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I had surgery in March. I told my husband initially. I eventually told my parents and was surprised they were supportive. My husband agreed that he expected my dad to tell me just to eat better and exercise more like him. My father was not kind about my weight gain. I didn’t tell any other friends or family. I’m six weeks out and still haven’t told friends or family. Only my manicurist knows, and my son’s head of school figured it out (she’s considering the same procedure with the same doctor). My coworkers, neighbors, and some friends knew I was having hernia surgery (which was true since they repaired my hernia at the same time). A couple people asked me if I was doing weight loss surgery when they figured out I was on a liquid diet. I was shocked because I didn’t think I was that big to even need surgery. I just told them it was hernia surgery. If I choose to tell people down the road, that’s ok; but, I’m not offering it up. I just tell people I’m on a diet,

Hey, I'll be here waitin for you! Good luck with everything. Seriously, just trust the process, make good choices and enjoy the NSV's! My rings fitting again was the first of many for me....what about you? (And, BTW, I had small weight gains and some pretty long stalls along the way, but the overall trend was obviously weight loss)

Okay this one really goes out to those veteran sleevers. So, I am 13 months out now. I have lost pretty much all I could safely lose (a lot of people think ive gotten too thin) I'm getting to the point of becoming UNDER weight (which is hilarious frankly...ive never been thin in my life...literally). That's really the problem. I have started training for this 1/2 marathon and the running is making me lose weight to a point that is making me nervous. I am already wearing a SMALL right now...i just dont know what to do. No one really seems to understand--people say stupid stuff like "just eat more"....as though I could even if I wanted to?? I mean dont get me wrong I eat 3 or 4 meals a day...and I do eat very healthy meals...but i just dont know how to replace those calories I burned of running safely. My mother says shit like "go eat a grilled cheese"...which makes me crazy! My trainer says go drink weight gain powder...which goes against all logic in my book. My surgeon said (btw Im a 6'0 man) I dont want you to get into the 160s...if you do call the office. well that was 3 weeks ago...i weighed 173 then...NOW in just 3 weeks i lost 10 lbs. I'm losing my mind here. and frankly, am getting a little scared...i dont know how to make it stop. But, at the same time I WANT to do this race...for me...because ive never been able to run more than a few feet in my life without being out of breath. What do yall do?? please help me.

Hi All, I just wanted to reintroduce myself, I haven't been into this site for a while and was pleased to see how the NZ thread had grown, there wasn't one when I first joined but I loved this site and it has got me thru so much! MY STORY- I was banded April 2006 by Dr Fris, 106 kg on surgery day, got down to 80kg, it was a long, hard road with a lot of PB'ing and frustration........a bit due to having to adjust to my new life-style. I was single at the time and got very nervous in social situation having to eat in front of people or on dates. Then in April this year after meeting a wonderful man I got even more frustrated that we couldn't eat much together and finally told him, the first guy I had ever told about my surgery, he is a wonderful, supportive man and coincidentally we became engaged 2 days ago, 1st of September......yipeee!!!! But back to story....so I had a big deflate as I wanted to share cooking meals with him etc, enjoy romantic dinners.....and enjoy my overseas holiday with him and my family without embarrassing trips to the toilet.....understandably, I put back on a lot of weight but was ok until I realised I was obsessing too much about food again and stuffing myself silly. I couldn't fit my work uniform again and realised I wanted to have a family soon and didn't want to be this size but more healthy and happy, a side effect of the weight gain was I started to get depressed about the extra weight and it affected my love life and I wasn't about to lose this wonderful man who has entered my life. 5 weeks ago I reinflated the band, went ok at first, but didn't really lose, and was eating too large portion sizes, went 2 days ago to get a small fill..........geez what a drama, had to go back to docs twice (luckily I only live 10 mins away from Dr Fris and get unfilled, still a bit wary at moment, have finally managed to get some food down but gurgling a little still, hoping it will settle in next couple of days or else it is back to Dr on Monday, so now ironically back to fill size from 5 weeks ago..... Anyway sorry for long story, just wanted to give my details....... I think I am going to have to adjust to eating more band friendly but I am so blessed to have finally found someone to support me in all this and who understands. Hope to hear from you all soon Kind regards Fiona

Ive taken diet pills off and on during my banded years. When I ve noticed a weight gain (+3-5 pounds) I'll taken them for a week or so till I can get my eating under control. I keep a bottle of tenuate (oblong tablets) on hand for these situations! I -always- break the tablet in half, I cant stand the 'high' feeling the diet pills give me. For me, 1/2 tablet works fine and goes through the stoma with no problems. Good luck!

I've had my VSG for about 3 years. In the past year I've put on 44 pounds. I just started an all liquid diet again will that help re shrink my sleeve. I'm a driver so I'm behind the wheel of a car all day. The hours I work leaves little time for exercise. Any help will be appreciated.

Getting down I keep going up and down two pounds. I started at 210. Now I'm at 214. I always gain about 5 pounds right around my period. has anyone been denied for weight gain. It's a small amount but I'm working to get off.

Dr. Garcia and team are highly recommended by me. I opted for same day surgery flew in on a Friday afternoon and had surgery around 3 p.m. I was to leave on Monday, but I had some issues going on with my lungs that were pre-existing. My PCP thought I had pneumonia before going to Mexico and was blaming all the shortage of breath on my weight gain. I will tell you this, "Dr. Luna, After Care Doctor, did not leave my side until I was back on US soil and followed up with me for many weeks. I guarantee that we would not get the same treatment in the states. Dr. Garcia is always available for his patients. He has a Facebook page; if you send him an email, he will respond in a timely manner. I had surgery on May 10 weight at 230; I weighed today (07.21.13) at 188; I am so happy that I pick Dr. Garcia. I added some pictures. The picture of my stomach is my incision. I had the single-incision and the incision showing is from the drainage tube.

Well as an American I don't think OUR health system is messed up like you do, as a previous poster stated - half around the world. What is messed up are those people who instead of paying for insurance they buy everything else themselves (beer, cigarettes, etc) and then expect the govt to foot the bill when they get sick. When if they'd just do without a little they could pay for insurance themselves. There are cases where that IS NOT the case, of course. I have a disabled parent who absolutely would love to be able to work and pay their own way but it's impossible. That's the kind that deserve the help, not the moochers. But I do see way too often people doing just exactly what I stated before. Cheating the system is what it's called. When I was 184 I didn't feel obese at all. Overweight, yes. I didn't have trouble finding clothing. I know every body is different though and I am well proportioned and wore the weight well. No one would have guessed that I weighed that much ever. I always stumped the Six Flags weight guessers. I don't know about the others but all my weight gain has been through pregnancies. I never gain when I am not pregnant. I can eat and eat and never gain when not pregnant. But once the weight is there, it just stays there after pregnancy. I don't understand it either. I can, and have, lost weight lowcarbing though. It works great, but then when I stopped lowcaring and tried to do maintenance the weight came back and stopped again right at my highest weight. It's like my body has a stopping point or something as far as weight goes. Wish that stopping point was MUCH lower though. Even at my highest I stayed there eating whatever I wanted. Something goes nuts when I am pregnant though. I eat exactly as before and at the end even less because there simply isn't room left for a lot of food and gain like crazy. My dr. says it's the huge hormonal change. I am sure I've been pretty blunt in my posts. I won't edit them because that seems cowardly but I do want to say that the pain I am in from my surgery yesterday has made me hell on wheels (my husband said this) to everyone. I still say it's crazy to complain about LOSING weight when you are cramming cookie dough down your throat.

I was banded on April 7, 2008 -- almost three years ago -- and went from around 250+ pounds to around 190. That in itself isn't exactly an entirely successful weight loss story, largely because I've never quite learned to eat slowly as I should, nor have I been able to keep away from sweets entirely (although lately I've been better). In the past several year or so, my weight has creeped up to around 201. I haven't been back to see my surgeon in more than a year and a half; I've been too ashamed, and frankly am afraid I will be a disappointment to her. I now have a visit scheduled for next week -- along with an esophogram, for which I am also long overdue. The reason I finally called for an appointment and esophogram is that I'm afraid my band may have slipped. Although it doesn't happen every night, some nights I cough constantly, spitting up Fluid onto my pillow. Other nights, I seem to "foam" constantly, requiring that I run to the bathroom to spit. Other nights -- like last night -- I've had no problem whatsoever. I was given a gift -- a new start that so many people would give anything to have -- and didn't make full use of it as I should have. If it turns out the band hasn't slipped, can I still lose weight if I try, even at this stage of the game (three years later)? If it has, does it have to be removed? Even though I have not lost all the weight I had intended, I can't say that I'm entirely unhappy; after all, I'm still considerably thinner than I was three years ago, even with the recent weight gain (which seems to have leveled off). I feel like such a failure, because I am.

I kept all my clothes on the way up - when my whole "weight gain" thing started, it was supposed to be temporary. I was only supposed to gain weight when I was on the huge steroid treatments. Unfortunately, they caused tumors and now that I'm getting those treated and having the sleeve, I'll be all set. But its only been 4 years, so I have lots of basics that are still relevant in every size for the trip back down

It sounds like things are going great. Its understandable that you would be nervous, you've had some traumatic experiences in the past. I have not been banded and pregnant but I have been pregnant and lost significant weight. On purpose, with the blessing of my doctor because I was 220 odd pounds when I conceived and I had had preeclampsia twice before. I did NOT want to pile on weight, although in the ironic way these things go, that is not the way my body tends to react to pregnancy. Statistically, gaining weight during pregnancy within normal limits is associated with a healthy pregnancy. That's only a statistic. As my doc pointed out for me, the baby needs nutrition, not fat. You need to take in adequate carbs, Protein, Vitamins and minerals, you do not necessarily need to take in a lot of extra calories and gain fat. You can gain the average weight during pregnancy by eating Big Mac's or ice cream and pickles or whatever(in fact most women do!) and you have not done one single thing to increase your odds of a healthy baby whereas you can eat perfectly, not gain weight and have done brilliant things for your baby. If you are sure you're eating the recommended intakes of various foods and you are supplementing well, dont let minor weight loss worry you, if its getting a bit out of control, supplement with somethign healthy like a fruit smoothie, made with some milk, some fruit, even a bit of cream or full fat yogurt. That packs in calories AND nutrition (I wouldnt turn to artificial foods like shakes at this time, if you want to go that way go for a weight gain supplement without all the artificial ingredients). If you really cant eat enough, the unfill a bit, you'll probably get tighter and need to eventually. good luck!

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!

Holland, I did extensive research before I chose the sleeve. I am a breast cancer survivor. I am 61.5 years, 4'11 tall. Being older and short makes losing weight more difficult. I was sleeved on 11/12, down at least 10 pounds in two weeks and I feel fabulous. My research led me to believe that, in the long run, the sleeve is substantially safer. Ten years down the road, the people who were not deligent about taking Vitamins (and for RNY that's a ton of vitamins all day, every day) experience serious health issues due to malabsorbtion of nutrients. Their teeth rot, their hair falls out, they have physical health issues. I already know that I am not going to remember to take all those vitamins. I also know that I don't want anything rerouted. Period. I went to six months of support group meetings before my surgery. What I learned is that the RNY patients still had issues with hunger. Not some. Most. I also met people who gained a lot of weight back. One patient has never lost weight, but she eats alot of pizza and ice cream (some mental health issues there). There is a thread on this site titled "weight gain with the sleeve" or something like that. Read it. My Dr.'s practice is a Center of Excellence. Not sure what that means, but my RN daughter says it's a big deal. He does RNY and Sleeve. If the sleeve wasn't good, he wouldn't do it. Just like everyone said, do your own research. You can change your mind at any time. You need to be happy with your choice. Your friends and family love you, want the best for you. After you do our research, show them the facts and how you came to your decision.

Hi All, Long time since I've been on the boards but my new year's resolution is to come back. My surgery was June 2010. I've had weight gain issues. I'm probably about 135 lbs now--still a healthy weight but 1) I'm afraid of continuing to go up and up and 2) I really did feel better at 120 lbs. Sooo, what to do? Considering 5:2. Actually, I'm doing a modified 5:2 this week because I have a (routine) colonoscopy on Thursday. My doctor has a two day fasting protocol. I am on day one. so far, so good.

@teoboysandagirl- it is very scary don't get me wrong. Yes I am happy I will have this bundle of joy and yes I still worry about weight gain and what I will look like afterwards. I don't care what people say, you will always think about what will I look like after the baby and how much will I have to work to lose what I gain. I say just stay healthy while pregnant, if you can do activities do them, don't get lazy, etc. everyone feels different about weight gain some people worry more than others and some are terrified to go back to the way they use to look. So just know that your feelings are normal, in my book at least.

yesterday's goals 1) walk 60 minutes with weighted shoes - did 20 minutes walk with weighted shoes and 20 minute walk in regular shoes 2) not eat after 7 ---- blew the crap out of this one 3) spend my noon getting closet doors - took an hour vacation yesterday to go buy them I think I got in over my head hiring people to remodel while I go to Mexico for 2 weeks. I forgot about all the decisions I have to make in a hurry. Today's goals 1) face the music - weight gain - when I see the surgeon and nutritionist today 2) 40 minutes on the treadmill - done 3) pick out medicine cabinet, toilet topper, blind, towel racks, floor tile, counter top for bathroom (this may take 2 days) 4) not eat after 8 5) remember to relax and unwind

First off, Thank you to all the well wishers. I didn't have that hard of a fight. I met 2 out of the three items for their criteria. I'm just glad I have finally been approved. I know my life is going to change for the healthier. As far as the weight gain goes, yes, I do have to gain back what I busted my butt to lose. And to answer the question yes it is for insurance. 43.9 is not the same as 45 as far as BMI is concerned in their book, so I need to maintain 45 or better. I will keep all of you posted, thanks again for the congrats and the well wishes!!! Mike

Will Miss Birdee... take satisfaction in this... you made a very intelligent and healthy choice for your body now and down the road. Your body can absorb all of the nurtrients it needs and when you are an older Birdie... your bones will thank you! It's too bad she didn't listen to you and one day she may look back and think... *Damn... that Birdee was really smart and I wish I would have listened to her instead of being a boogerbutt* :cool: My Sissy is having trouble with weight gain with her RNY GBP... but... she is also putting on the breaks and trying to work with the tool that she went through so much to get! Before your band... if you lost this much weight... would you have gained it back by now... plus more????? I know that is why I am hopeful about getting banded... not because I will lose the weight fast... because I will lose it for good! (((hugs)))

Here it is. Obesity and Mortality Risk New Findings From Body Mass Index Trajectories I signed up for this site, its free and quite interesting. You can get notices on any topic you want. http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/815335_1 Here is a tantalizing two paragraphs from a LONG DRY article. IntroductionThe rising prevalence of obesity has emerged as a potential threat to overall life expectancy in the future. The extent of this threat, however, is still uncertain, and estimates of the percentage of total deaths due to obesity vary widely, from 5%[1] to 13%.[2–4] Although these estimates are all based on measuring the mortality consequences of body mass index (BMI) assessed at baseline (i.e., at 1 point in time), other studies have found that a dynamic measure of weight status (weight or BMI change) is more predictive of mortality than is a static measure of weight status (i.e., baseline BMI), especially among older adults.[5, 6] We might expect obesity to increase the risk of death more profoundly when it persists over the life course. Therefore, in order to better assess the rising threat of obesity, it is essential to examine the mortality consequences of BMI trajectories. Prior studies based on dynamic measures have yielded mixed findings about the mortality consequences of weight change.[5–21] Several factors contribute to the mixed findings. First, the association of weight change with mortality depends on baseline BMI status. Weight gain leads to excess death among overweight/obese individuals but lowers the mortality risk among underweight or normal weight people.[8] Second, the association differs by the magnitude of weight change. Modest weight gains are associated with a decreased mortality risk, but excessive weight gains predict an increased mortality risk.[7, 13] When both initial weight and the magnitude of change are taken into account, small weight gains (1.0–2.9 BMI units) are not associated with excess mortality risk among 50–70-year-old Americans, regardless of their initial BMI levels, whereas large weight gains (3.0–5.0 units) increase the risk of death only when the initial BMI is greater than 35. Moreover, both small weight losses (1.0–2.9 units) and large weight losses (3.0–5.0 units) are associated with an increase in the risk of death among people who are normal, overweight, or mildly obese at baseline.[22] What!??? 8o

Marie, First, congratulations on your marriage. I'm sorry about the stress you've been going through and the problems with your band. I have been living without my band for 1.5 years now and I know how hard it is, but it is possible to at least maintain your weight without gaining more and I would probably start there. Some of the changes I have made living without my band is to substitute one food for a lower calorie option. Check out the book, " Eat this, Not that" for ideas. I substitute lower calorie Cereal and look for ones that have the most Fiber. Use non fat milk ( which I measure) and I always measure out the serving of cereal. Lunch: Cafe Steamers by Healthy Choice followed by a piece of fruit. or Tuna (packed in Water, not oil, but drained) and always use Whole Wheat bread or whole wheat pita pockets. I use a limited amount of mayo as I prefer my tuna on the dry side anyway. Snacks are often low calorie rice cakes with sugar free jelly and in the winter have the snack with a cup of hot coffee or tea which helps fill me up. I also have canned peaches or pears ( the lite sugar type) on hand for a snack. Anything that is a "trigger" food must be kept out of the house completely. Cravings: Get the donut, but share it with someone or get two munchkins. Always buy the smallest size of any "bad" food you eat. Example: at the movies, I like Twizzlers but the package is too big at the movies, so I buy the small pack at the drug store and bring it in my purse. If I want popcorn, I pop a 100 calorie snack bag and carry a bigger purse! I no longer keep bags of pretzels or boxes of crackers etc in the house but always have apples, pears or oranges available. Steam a few small (like fingerling size or the small red ones) potatoes with dinner instead of having a whole potato. Make only what you need to eat at that meal, avoid having leftovers b/c you will go back for seconds. Always have one or two vegetables with dinner prepared in a healthy way. My last piece of advice is to walk, if you can or whenever you can. Park farther away at the mall or work. TAke the stairs when you can or invest in a pedometer ( they are not expensive) to keep track of how many steps you take in one day. Make it a game to walk more steps each day until you get as close to 10,000 steps a day as you can. I would concentrate on maintaining first b/c trying to lose is hard and will add more stress and that can add to weight gain which will only stress you even more! I make plenty of mistakes and eat things I shouldn't but I try really hard to get right back on track and not let that day turn into a week. I wish you well and I hope some of my suggestions work for you. Perhaps they will help you until you can get more fill back in your band.

Phentermine, taken alone is safer alternative to using it in conjunction with fenfluramine, which was associated with some significant cardiac risks in the 80's. I had used it several times over the 10 years prior to my band surgery. Your body does build a rapid tolerance to it, so it was effective for only about 3 months, and then I would have to go off of it for another 6 months. A three month prescription was all that my physician would prescribe. I lost about 30 pounds during the 3 months, and did manage to keep most of the weight off after every 3 months off of it. "Rebound weight gain" is common, when the patient needs to go off of the medication. This can happen if the individual does nothing to maintain a long term adjustment in life style with changes to smaller portions and exercise. I have not taken it for several years now. I recall that I did like the increased energy associated with it, and though I took in in the morning, I did not like the insomnia which I also experienced while taking it.

Curious, did it lead to any weight gain?

Beckiet - I get clothes on a regular basis. I didn't include it in my incentives because I have to have them. That's why I don't have more "mini" goals on there. I'm going to raid mom's closet today - she has clothes from 8 - 18; I'm down to 14 and they are already getting baggy (woohoo!! what a problem to have!) Menopause has really caused her a lot of weight gain. I had to promise not to get rid of them when they don't fit me anymore Anyone else need to resize their jewelry yet?

I was banded march 2012. I am down almost 90 lbs. I had a fill in January that put me in the red zone. They removed the fill. I was ok at my February appointment and didn't need or want a fill. Last month, I felt I needed an adjustment (since ice been on a plateau since January). They gave me .2, I can't tolerate anything more than that. Anything more takes me right in the red. Anyways,,,, I've always been tight in the morning, coffee is my morning beverage of choice always. I have trouble with tiny tiny sips for about the first 2 hours in awake. About 4 hours after I'm awake, I can comfortable eat oatmeal and nothing else. Breakfast is usually about 10 am. lunch comes at noon and usually I can eat my lunchtime meal. After lunch my band is really open and I'm totally in the yellow zone and constantly hungry till about 6 pm. About that time, I'm in that wonderful green zone. I tighten up almost immediately as soon as I lay down. My first and second meal have to stay on schedule... If I don't have my lunch on time, it's Soup the rest of the day or I have to start over with oatmeal. If I go more than a few hours without eating... I close up. I've never had symptoms of being too tight. Besides the over restricted, nothing is getting through this baby bandster hell. No night cough, reflux, weight gain... Nothing. At my last appointment last week, they did a swallow, due to my appointment, I skipped my noon meal and of course I was over restricted. The barium was sitting right on top of my band. I had a tiny bit of dilation but not enough to warrant a complete unfill or even a partial unfill which shocked me. She put me on the 2/2 as if I had a fill and said to come back if I had anymore problems. Before being banded, I had really bad reflux. Once I was banded it completely disappeared. There was NO hiatal hernia repair either. There are times I feel burning around my band, but nothing like the reflux I experienced post-banding. I'm finally losing again, being 4 lbs the last month! Not much, but so glad I'm on the losers bench again. Has anyone ever experienced this kind of fluctuation between zones? What have your experiences been? Mine are: No more than .2 at a fill 2-4 weeks before I'm adjusted to the fill Extreme morning restriction If I lay down more than 5 minutes, I'm super tight. After 30 minutes... It's as if I'm at my morning tightness. I have to eat on schedule Any recommendations? It's really hard to keep a newborn eating schedule and I live in constant fear of eating! As long as I stick to my schedule, the PBing is maybe 4-6 times a week. Thanks for any input!