Search the Community

Welcome Saqueen! and Congrats on your new band! How did you feel post - op and how long after were you able to start walking? I am looking forward to becoming more active, I used to walk about 4 mi. per day before my illness and weight gain. Also, I too have sleep apnea and can't tolerate the machine. I looked into other alternative treatments and none were acceptable to me, so I'm looking to the weightloss to resolve this issue (hopefully). Thanks for the 'good luck' and right back at 'cha! Any less pain with fibro is GREAT!

My doctor expressed today that she is becoming concerned about my weight loss. I started around 154 when I conceived and now I am at 142. I lost 1 pound since my last OB visit a month ago but she said that now that I am nearing the halfway point I need to start going up. I am not dieting at all right now. I eat when I am hungry and drink plenty or milk and orange juice. I am trying to avoid the junk food but I eat plenty of healthy foods. I am eating somewhat cautiously but not depriving myself. I am not sure why on earth I haven't gained because I am certainly eating a lot more. I have also being eating a bowl of Cereal as almost a fourth meal everyday. She said that if I had been around 200 pounds to start, it wouldn't make a difference but she needs me to start gaining healthy weight now. She even mentioned supplements like Ensure. I feel like I am in the twilight zone . . . I am losing too much weight, are you kidding???? My OB has never had a bandster before and I can tell by the questions she asks that she doesn't know a whole lot about it. So what are your thoughts??? I am probably eating anywhere between 1500 to 2000 calories per day right now. I am also still physically active so this must have some impact. I don't feel like I am doing the wrong things, I just can't explain my lack of weight gain. If you were in my shoes, would you make a concerted effort to gain weight or just continue with current habits?

Cindy, I'm all for blaming the husband. I blame him for my gaining weight in the first place! Hell, he's used to taking the blame. Kids too, especially the teenager...or is that why my hair is going gray? :thumbup: Sades, what do you mean the answer to life is 42? Do you mean age 42? I'm 44, does that explain why my body loves to torture me with overnight weight gains? :crying:

Ta. It's used for bipolar and I was hoping to see if I could use that because every other bipolar med causes weight gain. *sigh * I'm currently refusing bipolar meds because of this issue although I'm well under control with being vigilant with my sleep and exercise. Sent from my SM-G930F using BariatricPal mobile app

Yesterday I went back after being unfilled for almost 6 week with weight gain of 4 pounds. Not good, could of been worst. Doctor put back in 1.5 and now I fill full again. If it happens again then I need to have the band redone. When I was this level before I had bad heart burn bad. Good luck.........:smile2:

That's great you are finally going to a psychiatrist. The know much more about issues like bipolar than your family doc. I take 2 meds for bipolar. One possibly causes weight gain but it didn't for me. I lost steadily on it. I would take the meds prescribed for a couple weeks and see how it goes. If you are doing all the right things and still don't loose than you can decide what to do. For me, I'd rather stall in weight loss for a bit than suffer with deppression/anxiety. Good luck!

i have experienced weight gain for the first time since i have had my band. it is only 6 lbs but it has me on edge because for me 6 turns in to 60 pretty quickly. i had a slight unfil due to acid reflux. it seems i can eat MUCH more after the unfill than before. tonight i came home and had a cup of chili and two pieces of corn...that is more than i have eaten for dinner for longer than i can remember....and i still feel like eating...i am no longer hungry but my mind wants some more. i know what i have to do, start moving.....Dibaby...calories in vs calories going out. ...you are right on. so instead of being on the computer i will go out for a 3 mile walk to help get myself back on track. Pbandit and others struggling....I suggest you do the same !!! Let us know how it goes!!!

You are asking yourself the right question. At 4 years post sleeve, I can eat anything and everything in large enough quantities to gain weight. And even though I can't eat as much at once as I used to, I can graze all day and eat enough to weigh 300 pounds. Maintenance is hard. And losing any regain is just as hard as losing weight before surgery - almost impossible. So, you have to be diligent all day, every day. Having said that, I would still do it again. What IS different is that I know what it takes to lose weight. For me, a 1200-1500 calorie diet will cause weight gain. I know that I need around 800-900 calories a day to lose, and the year it took to lose my weight taught me how. So just because it's not a magic bullet doesn't mean you shouldn't do it. Only you can decide if you are ready to commit - and it's only worth it if you are committed.

hey guys! im not sure if any veterans still get on here or not but some of you may remember me from my horror experience with my leak. if you never heard of me, you can go to the complications section of this site & read the post "i definitely regret surgery..... so far!" well, let me start off by saying that i no longer regret surgery! took me almost 2yrs to be able to say that but its true! i was sleeved dec 20th, 2011 this surgery almost took my life but at the sametime, its given me life & now im able to give life to my beautiful baby girl. i wouldve never conceived had i not lost all the weight. i started off at 273lbs & im only 5'1. before pregnancy, i went down to 130lbs. i am now 145lbs & very happy, comfortable & secure with gaining the weight. if anything, i felt way too small at 130lbs so i was excited about some of the weight gain. baby girl is due 03.18.14 & i cant wait to hold my baby in my arms. <3

Well Here I am 4 days post op and I have to say that today is by far my best day. Again no problems with surgery, but I highly recommend not getting teeth done the same time..LOL. its like a double whammy on your body. This morning was the the first that I woke up without that excruciating pain in my jaw, and i was actually able to talk without feeling like my jaw was going to explode. I have shied away from the boards because of this. As far as the surgery, I feel wonderful!. I am unsure how much fluids I am getting down cause I keep forgetting to track it, but I do know it's enough as my urine is running very clear. I have no head hunger, but there are times that my tummy lets me know its time to feed it more fluids. I am very sorry for not updating as soon as I should have been, as I was taking all the time I needed to feel better in my mouth. The weight gain after surgery is horrid. i was down 14lbs before surgery from 322 to 308. The day I left I noticed I was weighing almost 2lbs heavier which I figured was water retention from nerves. Day of surgery i did weigh 310 on doctors scale. Day I got home Wednesday the 8th I weighed 319 lbs. I knew and read over and over about retaining fluids after surgery, but I guess you never really expect it or believe it until you see it. today, day 4 I am finally dropping a few, but I am staying off the scale until my weekly weigh ins. I have not tried too many different drinks so to speak. I am living off water and some gatorade. I did try some watered down apple juice, but in all honesty that gassed me up so bad. I am hesitant to try skim milk yet, but I sure am craving it. Today was the first day that I tried some chicken broth- again had to dilute it. I am not eating any jello as I am worried about jaw pain and not being able to chew very well. Everyday that passes is another day of my journey!

My dr told me at first appt I was allowed a 25lb gain for entire pregnancy. I have lost 27lbs and am almost 34 wks. He is experienced with weight loss surgery patients and diabetic patients. Idk why she would say no weight gain at all. Even my ob dr from my son 11yrs ago told me 20-30lbs was normal. With him I gained 57lbs and he never got mad about it even when I asked what to do to lose some he said worry about it after the baby is born. Idk every dr is different but I don't agree with no weight gain.

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!!

What exactly is the safer route? @@Rogofulm Celery and carrot sticks? This program has many intricate parts and if you don't realize that WLS is a tool and not a diet to get your weight off and then return to your old ways.Then you misread me. It is a tool that gives you time to fix whatever is wrong with your thinking and why you use food as a comfort. It also gives you the time to learn new eating habits like using whole grains, fruit, nuts utilizing vegetables and lean meats and spices. Learning how to eat healthier without going back to your old ways of eating. Learning your trigger foods and weaknesses. What your weaknesses are and fixing your attitude and feelings. Knowing quality of food and eating the best. Not living on Mac and cheese. Living in the real world is exercising and getting your mind set to understand that we must eat to live not live to eat. Switching ourselves over to better habits and taking our time to eat. Moderation and balance is what we need to learn. Not mass! To say that being on a diet is safe. I disagree. They failed me and I will never see them as a positive thing for anyone. Failed diets are the reason so many suffer from weight gain in the first place. Not learning to eat properly and with moderation. With a diet we deny ourselves and soon we get tired of that and start to slip back into our old ways. We have to learn how to handle eating at various times and not use food as a celebration factor. We have to open ourselves up to be honest with ourselves and learn what makes us tick and change the things that made us get where we are. We need to learn how to Celebrate things other ways as well as our accomplishments. It is not an easy road if it was then 30 % would not fail. And why do a majority of that 30 % fail....Because they did not fix their brain and treated this as a diet like all the others. It became to hard to do and they were not able to change permanently. That is the path ahead of all of us when we have surgery. A work in progress. A change in life. The way we think, feel and know things differently then we did before. That is the goal of WLS. Not dieting! Just wanted to clear my comments up...... ( no one was hurt in the writing of this comment ) LOL

Weight gain or Salt? Odds are you are gaining some muscle mass / retaining some water. I assume you aren't tracking your body fat %. Because it's very possible you've gained "weight" but lost fat. There have been a LOT of times when this has happened to me, I'll gain a pound or so but lose a few tenths of a % of body fat. If you are hitting your intake goals and consuming less calories than you burn in a day... then I wouldn't worry too much about it.

If your BP medication was a diuretic, then water weight gain could certainly be the cause

Has anyone she had a problem with their xiphoid process? The xiphoid process is the smallest region of the sternum, or breastbone. It’s made up of cartilage at birth but develops into bone in adulthood. It’s located where the lower ribs attach to the breastbone. The tip of the xiphoid process resembles a sword. Mine sticks out and feels like a half of a golf ball most days. It is hard, uncomfortable, my bra rubs on it and it makes me nauseous most of the time when eating. My doctor said it can protrude out with weight gain, but should go back down with weight loss. Mine hasn't and I only have about 35 more pounds to go to my goal weight. I am getting surgery to remove it in about two weeks. Just wondering if anyone else has had this problem. Sent from my SM-G781U using BariatricPal mobile app

I am on my third week of my pre op diet and I've lost 25 lbs I am 2 pounds away from my goal weight and I cheated and over ate tonight. I am supposed to go to the DR tomorrow morning to get a check up and I know I effed up if I have any weight gain the moment I was done eating I regretted it. I was regretting it WHILE I was eating it but did it anyway. Tomorrow morning I'm definitely going to skip Breakfast and resume my pre op diet but I definitely feel discouraged rightnow because I cheated and I feel like if I can't change my habits now the surgery will be useless. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

My Dr. warned me also of the possible weight gain. I did not have 2b on a pre-op diet but I lost 12lbs 1st week. I knew that once I started incorporating food again some weight wld come back on. I decided not to weigh myself at home until my next appt on Aug 31st which is when I get my 1st fill. I have also read on here that it can take 3 or 4 fills b4 feeling good restriction. Dont get dissapointed. The weight will eventually start to come off. From the time the swelling goes down after surgery to your 1st fill is considered "bandster hell" cuz you have no restrictions, you get hungry & you dont lose any weight or gain a bit. Make wise healthy food choices and exercise, drink your 64oz of Water & drink your Protein drinks. I try to stay within 800-1000 calories a day. Good luck & be patient. Take this time to learn new eating habits & enjoy the journey 1 day at at time.:cursing:

I would think that maybe a weight gain of 10 or more lbs could trigger a denial, but a persons body weight usually shifts by a few pounds up or down, and for a woman especially. maybe they just don't want to give the insurer any reason at all to deny coverage? Best of Luck to you!

Prior to having my band placed, I had a significant history with GERD, and was told by my surgeon that complications were very possible. Because of that history, when my reflux got worse, I was ruled out as an acceptable candidate for the sleeve because of my GERD. After 22 months I did have to have my band removed to get some relief from my reflux. Two different surgeons warned me that I would have even more complications with the sleeve, and advised if I opted for revision surgery my only option would be bypass. So far, I am doing well with keeping my weight stable without my band and no weight gain since December. I hope you feel better....you did not mention if you were taking Nexxium. I was taking it 2X a day, and it did help the most.

I am kind of distressed over how much I've gained so far in my pregnancy, and also still having about 10 weeks to go. My goal was to gain 15lbs TOTAL and for my past two check ups (still going once a month) I have gained 15lbs EACH time! So I am up to 30lbs gained at 29 weeks. I am so afraid to put any more weight on. I lost 75lbs before I got pregnant and watching the scale go back up is really upsetting. I understand I have to gain for the baby etc...but I never intended to gain twice as much as I *should* have gained. So what did you guys gain during your pregnancy? Did you find it easier or harder to get it off (or, the bigger question, HAVE you been able to get it off?) Thanks!

Are you afraid of an unhappy outcome of your weight loss surgery? You're not alone. Use your fear to conquer obstacles rather than letting it conquer you For most of us starting a WLS journey, bariatric surgery is vast, uncharted territory, full of unknowns. We long for a happy outcome – maximum weight loss with minimum problems. We listen to stories told by other patients with a combination of hope (to be as successful as they’ve been) and fear (that we won’t experience the side effects or complications they talk about). No one wants to be haunted by the specter of anxiety and dread, but I think a little bit of fear is a good thing. I don’t want fear to dominate my life, but without it, I’m likely to become complacent about my weight loss success and/or revert to the old, all-too-comfortable ways that made me obese in the first place. In small doses, fear keeps me on my toes. Like pain tolerance, fear tolerance varies from one person to the next. Perhaps I’m able to tolerate and use fear because my childhood and adolescence were so full of fear-provoking experiences. By the time I was in my late 20’s, I actually got a little thrill out of fear, possibly because it stimulates adrenalin production. There’s nothing quite like a knife coming at you to activate your fight-or-flight system, causing a perverse fear “rush”. At the same time, prolonged exposure to fear has also taught me to respect it. I don’t play with fear the way daredevils like Evel Knievel did, risking life and limb for the brief thrill of jumping 14 buses at a time with his motorcycle. But I do like the way fear can clear my mental field, forcing me to draw a line between important and unimportant. When the choice is survival or surrender, I’d rather choose survival. I’m not a quitter. When challenged, I’m going to fight back, especially if something precious like my health is at stake. If fear tends to paralyze rather than mobilize you, you may have to use your own compass to navigate a problem, or play follow-the-leader (provided you have a trustworthy leader) instead. Whatever you do, don’t give in. Giving in turns you into a victim (click here to read an article about victim mentality: http://www.lapbandta...-of-obesity-r79), which is not a position of strength in any battle worth fighting. And your health is worth fighting for, isn’t it? So, how can you make fear a working partner in your WLS journey? Let’s take a closer look at two of the more common faces of fear. FEAR OF FAILURE Somewhere between my first, mandatory pre-op educational seminar and my pre-op liver shrink diet, I became uncomfortably aware of a shadow that followed me everywhere. It was dark and scary, and even bigger than I was. It was my fear of failure. After decades of struggle – diets, weight loss, weight gain – I felt that WLS was my absolute last chance to be healthy. And after slogging through all those pre-op tests, evaluations, consults and procedures, I danged well was not going to fail this time. Since I had to admit that my weight management skills were sadly lacking back then (as amply proven by the number on the scale and the numbers in my medical files), the only option available to me was to become the most compliant patient my surgeon ever had (click here to read an article about patient compliance: http://www.lapbandta...g-deal-abo-r112). I had to believe that he and his staff knew what they were doing and would guide me well. I’m a very curious and often mouthy person, so I asked a lot of questions and did my best to understand what was going on in me and around me, but I spent very little time trying to second-guess the instructions I was given. That approach freed up a lot of time and energy that I was then able to devote to changing my eating and other behaviors in ways that helped my weight loss. FEAR OF COMPLICATIONS Compliance served me well I this area also. I can’t claim that I was never tempted to cheat on my pre or post-op diets or to test my band’s limits. I can’t claim that I believed I’d be forever exempt from the side effects and complications I heard about from other WLS patients. But when my dietitian told me (for example) that I’d be mighty sorry if I accidentally swallowed a wad of chewing gum and had to have it scraped out of my stoma, I quickly lost my interest in chewing gum. When I observed that many bandsters experienced certain types of side effects and complications after engaging in certain types of risky behaviors, I resolved not to follow them down the road of no return. Eventually I discovered that life after WLS can deliver some unpleasant surprises, just as in every other aspect of life. I had to learn some things the hard way, like: If you swallow a large antibiotic capsule that can’t pass through your stoma and slowly dissolves into a corrosive mess, you will end up in the ER thinking you’re having a heart attack (and end up with a big unfill). And no, liquid antibiotics don’t taste good, but they taste a lot better than the weight I regained after that unfill. Most of the mistakes I made were the result of impatience or carelessness, but I did my best to learn from those mistakes and keep moving on. A handful of mistakes was about all it took for me to decide not to challenge the validity of my surgeon’s and dietitian’s instructions, and that kept me trudging along the bandwagon trail, getting ever closer to my weight goal. And once I reached that wonderful place, I was determined to stay there!

I have spent the past hour or so reading blogs and catching up on the lap band community. As I was reading it came to me that we have all been given a wonderful opportunity to have the support of thousands of people. People like us, who can over advice from first hand experience and learn from all of our successes and failures. I never introduced myself when I started blogging, I just started pounding away spilling my thoughts and feelings on the page. So her goes, my name is Diane, I am 55 almost 56 this November. I am married, have two children, a boy and a girl and 3 grand children, a dog, Lexi ( She is posted with me in my picture) and a cat, Sassey. I love animals and if I lived in the country would have many more than I do, animals love us unconditionally and don't care if we are fat or thin. How and why did I chose lap band? I have been what you call the professional diet queen. I am 5'1" and have struggled with weight gain after the birth of my first child in the late 70's. I lost the weight and just gained it back with the birth of my second child. I lost that weight and did pretty good until I went to nursing school and packed it right back on. In those early years I could keep it around 180 or 190 but still thought I was fat, but I never realized what fat was until I hit my 40's. That is when I really started to plump up, I reached a high by the time I was 50 of 260's and believe me on a 5'1" frame that is a lot of weight and my knees began to tell the story a few years ago. Three years ago my right knee went out, swollen, painful, difficult to walk, etc. I went to the doctor, they x-rayed and MRI. I had some beginning stages of osteo, thinning of the cartilage on the inner part of my knee joint. The doctor injected with steroids, last about 48 hours and then I did the weekly injections to rebuild the cartilage. It puts the cushion back between the joints. That lasted about 8 weeks. Then the dreaded conversation came up, Diane you need to drop a few pounds. I knew this already, I had two bouts of pneumonia over the past two years, my BP was out of control, and I was having sleep apnea. Oh by the way I forgot to mention I have been a nurse for almost 30 years. You would think as a health care worker we would have better health habits. But no, we probably are one of the most unhealthy group of people because we are always taking care of others and not ourselves. I am very stubborn, duh so I refused to wear a CPAP for the sleep apnea, and when I saw the metal they would put in my body as a joint, I said no way. Off to Jenny Craig I marched, I joined for 500 dollars, bought my meals at 120 plus a week and lost down to 195 lbs. Then it became too expensive and I just knew I could do this on my own, portion control and 1200 calories, a piece of cake I thought. NOT!!!!!!!!!!! I plumped back up to 248 lbs within 2 years of stopping Jenny Craig. So that is how I got to lap band. Live a life of pain and not enjoy life or get off your butt and do something about it. As for the nursing, I am a critical care nurse, so you would think I would know better and make better choices. Oh well that is the past and this is the new me. I involved my family in my journey, I made my appointment for the information meeting and took my husband with me and told all of my family. I figured if I was going to make this a life style I better include the persons in my life so they could be supportive. I thought about not telling the people at work, because sadly I was one of those people who thought weight loss surgery was a cop out. Boy have I changed my mind. so once I scheduled my surgery I told all of my peers at work I was having Lap Band surgery on the 28th of October. Now a very good friend of mine at work, Ron, looked at me shocked and said" your not fat enough to have weight loss surgery." I could have kissed him but instead, I stopped and said, "Ron, I am morbidly obese. My BMI is 47.5. I have to lose weight or I am not going to get to enjoy watching my grandchildren grow up. He looked shocked and said, I had no idea you weighed that much. Thank god for the Ron's and the Paul's(my husband) who love us whether we are skinny or fat and see us for something more than how we look. I will tell you I was scared, I think my biggest fear has been that I will fail, fail to loss and keep it off. But that very fear is my driving force, I will not gain this weight back and I will be successful. The difference for me know compared to back in the dieting days is I am choosing to change my life style with a gentle nudge from my band. I always lost weight on the planned programs I paid for, Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, South Beach etc. But when I stopped paying I gained the weight back. Lap Band is a permanent solution to me because as long as i listen to my band, make healthy choices and exercise I will be successful. I know a lot of people struggle with weight loss and the band but in my opinion we fail because we fail to change our behavior. When I don't lose weight now, i sit down and look back at what I am doing. If I am honest with myself, I am snacking between meals, eating past satisfied and not exercising. I chose not to eat sweets, potato chips(which I love), I stay way from carbohydrates, pasta, rice and potato's. Not because I can't have them but because I like them to much and they make me feel over stuffed. I love pizza, can I eat pizza yes, should I eat pizza no. It is full of carbohydrates, so I look for alternatives that satisfy that void. This truly is a journey and you learn about your body and your inner self along the way. For me this journey is not about being skinny it is about learning to make the right choices, developing a healthy life style and spending quality time with my family. So now you no my story. I was banded October 28, 2010. I weighed in at 248 on surgery day and as of today I weigh 180. ( I have been stuck here for several weeks) I started in a size 24 and now wear a size 14. I have lots of shrinkels but who cares, I consider those my battle scars.

This post highlights the fears so many of us have on the physical and emotional side of this journey. Your surgeon and his/her office should be able to assist you with the fears of surgery (especially those with other health complications). I do not have much data on the chances of becoming anorexic. Since anorexia is an eating disorder that is not about food - it is about someone's coping with emotional problems by losing weight/increasing exercise - I think the probability of developing that is extremely low. Saying that, it is very true that people replace some bad habits with others so it is important to consider the emotional consequences before undergoing this surgery. I would encourage anyone who is considering this surgery or scheduled for surgery to ask upfront for information on coping with this new lifestyle and its challenges. That would include asking about all area support groups, online options, psychologists/counselors, mentors, etc. Putting a plan in place to assist you with this part of the journey - the emotional one - is a smart move. If you have a good support network or can build one, I encourage that for after the surgery. As many of us are finding - this surgery does not take place in a vacuum - life goes on. People face challenges and dark times - many not anticipated - following this surgery and I recommend having a plan in place in case life hands you lemons. That being said - most people are not facing their biggest fears - loss of income, job, spouse, loved one. But life happens - so being prepared to face life after is critical. Having doubts is normal and a very healthy way to approach this surgery. This process of critical thinking is a good one. If your gut instincts tell you this is not the right choice for you - then follow them. You know what is best for you. We tend to focus a great deal on the weight loss and a little less on the positives that come with the weight loss. We celebrate the pounds off - many of us with the assumption that people understand what less weight means. I encourage people who are concerned about moving forward to dig through these postigs and see the results people are getting beyond the pounds. (Not to say that the reduction in pounds is not also fun to look at). What have I seen by other posters - MORE self esteem from achieving goals - fitting in the airplane seatbelt, onederland, shopping in the regular size department, having doors opened for you, getting a family portrait taken, finally able to stand looking at yourself in a mirror...... MORE energy - Many people remark that they finally "FEEL ALIVE" again. COMPLETE recovery from co-morbidities, including Type 2 diabetes, high BP, sleep apnea to name a few MORE active lives - from exercise to just being out of the house more MORE happiness enjoying time with family and friends, getting rid of the self-hate, removing the guilt associated with their weight gain Dig deep....the results are there beyond the pounds. Have a well thought out plan for emotional support if you go forward. Trust your instincts. Deciding not to go forward with this surgery now or ever may be in your best interests. This is not for everyone. Either way - take good care of yourself.

I am only 3 days out and I'm not hungry nor think about food at all. My recovery is going well so far thank god. I am drinking my 64 oz or close to it of water a day. I'm always thirsty. I am worried that I'm stretching my stomach by drinking all this water but that's what they told me to do and I want to follow their requirements. I only felt a little nausea the day after surgery thank god but I bought a wrist band that may have helped. Any way my start weight was 298 my weight at the hospital before surgery was 278 and today I am 279. They say the iv fluid may cause the weight gain after surgery. I can't wait to see my # on my scale to go down every month. Well good luck with your decision.