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As I said before I had two babies close together. I have four in all, 13, 10 and 1 year old girls and one son, who is 2. The 1 and 2 yr. olds are 14 mos. apart. While I was pregnant with my son, I had a normal weight gain for pregnancy, even though I was over weight at the time (about 220lbs). My previous babies weighed in the 6 lb range and were both born 1 month early. I had a lot of trouble with my son, I started to miscarry at 11 weeks and was put on bedrest. So I lay in bed for about 3 months, and then at 7 months was back on bedrest and meds due to premature labor. I had my son one month early, and he was a whopping 9 lbs. I had been tested for gestational diabetes, but had shown I was 'borderline." He got stuck during delivery, and didn't breathe right away after birth. It was very scary!!! But thank God, he was just fine. Then when he was 9 months old, I found I was pregnant again. I was petrified. This time, I was monitored more closely and did have gest. diabetes. I was able to control it with diet. She was born 7 weeks early, and was only 4 lbs, 8 oz., but she was healthy. I decided that I DID NOT want diabetes, so something had to give. I actually lost weight with my last pregnancy. I began the pregnancy at 232 and ended at 229. I didn't want to eat, I had to force myself to eat. The baby pushing up on my stomach just deadened my appetite. I thought..."If I could only have this feeling without being pregnant!!!" Then I learned about the lap band. I felt like it would simulate the sensation of fullness I had during pregnancy. So this is what I'm hoping for! I decided I liked the lap band because of it's reversibility, and also that my digestive system would stay in tact. I have had some second thoughts, thinking that RNY would be good for losing faster and for discouraging to me to eat sweets (dumping) but really just like the band for it's better (I feel) qualities. good luck in finding a dr! Linda Dr. Bonanni 255/255/150

Sounds like we are all going through the same thing. I am sitting here feeling really bloated... I am amazed at how much I have been able to fit in in the last 2 days. I went for a long walk today and will continue to do so in the next week just to keep the weight gain at bay. Good luck everyone with getting back on track.

It's wonderful you're following up with your doctor again. It is entirely possible that a band that's too tight can slow your weight loss. In fact, it can even result in weight gain. It's great that you're realizing this and letting your doctor help you through it. Have a look at this article, I think you'll find it very interesting: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/page/index.html/_/support/post-op-support/tighter-isnt-always-better-r118 Best wishes!

Me too! Oct 15th. Very nervous. Hoping I made the right decision for getting the sleeve over the bypass. I've been reading about people who are struggling with weight gain after a few years with the sleeve and that makes me nervous. Maybe everything makes me nervous at this point. LOL. Excited though. I'd just like it to be done already so maybe I can quit stressing. Can't wait to hear how our Oct group progresses. This is an exciting journey we are undertaking. I admire you all for your courage.

New poster here. My SW was 207 lbs and 6 weeks out, I’m only down to 192 lbs and haven’t experienced any NSV’s like smaller clothing, etc. It goes without saying that I’ve been following the surgeon/nutritionist recommendations for fluids (10 cups/day), Protein (75 g), calories (currently in the 600 range) and exercise (5k brisk walk 6x a week, weight training 2x a week). Purely looking at these results, I guess my self-pay VSG might turn out to be a failure. What I thought might be interesting share is that I am lucky enough to have access to state-of-art instruments that take body composition. These measurements show that over the post-op period, I gained 15 lbs of Fluid and 2lbs of lean mass (hopefully some of which is muscle). If you crunch through the math, I have lost in excess of 32 lbs of body fat. So I guess the #1 takeaway from my experience is that if you are experiencing weight gain and/or a stall, it’s worthwhile to invest in a body composition measurement device. I understand that a decent quality one can be purchased on Amazon for ~60 which might not be 100% accurate in an absolute sense but will suffice for tracking your own progression. After a battery of tests and doctor’s visits, we’ve ruled out the usual medical causes for Water retention like kidney disease, too much sodium, protein deficiency, hormones, etc. I understand from reading bodybuilding forums that exercise itself can cause water retention but I don’t think it’s clear cut that I should stop exercising, since working out can also relieve water retention. The final diagnosis I got was “idiopathic edema” which essentially means that my water retention is a random occurrence for which there is no physiological explanation. When all is said and done, here is the reality that I’m trying to come to terms with. There are a couple ways to do the math but here’s one example – even a highly athletic woman my height carries 20 pounds of body fat, which is “only” 35-40lbs less than my current fat mass. However, I am overweight by 60lbs relative to a 25bmi, and much more than that if you use an alternate formula for an ideal weight. So the arithmetic says that I am carrying around at least 20lbs of excess water, which I have come to learn is a different beast from excess fat. We know that losing a pound of fat requires creating a certain amount of caloric deficit but at this point there is nothing more I can do to get rid of the water weight. The doctor prescribed a water pill but it’s probably not a long-term solution and any water I lose might come back once I go off the medication. I fully intend to use the VSG tool to lose that extra 35-40lbs of fat but at that point, I might still be officially classified as overweight/obese even though the surgery did everything that it was supposed to do. ­­­­Before committing to the surgery, I had scoured through this message board to mentally prepare myself for all the bad scenarios that could come up but this was not an outcome that I was able to mentally prepare for. Hopefully other members out there find my story useful.

Hi Alex, Havent been here in 7 months and just saw your post. I didnt know about your band slippage. I hope you get a new band soon. I just moved to Georgia from TX and cant find a doctor to do my fills. Not one so far in Atlanta who will take insurance and the ones that take cash want way too much $. So I sit with no restriction and a lot of weight gain since I have not had adequate fill since August 2006. Anyway, hang in there. Babs in GA 334/180/2-- teens???

I honestly don't notice other people's weightloss (or weight gain) immediately. Especially people I see daily. It usually takes someone pointing it out or a certain outfit for me to do a double take. Its not that I don't care, I just don't identify them by their weight. It's hard to explain.... Weight is such a touchy subject that some people are afraid to bring it up first.

The link that I posted says something about the old school BC's and weight gain. I wish I could go on Mirena (it's an implant that goes up in your biz, Katy) but I haven't had any babies. My OB won't put it in, something about the cervix not being dilated before. So, I'm on the Nuva ring which is low dose too.

Prednisone is quite possibly one of the worst things you could put into your system. When I was a pharmacy tech; we would go out of our way to talk to doctors to find alternatives for it. Perhaps your PCP can give you something else? Besides weight gain, it has some terrible side effects, especially after a procedure like this. What you're experience is quite normal for this medication.

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.

I was sleeved September 28th and Day 13 where do I end up? Yep hospital with dehydration and pancreatitis. Yes to the lose stool! Have Gerd but not extreme! So day 2 in hospital with tons of Fluid and I'm sure weight gain although I just don't get it when your not eating how the crap do you gain weight! Frustrated here so I hope you feel better!

My NUT has me on some restrictions until i get my weight off. Then it's management and enjoy food w/in reason. If you can handle food in moderation, then go ahead and enjoy small things. I CANNOT. Carbs affect me in more ways than I could have ever imagined. From inflammation to weight gain and everything in between. I "allowed" myself high carb 'healthy' Protein bars 2 weeks ago and wow have i paid for it. I think I finally have my cravings back under control. So for me, for now, I do have dietary restrictions. Again, This new life isn't a one fits all.

Congrats that's great to hear no weight gain either. Double the Love

I keep hearing that Rachel Platten song on the radio, and I know that i need to start working on my inspirational playlist to get me through the next few months, or maybe even years. But each time I hear one of the songs I want to add to my playlist i start to cry, ugh, why am I so emo? I am pre-op, 4 months in to my 6 month appointments quota for insurance approval. Nutritionist and Psych eval booked. Cardiology work up done, and A-ok, and no sleep study needed. I am genuinely huge. In my eye, I am an exceptionally large woman. I know that most times I am the largest person in a room. I get anxious now when i eat out, what if there are only booths? Its so cliché to say that I have been fat my whole life, so I wont say that. Specifically I have been fat since the 3rd grade. I changed schools and was genuinely and cruelly bullied for 4 years. I was molested by a neighbor when I was 7-8 years old, and he liked to remind me of it once and awhile when I played with my friends in the neighborhood, my parents didn't believe me. I had a mental breakdown at 12, and was nearly hospitalized. Instead they opted for drugs and a child Psychiatrist. I tried to live on cucumbers to lose weight, it worked for awhile. When I was 13, I actually looked cute in a bathing suit. That was the last time lol, I ever looked cute in a bathing suit. Home life was terrible. I had a Mother, who was morbidly obese, with severe untreated mental illness (it was very taboo in the 80's, and hard to get treatment for regular people), and a father that was an enabler to her abusiveness. Her depression and food addiction left her ill equipped to be a parent, and my father worked all the time to put food on the table, so he couldn't really step in. I grew up quick, taking as best care of my little sister as I could, working as much as I could (had a job at 14), and trying to be positive. I knew there was a better life for me out there, in the great unknown. I lived in a bustling metropolitan area, where opportunities abounded! So I thought.... I fell in love with Mr. Completely wrong at 18, and messed up college. Got an office job, that eventually evolved in to a position at a bank, where my met my ex husband and baby daddy, who was in the Navy at the time. My insecurity, and low self worth permitted me to overlook major flaws and marry him. We divorced, and I moved back to the East coast, my home. I am now remarried, and in a much healthier relationship. I have always been big, but in the last 4 years I have gained upwards of 70 pounds. My mobility is shot. I have fallen twice spraining my ankles, tearing ligaments and tendons, which makes my ankles tender and sore when I walk. My hips and plantar fascilitis in feet make walking like walking on coals. So pain = sitting, and sitting = weight gain, and you multiply this by my age, and add a few more comorbidities, you die in a chair, connected to an oxygen machine, like my mother. I don't want to die in a chair, after wasting away for years. My insecurities are like a cancer. It eats away at everything. I know having WLS isn't a panacea for all my life's challenges, but perhaps if I am not largest gal in the room, and I felt like I belonged in this world, somewhere, I could be on a pathway to happiness. I just want to fit. Fit in a chair, fit in clothes from a regular store, omg, i want to fit in a kayak so bad, hee hee. I get stared at, looked up and down, and the worst, simply ignored. I just know that a picture of my @ss is going to show up as a graphic image on one of those local news segments on morbid obesity, or some video clip of me walking down the street (from shoulders down of course), because I don't have a face, I am not a person anymore in society's eye. Its not going to be easy, its already not easy, but it's time. I pray for the strength to use this tool the best I can, and heal myself of my hurts and find hope in a new life.....

Sleeved on 5/22 and went in at 299.5, highest weight of my life. This morning I was 275. Thankfully I didn't have the water weight gain but we all have our problems. Maybe it was a trade out for the vomiting blood, and severe spasms due to hernia repair (I didn't know I had). Ill admit day 1-3 I was hating life and was definitely one of the 'OMG what have I done!' people. Today tho is day 12, and each day has gotten a little better. I track EVERYTHING on my fitness pal app and I'm getting at least 60oz of liquid and 60 protein....finally. Still having spasms occasionally and the tightness/bloating nearly every time I eat. I'm guessing from hernia repair. My diet phases seem to be different then most i've seen on here. I went home on full liquids and moved to soft foods after one week. Everything seems to be looking up. I'm starting to get excited about losing weight

A nutritionist/dietitian and a therapist are extremely helpful in a weight loss journey. The nutritionist/dietitian helps set you up with a diet plan and helps get you into better eating habits prior to surgery so it's not such a drastic change once you actually HAVE the surgery. The therapist helps you work through if you have disordered eating (such as binging) or if you're going through some other stuff in your life such as depression, stress, anxiety, etc (which are known to add to weight gain). Weight loss is never easy and one of the most difficult things is finding support in those you live with. You'll be on a special diet and it'll be easier on YOU if those you live with aren't bringing in the things you used to eat which would tempt to cheat on your diet. Try and talk it out with them and stress how important to you it is that they don't bring junk food into the house. Willpower is such a difficult thing. I admit, that if I hadn't developed a wheat allergy after surgery what would have ruined me is the junk food that my family brings into the house. Because of my wheat allergy, I can't eat that food. Nor can I get fast food (of which they eat a LOT). So the wheat allergy is a blessing. A sucky as hell blessing, but a blessing none the less lol (there is only a 3% chance of developing a wheat allergy or Celiac's Disease after your surgery. So chances are you'll be fine. My luck just sucks. Well, maybe not, because I really do consider the allergy a blessing in disguise as it keeps me on track and stops me from cheating as I, quite literally, have to keep track of every little thing I eat and the ingredients in what I put into my mouth).

I'd love to hear how I screwed up. I never ate off plan until I passed goal. I followed every instruction my doctor gave me. I have gotten 60g+ Protein and 64oz+ Water every day. (Except when I was so nauseous from a medication I was on for a C. diff infection that I couldn't even swallow my own spit...which of course led to dehydration and IV fluids at which point my doctor and I found an alternative solution to cure the infection. In other words, make sure you drink!). I take my Vitamins every day. I get my bloodwork done as recommended and adjust supplements accordingly. I am active everyday. I lost over 100% of my excess weight and have kept it off for 7 months. Sure, now I eat deserts and carbs and drink alcohol, but I'm in maintenance and I'm allowed anything and everything in moderation. Any weight gain I observe I immediately check by going back to strict protein and veggies. Again, where is my non compliance? But if I was, then good for me for being so successful despite all my cheating! My point to the OP is that this is a lifetime commitment and she struggled with just 7 days. food addiction is serious business and everyone needs to get whatever help they can to overcome it. Like @@VSGAnn2014 said, not everyone is successful with this tool and not taking responsibility for your choices and trying to validate cheating makes for a slippery slope towards failure. I consider myself a rockstar of WLS, and I'm on here to pay it forward. I'm a big proponent of everyone making a plan that works for them. My way is not the only way, just one of the many ways that works. But not being able to say no to sweets is generally not one of the plans that works.

I have watched a lot of sleeves, in my work, and seen the increase in one stage revisions, and finally, I decided to go from Band to sleeve, on the 15 th September, so I texted the surgeon and made appointment with him, made gastroscopy appointment to check hiatal hernia and oesophagus, and spoke to surgeons rooms to book surgery. I was operated on last Tuesday 14th, and was home on the Wednesday.. Shoulder tip and back pain were my main issues but managed fine. I am still on free fluids, and have no hunger what so ever. I am managing on around 80 grams of protein, added to either soup or yoghurt and thinned down with skim milk.. Otherwise a lot of herbal teas, and one black coffee per day. And water.. So far so good.. I see surgeon on Wednesday.. I was a maladapted eater for over 18 months, and it had also given up smoking, had shocking reflux and heartburn, and basically bloody miserable with 40 pounds weight gain and as slipped band..so I feel so released, so relaxed, so new, happy.. I have been given an opportunity to do this the right way. The band was a Dream come true in 2007 for me, and I lost 65 pounds with it, but life wasn't always good.. Work lunches were a moment of panic, breakfast was hit and miss, and the reflux was a killer, sleeping with 3 pillows. Going out to dinner meant scouring the menu for a risotto or a mashed potato side dish with fish, and long haul flights meant I could not eat after for 24 hours due to restriction..plus hit and miss with travel insurance coverage on each trip.. Sometimes they would cover me, other times, not, which is scary , going to the USA, and being technically uninsured..(live in Australia) Now? One pillow..no gaviscon, so blockage, no cravings, no more weight gain, and I was a 10 coffees a day person, and now no coffee or cigarette cravings.. Weird, really weird.. But, yes, very very very happy with my decision..

Need some major support as nobody in my life will understand. I was banded in 2006 and everything went smooth -- lost 120 lbs and went down to 140. Life was AMAZING, I had an amazing social life and I even worked as a promotional model for Heineken for several years (OH, the irony...) Around 2009ish, I started getting TERRIBLE acid reflux which progressed into frequent vomiting and eventually severe chest/abdominal pain. This progressed into bad complications - at some points, I couldn't even keep my own saliva down and I was vomiting several times per day. I visited my doctor and discovered that my lap band was essentially strangling my stomach and had my band unfilled. Even after the unfill, I still had terrible attacks of pain -- I would get a warning pain in my right jaw, then almost immediately afterwards would have a pain so bad in my chest that it would cause me to double over. After this experience I was TERRIFIED of the band -- I regretted ever getting it, I wanted it OUT of my body, and I became seriously depressed and had bad anxiety, mainly because I was (still am) uninsured and no doctor would do the full level of tests I needed to pinpoint the problem. Because I had gone from full-on starvation mode (barely being able to keep down liquids), I gained weight IMMEDIATELY. One thing led to another, my depression got worse from the weight gain, and I'm now back up to 230lbs. I'm frustrated with myself and I want my old life back -- I'm 28 years old and while I have a great job, I rarely go out anymore and I'm hesitant to date because of my weight gain. I really just want to feel "normal" again.... I'm terrified that I'm wasting what should be the best years of my life. That being said, I'm ready to tackle the lap band again -- I plan on calling my doctor tomorrow to get filled again --- and I'm TERRIFIED of going through the pain and complications again. Has anybody ever been through this?? I think I really just needed to vent this out to people who would understand... thank you for any support or encouragement you can share :-)

Bawse52 congrats on your 210 lbs weight loss - not to mention your weight "gain" this side effect/victory for men has been mentioned before but you seem to forget - women enjoy being on the "receiving" end of growth oh dear, you never know what this grammy might say continued good luck you are doing amazing with your weight loss keep doing what you are doing happy one year surgiversary +...... we never see you - come visit more often take care

I had gastric sleeve in Dec. 2013 after having reached a weight of about 440-450 and everything went according to plan the first 18 months or so. Since the spring of 2015 or so, I have been stuck in the 285-305 range (I'm 6'3" and 43 yo) and have been unable to get out of that no matter what I try, to the point where emotionally, I am basically back where I was at my highest weight. I can't stand to look at myself in the mirror, and I'm either a) obsessively counting carbs or calories or b) not caring what I eat and engaging in secret compulsive eating (though on a much, much smaller scale—instead of a dozen donuts, I'm going for one or two and not telling my wife or anyone else). The latest emotional defeat is this: I've spent the last three weeks doing a keto/Atkins-type thing, which was the only thing that ever worked for me before my surgery. Meticulous tracking, urine sticks showing I'm in ketosis, moderate walking exercise, and—here's the catch—a pretty extreme calorie deficit. Most days less than 2k per day, never more than 2,500, and in one four day period, I basically did the surgery prep diet of only protein shakes and broth, at about 800-1200 calories. After all that, I lost 2 pounds, which, when you're 292 pounds, is nothing. I'm already planning to eat poorly and secretly tomorrow, and I have absolutely no idea what to do. I feel essentially the same way I did before my surgery, though less intense, in that it seems like there's really nothing I can do. This is driving my wife crazy, and she's unable to understand or emotionally support me. I'm also trying very hard to not go back to some other addictive patterns. I know the first thing some are going to say is exercise more. I haven't done that lately, and there are two things holding me back on that point. At various periods in the last 4 years, I have done serious, several weeks-long programs with personal trainers in tandem with calorie deficit, and have had literally no success, other than gaining a little muscle, which resulted in a net weight gain. Also, I have some pretty extreme chronic degenerative disc pain, and it's hard to motivate myself to work past that pain when past results from diet and exercise have yielded little to no tangible benefit after great effort. One other thing that may be a factor: I had my gallbladder removed in 2017, and it had been basically shot since at least fall of 2015. I also had hiatal hernia repair the same time I had the gallbladder out. To be honest, I'm not really expecting any useful feedback. This may just be what life is for me now. But I had to say it somehow to someone.

Hi ya! I think the major thing is that I would encourage ANY bandster to have a discussion with their bariatric surgeon about having the Fluid removed from their band before ANY abdominal surgery. This would especially apply to those of us ladies who have "monthly" tightness. You see, I KNEW that pre menstrual weight gain made me tight. I just didn't transfer the knowledge to fluid retention after major abdominal surgery. (I coulda had a V-8! :faint:) My program (in Cooperstown, NY) has had a lot to learn from me! I am one of their very earliest band patients, and the first band patient to reach a normal BMI. I am also the first band patient at a normal weight to undergo reconstructive surgery. We learned, alright! lol I have a friend who is going to have a hysterectomy this week. She is one who has struggled with monthly tightness with her band. So, based on my experience, she went to our bariatric surgeon and asked him to remove the fluid in her band in an attempt to avoid excessive swelling and tightness after her surgery. I think she is very wise woman. Okay... I've rattled on enough now! Thank you all, again, for your marvelous support. I just LOVE bandsters!!!

My personal advice is for you to weigh yourself morning and night. See what foods cause you to gain weight. Weight gain or stagnation isn't always caused by increasing body fat. Some foods heavy in sodium or carbs can cause you to retain fluids but your scale can't tell the diff between Fluid gains and body fat increases. For me, knowing what affects my body is important, so tracking daily is important. For others, it's too complicated or too emotional to track.

I know you can and will take PPIs, in the long run the are gastroprotective Most surgeons surgeons discourage carbonated beverages. A they encourage weight,gain, many of us got fat from overindulgence in Coke, Pepsi and their evil soda cousins. B. Do you enjoy pain? That stuff will bloat up your sore little stomach. If it doesn't cause you to vomit you'll have to belch or blow it out the other end. Alcohol doubtful you'll be allowed to indulge very soon. I've heard 6 months, a year down the road. You have been a workaholic , you do not want to exchange one addiction for another. You'll become drunk on less. And a final note, although I am pre surgery I have gastritis, booze hurts and burns the lining in your stomach and it hurts like the walls of Hades. Sent from my VS880PP using BariatricPal mobile app

I had the surgery 8/17/2009 and everything went very easy. I was back at work the first of September, by Christmas I was down 50 pounds and by spring I was down 112 pounds, feeling great and looking good, then something happened and I started haveing acid reflux and putting on weight again. Everytime I go in for a check up (According to my doctors) it is always something I have done wrong, Eating to much , eating to fast. It is disgusting after awhile. This fall something went wrong with the band, or my pouch. I was not able to keep anything down, I had Acid Reflux everytime I laid down. If I ate anything after 5:00 I would vomit it back up as soon as I laid down, Two spoon fulls of food anytime durring the day time filled me up. I went in for a check and after 37 minutes the sip of barrium still had not gone through the band. I still gained 14 pounds in the 2 1/2 months I put up with this problem waiting to get into see the doctor ( He is in India) last week I went in on an emergency basis and the band was drained but the weight gain was still my fault according to my nutrionist. I go back in Friday to discuss removal of the band. So I guess I shall see what happens. I am also Diabetic and have Crohn's so my prognosis is not great.