! Thank you in advance for any advice you may have!

I am a grazer so I never ate huge portions. I actually envy non grazers because it's more dangerous (weight gain wise). I wish I ate big meals although now that I'm reading this it's clear we all have a cross to bear. My NUT told me that nearly everyone has a moment of regret but she also said in nearly everyone it passes and they move to elation. I hope that's what happens for you. 9 days till surgery for me. I'm having all kinds of nerves.

@@AvaFern, I'm glad you contacted your doctor as soon as you suspected something was wrong. And I agree that antibiotics are indeed a boon to humankind. But don't you think it's likely that the two parts of your post are related? The weight gain could be Fluid retention caused by the inflammation. If the weight gain persists for another week, then it will be time to react by cutting back on calories. Make sure you are drinking plenty of plain Water. Try not to panic. I know that's easy to say and hard to do, but it's counterproductive. Edited to add: If you are not currently tracking your food intake, you might want to start now. That information is very helpful for weight loss and for maintenance.

I'm booked... after a billion emails and questions to the office and to many people in this forum and another, I've booked my surgery date - June 22, 2010 - with Dr Armando Joya in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. I've read through all of Weight Loss Surgery for Dummies (great book, but very gastric bypass-centric point of view) and have been reading pretty much every post that i can get time to go through on here. I think I'm ready. nervous as heck, but ready. lol I know this is the right decision for me, but it's so hard to be confident about it when not all of my family is supportive. I have one brother who is quite vocal about me making the wrong decision and nto really trying. I know he'll be there for me after it's over, but in the meantime, it leads to doubts... things like excess skin, weight gain after sleeving, and if I really have the fortitude to make this work. I assume nervousness and doubts are normal?

I go back to the doctor on November 13 for a check up that's long over do. I'm hoping to get my second fill and headed toward the GREEN ZONE. Keeping fingers crossed that my stomach has not stretched from my weight gain.