How do you GAIN weight with a lap-band?

[Electrawoman 5]

Can someone tell me how this is possible? It's freaking me out. MY surgeon said that a small percentage will gain. How would this happen? Drinking your calories? Eating lots of small food throughout the day? I'm confused.

[isaviolinist 11]

If you eat ice creams, mashed potatoes, creamy cream Soups, and chips everyday (for example), then you will gain weight (and you will be able to eat an unlimited amount of them, since they will pass right through the band).

[Erin Marie 0]

What isaviolinist said. They're called slider foods and they're what many of us ate frequently pre-banding. Think of extremely greasy or calorie laden food. They don't fill your pouch so you don't feel restriction and you continue eating food that doesn't make you full. It's a vicious cycle.

If you follow your rules and diet guidelines laid out by your nutritionist, you'll be fine :smile2:. And you can always come here and ask, "Is this a slider food?!"

[Jachut 487]

Also, when you've lost all your weight, you have really done it by quite severe calorie restriction. That's why you need a band forever - whatever way its achieved, calorie restriction like that slows your metabolism - even when you exercise. I now maintain on about 1800 calories a day which is what all the charts say I should eat to LOSE 2lb a week. Its inevitable.

So for us former fatties, it takes less than it would for the average person to gain a little.

Exercise is, of course, your main weapon here. The more active you are, the less you will find your weight varies.

[greytz 4]

Like everyone said but also, the band isn't a miracle cure that means you can eat whatever you want and still lose weight. It is as everyone always says on here just a tool to help and guide you along the way which is something you have never had before. It still takes effort and better choices with food. It is possible to eat around the band and defeat the purpose of it as with any type of weight loss surgery or for that matter any type of weight loss plan at all. And as Jachut said, exercise is what burns the fat and builds the muscle. In the beginning, I thought, there was no way I could exercise. I could barely walk much less do anything else. My husband had bought a treadmill many years ago and it was dust laden and I wasn't sure it would even work. I kept seeing Jachut on here talking about exercise and how it much it helps and saw her picture and thought wow look at how great she looks and decided I have to do something. So, with great hesitation I got on the treadmill for the first time. Now, it is second nature. I did my first 5K for breast cancer last month (power walking) and couldn't run it but power walked it and it felt so good, I just can't explain what a personal triumph that was. I believe it is also helping my actual extra skin go away as well. I am not having too much of that problem except my facial skin is wrinkling a lot more. I am saving for a lifestyle lift when I reach my goal.

[Carriedaway78 0]

Can someone tell me how this is possible? It's freaking me out. MY surgeon said that a small percentage will gain. How would this happen? Drinking your calories? Eating lots of small food throughout the day? I'm confused.

I have not gained any weight since my surgery, (KNOCK WOOD!) but I know that I could very easily. Just like the others have said, it's the slider foods. If I were to sit and eat ice cream and chocolate on a regular basis, I know that my weight would go up. I have to be very careful about it.

[Nanook 2]

Well I was part of that "small percentage" that gained weight after banding. It took a few months of never losing and then most of the weight I lost rapidly on the 4 week liquid diet prior to surgery all came back on. I never lost my cravings for sugar while banded and had a difficult time eating only Protein and veggies and ended up consuming more things like yogurt and sometimes the forbidden sliders that I had no idea at the time would go right through the band prior to my surgery. Anyway we're all a bit different and it just wasn't the right procedure for me. Nancy.

[Electrawoman 5]

Nancy, I see that you are losing now. WHat have you done after band removal to lose weight?

[IAmJacksLapBand 5]

Nancy, I see that you are losing now. WHat have you done after band removal to lose weight?

According to Nancy's signature, she has had another procedure and is now R-N-Y to assist her where the band was not able to do so.