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Well today is one day away from having to weigh in after 2 whole weeks. It has been driving me ......to eat...not crazy. Yeah I will blame any weight gain on them. I am exciting and scared to weigh in. I am glad I walked this weekend. 3 miles at Haines Point with Kee was not easy. Thank God for sending one of his angels, a fiesty, older lady who could out walk us decided not to walk with her 2 daughters but with us. She talked and she walked and talked and walked. Finally she decided to leave us near the end but if she had not been with us I would have said Kee I need to slow down and would have. This woman kept our speed up. Also, everything was going on at the park. There was a triathalon going on, there is a swimming pool down there. There was a 10k training going on and it had to be about 200 people doing that. Then there were the usual walkers and joggers and all of this was going on at 7:30 am. Sunday morning I knew I had to walk so I text Kee again and she said where. I thought PGCC would be good because the track was resurfaced but then I started thinking about the sun. So I said Watkins Park, which is what she said on Saturday. Then she said well let's walk around Fed Ex Field, you don't know how big that things is but I got to her house got out the car and we were stretching. I said are we going to be in the sun the whole time and she said pretty much. I said let's go to Watkins, I can't do it. After not walking for a few weeks, daily, I was not motivated to walk in the beeming sun, after walking yesterday and know how I was struggling....oh no. We went to Watkins and the trees were just a tall and blocked out ALL the sun. LOL There are 2 spots on the trail that does not have tree coverage and that sun was beaming. 3.4 miles done in comfort. That girl has more energey then a jumping bean. sat sm salad, pickle egg salad steakum/cheese 1 bread slurpee med 4 crackers spoon of peanutbutter fried egg 1 cheese few doritos McD sundae,pie 580 cal sun 2 fried eggs 2 cheese 1 1/2 sausage 8 M&M's hamburger/ 1 cheese Roast Beef soup hershey bar w/ almonds cereal sundae/pie 580 cal

I quit 4 years ago. I definitely put on some weight from that. However, I didn't even try to stop my eating all the time. Another reason for the weight gain is that the nicotine increases your metabolism - that's the reason I started smoking so many years ago (stupid, huh?). It's addiction transfer - find a healthy alternative that you can do every time you have that craving. I know exercise if probably the best distraction and it is soooo good for you. Also, the endorphins it releases will become your new "bliss". It IS hard {{hugs}} and I applaud you for quitting!!! wombat

MsCarla, I was banded at the end of July 2010 and am down 40 lbs. Mine was elective surgery and was out of pocket. I had to lose 55 lbs. I tried everything and nothing worked! I decided, after long consideration that lapband was my answer. When I spoke to my 10 year old son and asked him his opinion, he told me that he loved me just the way I was, but that if I didn't love myself I needed to go through with this. He is way wiser than his years. Being that i am a full-time single mom and we do everything together I felt the need to explain the procedure to him and the implications.My Mother was a much harder obstacle to surpass. Eventually she came around. Besides my son, parents, and a couple of good friends no one else knew about my lap band. I decided I got enough criticism about my weight gain and any changes I make in my life that it was my choice. Everyone wants to know what "diet" I am on and commenting how good I look. I just smile and tell them lots of exercise and eating right. Mind you, these are a lot of people who use to call me fat and ask me if I was pregnant. She who laughs last has the last alugh. I feel wonderful and am nearing my goal and no one needs to know how I got there. Barbie

//This is my worst nightmare, remember my weight gain is inevitable post?// I don't have my band yet so can't comment about that but I was wondering if you have been tested for Hyliobacter Pylori (H.Pylori)?? Sometimes that can cause all kinds of problems...and you could have had this lovely little bacteria that lives in your duodenum since you were a kid. A simple blood test is all you need and if you do have it then they give you two antbiotics and prylosec. All gone and symptoms such as heatburn...gone, too. It's worth checking out. I know because my surgeon always does this test for his Lapband patienst...and sure enough I had it, which explained my heartburn. I haven't had any since i finished the medications.

I was also on depo for about 7 years, but weight gain is a big side effect with it, so I decided to switch after being banded. I'm on Yasmin now and haven't had any side effects.

Really one question and then one statement..I'm feeling kinda down about the weight gain. Some say,oh it's because you're comfortable but know it's me just not taking accountability for stuffing bad things in my mouth

I had that same concern worry - as a revision from band patient I really thought about this! What I have to honestly say is that even in 2001 there were "early warning signs" that all was not well with the band. I lived in Europe where the band was already being done alot and while I didn't have any local support, I did belong to a yahoo group. My first clue was that there was a general list and then there was a "secret" list where the veterans posted. Once i hit the one year mark, with very limited success and was permitted in the veterans area I came to realize how many people where having complications and very commonly not losing as much weight as they wanted. As most people do pretty well at first with the band - the complications tend to increase over time, the general forum gave a very narrow view of the band experience. There was also a great deal of shaming on that particular website. I had alot of trouble with vomiting more than I should have but there was a culture of blaming/shaming the patient so I never really got the counseling/advice/help I needed to manage the band better. At that time the stock answer "can't help you if you aren't compliant". I would be thinking "compliant with what? what can I eat that won't get stuck and make me vomit and embarrased?" but instead would keep my mouth shut and try to do better - without really knowing "how to do better" At that time, there was less understanding about managing the right level of fill and lots of people had to travel for fills/unfills at great cost, including me, and so often lived with too tight of bands which led to oh so many problems. Well, in truth, my first first first clue should have been pre-op was when my surgeon had me sign a document acknowledging that the band should be considered temporary and would most likely require removal with risk of significant weight gain. I had put on such rose colored glasses I didn't even remember signing that until I went through my paperwork in preparing for my revision to sleeve. With the sleeve, I was looking for all the bad things - and surely found them (risk of leaks, etc etc) - but so far (will be 4 years in Dec) things have worked out as expected, or really better than expected and I feel like more was understood/ widely known about the sleeve in 2011 than was generally acknowledged about the band in 2001.

Deffanatly get your band checked there have been many bad side affects from it and many revisions to the sleeve or rny due to weight gain and your body not tolerating it. The only able to take 2 bites at a time sounds like that. I am currently going for a revision to rny cause I have gained back all my weight and now have GERD from the band. I have an intolerance to the band as well regular PBing no fun. Good luck and msg me if you have any questions. Sent from my SM-N910V using the BariatricPal App

yes and no When I was in high school and thrown off the football team for chewing out the coach I went through a huge weight gain -- coincided with drinking tons of soda and such Normal weight was 180, but shot up to 240, but easily lost it within a few months doing tons of situps, pushups, and eating nothing but a couple Peanut Butter and jelly sandwiches a day. Weight was fine for years until a post-relationship depression went on (when you work hard for years to keep a relationship going then decide fuck it), in my mid-late 20s, a bunch of health issues arised and shot up again but instead of from 180 to 240 in a matter of a year or so, went up to 360 in 5 years. So I'm here in my early-mid 30s with newly diagnosed stage 3 fibrosis and type 2 diabetes. I'm not accustomed to weighing a lot so the changes I went through were all debilitating to me. Apparently after MRI's and such I had fractured my spine as a kid but never knew it until I had this weight gain, then moving to another house caused me serious injury to where I need facet injections in my lower lumbar (soon to be some sort of ablation) as simply taking out the trash caused extreme amounts of pain to my back. In the US, we're not educated enough how utterly useless carbs and especially sugar are in the diet, and how easily we can get into dangerous territory without thinking about it. Given how it's turned into a serious societal issue where kids in their 20s are having fibrotic/cirrhotic livers without even being alcoholics or drug addicts, it really points to an education being necessary. Since being in Canada, I've noticed the education is a little better, but still needs improvement. It's definitely a western problem, where we're taught to be good little excess consumers with little regard for our health. It's up to us to change that. My surgeon decided on a 12 week pre-op liquid diet that I started Feb 1st, far longer than I see anyone else with, already I went from 350 pounds to 314. I'm thinking if I really have to go all 12 weeks (OR date already confirmed April 20) I'm likely gonna be in the 200s before surgery. Some have said why not be on this miserable diet for so and such amount of time to get back down to normal weight, but sometimes for us mechanisms of hunger (satiety) we can't control are required to be corrected. In my case, the surgery should accomplish this. Also, a very important point, that for many of us who "become" this way, it's up to us to recognize where we screwed up and work to change it. Personal responsibility is a must.

Good for you on getting off the soda! It can be really difficult kicking the caffeine habit and giving up something you've been drinking forever. You will feel better. Don't worry too much about the weight gain at this point. I know it can be very discouraging. But you are improving your overall health by getting off the Dew. Your teeth and bones will thank you in later years! Also, congratulations on your weight loss so far! You are a true inspiration! :wub:

Well, I would agree with you. I dont think I quite have the metabolism of a snail, but something sure doesnt add up and I'm glad I have my band. I weigh 140lb at 5ft 10, quite slim, yeah, but a healthy weight, near the bottom of my range. I eat about 1800 calories a day to maintain that weight - so I'm not complaining,that's an OK deal. But I need a lapband to stay within that calorie range. I also run an hour some days or do a spin class and a body pump class the other days. I'm very active. All the charts say I shoudl be eating 2,500 to 2800 calories a day! At the very least, you'd think I coudl eat the 2000 to 2200 recommended for the average woman. But there's no way I can eat that much and not gain. I'm not sure where the weight gain would stop, whether I'd be heavier but still in the healthy range or whether I'd become overweight again, but I dont care to find out either. I certainly know I got obese on somethign like 2,500 a day - I wasnt a binge eater, didnt eat amounts that seemed huge compared to other peple by any stretch of the imagination. What I wonder though is which came first? Did I get fat because my metabolism was slower than it shoudl be or am do I now need to stick to a fairly limited, low calorie diet to maintain my weight precisely BECAUSE I have lost a lot of weight through long standing calorie deprivation? I suspect it is the latter. Once you've cut calories as low as we tend to do for a long time, you cant eat like a normal person ever again. Your body is just conditioned to run on much less. I certainly eat less and do more than my 120lb sister.

After a long month of complications following my brachioplasty I finally got my sutures removed! Looking forward to being able to get in the gym again for sure. I have a lovely 17 lb weight gain to work off. Despite the complications, popped my running stitch & had major gaping, I'm so happy I did it. Looking forward to feeling comfortable wearing tank tops!

I appreciate hearing from you so much. I understand the weight loss and weight gain battle. I'm excited to begin this journey. Best of luck for healing and health.

OMG, that woman was totally out of line. You should report her you know what as soon as you can. I had been made to feel like a failure many years ago after a small weight gain--it totaly derailed my progress. Now, looking back, older and wiser--i wish I never gave that power away. That PA is a liability to that doctor's practice and he should know about it. And i hope you are finding a way to recover from the experience. We are all unique and on unique journeys. My progress the second time around is much slower than the first--but it is happening, slowly but surely. Stay focused on how much better you feel, and how much better you will feel in the future, however long it takes to get there. Best of luck to you.

How do you even GET IN 200 grams of protein and 300 grams of carbs a day? I'm not quite six months post-op, so a bit behind you, but I still can't get in 60 grams of protein a day, let alone 200! I know I should sympathize with you more, but I'm still trying to get over my jealousy at your problem - no offense, but all my life I've dreamed of having a metabolism where I couldn't put on weight no matter what I did! Seriously, as others have posted, you should definitely speak to your doctor and have bloodwork done. There may even be medical reasons for weight loss or lack of weight gain unrelated to the sleeve, which I once found out in a not so pleasant way. So this should be checked out ASAP.

Nestlé Nutrition online offers "Carnation Instant Breakfast VHC" these are not sold in stores, but are great for weight gain. They are 8oz shakes and are 560 calories. So, 3 of these will add almost 1700calories to your diet.

I was sleeved 7/28 After watching several friends evolve into thin healthy people who work out everyday, they still go out to dinner with friends, family they just eat less on their plate. Tonight My family is ordering Chinese for dinner, I'm having miso Soup broth instead, but, I remember clearly that firm salty texture of lomein noodles, I use to sit on the couch with the noodles resting in my chest with my chopsticks expertly in place. I felt I was eating healthy because I ordered chicken and vegetables with that as well. I ate till I was stuffed. Then several hours later I ate again because we all know what happens the Chinese food. Food was heaven but, the weight gain was hell. Hell on my diabetes, Hell my cholesterol, Hell on my ankles, knees, back and heart. Food was making me feel BAD. I'm craving food even as I sit here writing about how bad it has hurt me. It's a habit I need to break and like most things will happen in time. My recommendation is to follow your heart. Tammy

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.

Congratulations on your new band! The answer is yes, of course I would do it again in a heartbeat. Just like many of the others on here, I wish that I would have done it sooner instead of waiting, dieting losing weight, gained it back, etc. Finally this is helping me to put a "safety" so I don't fall back in my old ways. I love it!

Hi Jacksbanster, I was banded back in 2004 and weight loss was great. I went from 322 pounds to 140 pounds. In 2010 my band seem to stop working and i started to gain weight (plus I stopped following the bandster rules) but that is because again I didn't feel I had the control the band gave me originally. Anyway, after gaining 60 pounds I was fed up and decided to investigate if others where experiencing the same thing with the band and if there were other options out there for me to look into. So I did a lot of reading and research and found out about the plication surgery. So I met with my Lap Band doctor and he told me more about this new investigational surgery called Plication. Fast forward, I had the surgery Dec 8th 2011. The surgery was a success, recovery was a breeze, the liquid diet was hard, but I got through it. My first post op visit I had lost 8 pounds. Then I got walking pneumonia and had to go on prednisone - this made me ravenously hungry and of course I regained all the weight I had lost back. I was so disappointed and frustrated that I wanted to die. But my doctor told me that prednisone is know for weight gain and I'll get back on track soon. So fast forward, my next appointment with him I had only lost 4 pounds which did not make me happy because before I had lost 8 and now I was starting all over and at a slower pace. It is now Feb 16th 2012 and I've not gotten on the scale because I don't feel like I've lost any weight. All my clothing fits the same and I just don't see any change and I've not weighed myself since my last fill. I've had two fills since my plication surgery and I'm still hungry (more than) I thought I would be with the band and the plication. This is a different experience than when I had the lap band surgery, the lap band surgery had the weight come off very quickly. I didn't even have to think about dieting I just wasn't hungry. With this surgery (albeit it is a revision of the previous band, new band with more capacity, and the plication) I'm not as pleased as I had expected. With all that said I think my expectations need to be adjusted. I wonder if people who have had the band and have had some type of complication with it (slippage, erosion, etc) it the pouch that is above the stomach is premanently stretched out of shape. I don't have the answer I just know that the experience is not the same. I'm having to really monitor what I eat and exercise everyday. So I eat around 900 to 1000 calories a day, and I exercise on the stairmaster for an hour/ or I go for a jog. I know that I need to incorporate some weight training but I'll just have to get to it when I can. As for your questions above: How was your recovery? Recovery was great. The first couple of days there was a little pain but after that it was a breeze. How soon did you go back to work? Surgery was on a Thursday I went back to work on the following Wednesday. Do you follow a low carb diet? I followed the liquid diet they put me on for about 4 weeks. Since then I've tried everything - right now I'm basically eatting lean cuisines or smart ones. But I think I'm going to try a one week Medi fast - we will see. Right now I'm so hungry between meals I doubt if I can pull that one off. Have you had to have any fills in your band? Yes I've had 2 fills since my surgery and they don't seem to have made that much of a difference. The doctors, are being cautious because they don't want me to get too tight and have another band slippage.. I understand that but in the meantime I wish I had more restriction. How is your hunger level? Higher than I thought it would be. But if I try to stay on an eat every 4 to 5 hour schedule I do okay. How much can you eat before you feel "full" If I allowed myself I could eat a lot. The think is I count every calorie that goes into my mouth. I use www.fatsecret.com they have an incredible food database - almost everything you can put into your mouth in in their database, So that helps. I hope that my story has helped you and I will keep you informed on my progress - I hope that you will do the same. Regards, Willowsdoweep

I gained weight after springing a leak in my band. I would say that I haven't had any restriction to speak of in the last 15 months until very recently. In the first 10 months of the leak I gained close to 35lbs. But then I started tracking what I was eating and exercising and I lost 15lbs of that. What I'm trying to say is you can control your weight gain until you get restriction back. I *know* how easy it is to gain weight back when you're struggling with hunger but don't let the good work you've done be undone. The funny thing is that now my band is working again and I've lost 5 more lbs, I actually don't want to lose anymore! 15lbs from my stable weight and I'm actually pretty happy!

My weight is fluxuating between 216 and 222 - feels like I'm circling the drain so to speak. Plugging along with Weight Watchers and working out but having a hard time getting my weight to stablize. Considered going in for a fill, but it seems like I'm stuck at least once a day and vomitting at least once a week. Wish I could say it's consistantly due to the same food violations(pizza, bagels, bread - you know, the "No-No's") but it happened the other morning with my scrambled eggs(couldn't even get them down - my dog loved it though) and I had a fun two hour bout in the bathroom the other night over one stalk of steamed asparagus and less than an ounce of grilled chicken. I can actually eat a slice of thin crust pizza with no problem. Don't really eat bread anymore and forget bagels - but when three mini pretzels cause a problem it gets frustrating. Sometimes I'm afraid to go out to eat for fear that I going to have an incident. Frankly, there are many days when I make my breakfast or lunch and it takes 45 minutes to get it down! Oh well - I keep reminding myself that my weight gain was my own damn fault and now I'm paying the price. Speaking of prices paid - with the weight loss has come the giant jelly roll which fortunately with the right spanx-type garment I can mostly conceal, but I gotta wonder how much this thing weighs? Oh so much fun to have to buy pants etc to accomedate the "roll' then have to have the waist taken in! Came home from the gym the other day and notice this sweaty(wet?) semi-circle on the lower abdomen of my yoga pants. Probably TMI, but I'm now getting a permenant red rash and tissue breakdown under the "roll". I'm using baby butt cream and powder in an attempt to keep it dry, but if it's this bad now, what'll it be when(if) I get to my goal weight ...another 75 pounds from now?! Maybe I should just pack the area with paper towel, throw on my gridle and live with it! Amusingly enough, my insurance will cover the surgery since I had WLS - but if I just lost the weight on my own it wouldn't!?! The plastic surgeons I met with re; my breast reconstruction also consulted on my "tummy tuck" - they suggest that I need to be at or near my goal weight before even considering the latter procedure. Course with a roll this big, maybe they could just pull it up and create some faux boobs!

I developed PCOS when I was in my early 20s, which brought on rapid weight gain and an inability to lose (this was the diagnosis after a few years of doctor visits to determine the weight gain). I'm 43 now, and though I never wanted to have children, I do wish the sleeve surgery had been discovered sooner. Because 20 years later, I can assure you that weight loss remains impossible with PCOS. You have the opportunity to change your life before you miss any of the living you have to do. Excited for you and the way you'll be able to change your life. A woman in my WLS support group lost 200 lbs with the sleeve, had a baby, and then took off the weight immediately. She and baby are healthy and happy! Cheers to your choice and future success!

Just remember there are those of us who are still banded, yet we still struggle with the lack of weight loss. I know I would be struggling with the weight gain if I were in your position. I wish I could say that if my band were removed I'd have learned enough NOT to make bad choices, but I don't always practice making the best choices with the band, so I do feel for you.