hey everyone....

i'm lost.. i have no idea what to do... 3 months after my surgery.. 6/9mils fill.. and guess what.. WEIGHT GAIN.. not once single pound lost.. i'm beside myself.. so so mad.. so upset.. i just don't know what to do.. my dietician sais its my hormones (PCOS) but wtf is someone meant to do, there cannot be NO answer for ppl with Pcos.. they can't be expected to stay fat their whole life.. my depression is getting so bad i'm comfort eating again... and considering my surgeon knows nothing about PCOS i'm running an uphill batttle.. i have f*ckall restriction.. (i only have 3 mils left to go in my band, he will only do one mil at a time) so therefore these binging encounters mean i can eat heapsss.. its ridiculous the amounts i can eat!! i' feel like im going to do something stupid.. i just don't know what else to do.. this was my last option.. and if i can't lose weight and be a happier healthier person.. i don't want to be at all...

The band is a tool, it cannot do it all for you. It is very common for people to not lose weight in the first few months. You are beating yourself into a corner and expecting things to happen before their time. Some people take a long time to find their restriction but even then if you can't control yourself you can still eat around the band.

My daughter has PCOS and is very obese. She has said she wants to get lapband but I have told her I don't think it is a good idea in her case. She has little to no control over the amounts she eats either. I have told her that the gastric sleeve or even one of the bypass surgeries are a better option in her case. You may have to consider converting to one of the more radical WLS options.

I feel your pain...I have PCOS...so I know the struggles it brings with many facets of life. I know, with my body....carbs are NOT my friend. Oh how I WANT them to be my friend...but they are not good for me. Try to be easy on yourself....it is frustrating...but this lap band will hopefully even the playing field to make it EASIER for you to lose weight. I don't have much restriction yet, and I have been losing focus here and there. Maybe some meds for the depression can help? There are some that have a sort of appetite supressant quality to them. Make a small goal...just 1 pound.....look for that....

Hang in there...pcos sucks! I know!

Hello. I understand how frustrated you must be feeling. When I was post op 5 months, I still had not lost any weight either. I just gained. It wasn't until I discovered that I had untreated ADHD and that was the reason why I was not losing but gaining weight. As soon as I began treatment, the weight began to fall off. I am now 13 months post op and have lost about 85 pounds. When I don't take my meds for adhd... I eat out of emotion and out of being bored. Hope this helps.

Marcia

Edited June 13, 201016 yr by triniprincess004

The question is what are you eating, how much are you eating, are you exercising etc.

You need to be honest with yourself.If you are only eating 3 times per day,eating the amounts recommended,the correct types of food ,not drinking with or soon after meals and exercising daily then yes you seem to have a problem which you need to discuss with your surgeon.

However if you are eating more than or more often then recommended, not eating the right types of food, not exercising then the problem lies with you not the band.

Remember the band is a tool which makes the "job" of losing weight easier but it is still only a tool. It does not do it all for you, you have to work with it.

A lot of it may be head hunger rather than actual hunger and you may benefit from seeing a nutritionist or physchologist that specailises in eating issues.

First off I want to give you some *hugs*

I am only a month out, so I am not in your situation. I have PCOS, and the band seems to be working for me, so perhaps it is different for different folks. Are you currently in therapy, it has done wonders even before surgery for my emotional eating. I too was a binge eater, it is insane the amount of food I was putting in my body. I was always surprised I didn't weigh more than the 270 I did. I would suggest finding a good therapist and go from there. And maybe you haven't found your sweet spot yet, that is possible.

Good luck hon!

Sydney

Give it some time and don't give up. Hormones could be a possible factor, which means metabolism. Don't go back to "comfort eating". Sometimes, all you need is the right motivation. Have you tried going to group sessions for post-ops?? That could help.

The question is what are you eating, how much are you eating, are you exercising etc.

You need to be honest with yourself.If you are only eating 3 times per day,eating the amounts recommended,the correct types of food ,not drinking with or soon after meals and exercising daily then yes you seem to have a problem which you need to discuss with your surgeon.

However if you are eating more than or more often then recommended, not eating the right types of food, not exercising then the problem lies with you not the band.

Remember the band is a tool which makes the "job" of losing weight easier but it is still only a tool. It does not do it all for you, you have to work with it.

A lot of it may be head hunger rather than actual hunger and you may benefit from seeing a nutritionist or physchologist that specailises in eating issues.

I totally agree with you, don't go to comfort eating because you gain weight, that is only going to put on more weight... some people gain too.... u have to control what and how much u put in ur mouth, learn to restrict yourself and not rely on the band restricting it for you.. once you get to ur sweet spot than maybe ur will find peace with you band! stay strong, and put up a good fight with weight loss, don't let it defeat you!

hey everyone....

i'm lost.. i have no idea what to do... 3 months after my surgery.. 6/9mils fill.. and guess what.. WEIGHT GAIN.. not once single pound lost.. i'm beside myself.. so so mad.. so upset.. i just don't know what to do.. my dietician sais its my hormones (PCOS) but wtf is someone meant to do, there cannot be NO answer for ppl with Pcos.. they can't be expected to stay fat their whole life.. my depression is getting so bad i'm comfort eating again... and considering my surgeon knows nothing about PCOS i'm running an uphill batttle.. i have f*ckall restriction.. (i only have 3 mils left to go in my band, he will only do one mil at a time) so therefore these binging encounters mean i can eat heapsss.. its ridiculous the amounts i can eat!! i' feel like im going to do something stupid.. i just don't know what else to do.. this was my last option.. and if i can't lose weight and be a happier healthier person.. i don't want to be at all...

Good morning!

I, too, have PCOS and hypothyroidism. I was told by my dietician it will take longer to lose the weight because of these conditions but she said it will be possible. People with PCOS will have to work harder to lose the weight but I am here to attest that it is possible. I had my surgery on May 18th, 2010 and thus lost 14.5 pounds.

I am eating what I am suppose to eat, using my treadmill and drinking my Protein shakes - I believe this is the reason why I am losing. I will get my first fill on June 18th.

If you need to talk to someone, please email me and we will chat. Please don't quit and give up hope!

God Bless! Rosa

I don't know about PCOS, but I do know about gaining the weight and not losing a single lb in 6 months. I'm at 8 cc's in a 10 cc band and have some restriction. It took me 7 months to lose 10 lbs, the next month I only lost 5 and this month I think I have lost 2 lbs. Eating is my worse enemy and food is my best friend so I bought some books on eating and weight. I'll let you know if there is anything in there that helps with emotional eating. I was an emotional eater before surgery but since having the Band I don't have the craving anymore. I am on a medication for ADHD that helps curb the appetite and I lost 30 lbs on it right before surgery so maybe that is something you need to try. It gives me extra energy since it speeds up my metabolism and I don't feel like eating unless I am hungry. It's worth a shot. Good luck with everything and use the band as a tool, you have to follow the rules to lose the weight and that is something I wasn't doing in the first 6 months and it showed on the scale.

First off I'm very sorry this doesn't seem to be working for you. Secondly I think you need to find a counselor or psychiatrist that specializes in obesity and body image issues. It's easy to get frustrated, we all wanted that magic pill that makes the weight just come off. But you are sabotaging yourself with the stress eating. No matter if you keep the band or go to one of the other WLS you have got to get the stress eating under control or, even with WLS, will spend your life chasing demons.

Find a professional who understands your issues (most won't so it may take some looking) and while you're working on that sit down and have an honest talk with yourself about this all. What exactly do you expect from the band? Are you doing your part to get their? Get a notebook and food scale and write down each and every thing that goes in your mouth and be honest, you can't help yourself if you're lying to yourself. Same thing with exercise write down each and every minute of physical activity, but no exaggerating.

As everyone else has said, the band is a great tool for weight loss, but you have to do your part, even when you don't feel restriction buy eating a healthy diet and exercising. After all, ALL weight loss, with or without WLS, is about burning more calories than you consume...the band just makes it a little easier to eat fewer calories.

Good luck with everything and please take care of yourself.

i' feel like im going to do something stupid.. i just don't know what else to do.. this was my last option.. and if i can't lose weight and be a happier healthier person.. i don't want to be at all...

I'm not sure if you meant it this way, but I'm really worried that you may be suicidal. Please seek some help ASAP. I started having some dark thoughts a couple years ago that I knew did not make sense... like maybe my family would be better off without me. I would never go as far as to take my life, but these dark thoughts were creeping in. As soon as I recognized this, I saw my PCP and she diagnosed me w/GAD (generalized anxiety disorder) which results in depression if left untreated long enough. She put me on Lexapro and it has done wonders for me. My depression lifted and so did the anxiety I lived w/all my life (that I thought was just 'normal' and part of my personality). I've had no side effects from the med. It just freed me up to live the life I want and really enjoy life in the moment (not worrying all the time about stuff that doesn't matter). Now I only worry about stuff that does really matter. Anyway, its amazing what can be accomplished just by taking the right med.

In any case, dark thoughts like you are having are a sure sign of depression and the way out may not be as hard as you think. Please see someone for this and then deal w/the weight later. Hugs!

What are you eating? How much? How often?

How is your food distributed across carbohydrate, Protein, and fat?

How many calories are you taking in? How many are you burning with exercise?

For PCOS issues, a lower-carb, higher-protein approach is often recommended.

Try to let go of the "only 3 ml left in my band" way of thinking. The number is meaningless. As your band gets fuller, tinier increments can make ENORMOUS differences in restriction. I know people for whom 0.2 cc made the difference between inadequate restriction and excellent restriction.

Plus, all bands can be filled significantly beyond the number of ccs their labels list, so if need be, there's a bit of leeway there, too.

Edited June 13, 201016 yr by BetsyB

Hi Miss Sammy, you are scaring the crap out of me!!!!! I don't know anything about PCOS, but I definitely know about feeling hopeless and that nothing seems like it will change. First off, you are a gorgeous girl and your signature quote is so positive- try to remind yourself of what you wrote to motivate yourself, those words are still within you. I'm only 1 month post-op, but my weight loss has stopped. I've been feeling discouraged and like this isn't going to work. I don't have restriction and want to eat way more than I should, sometimes I talk myself out of it, sometimes I don't. It's my food addicted brain talking, I know I have to overpower it. It does help me to tune into this forum to keep the dark thoughts down and re-motivate myself. Maybe see if you can find a specialist that deals with PCOS who might have some better ideas on how to help. I'm a children's therapist and do know a lot about clinical depression. If you can't seem to get yourself out of this rut, you might want to talk to someone (a professional) to help. You are not alone, remember that. We are all here to support you, just keep tuning in and talking.

I'm so sorry you are so terribly sad! You do sound suicidal and should seek help right away. It's true that you must work hard, especially in the beginning, to maintain or lose weight. I started with an empty band and was hungry almost immediately. And I didn't reach restriction until after my 5th fill. It was terrible and caused me a lot of anxiety because I was so hungry. But I was careful...measured my food...counted calories..all that. And I didn't gain any weight. Now I am losing because I have restriction. I hope this helps and really think you need to talk to someone face to face and maybe see about going on some meds. They really do work. Best wishes!

I agree with everyone else, about the depression and therapy. I think you need to talk to someone. Maybe an anti depressant would help you. As for the ADHD, not trying to sound rude, but most of the ADHD medicines are a type of amphetamine, thus the hunger loss associated with it. I don't think that this is her problem. I too have PCOS. Are you on metformin? It can help with alot of the side effects of PCOS and help to level out your body. ALSO, the band sister that said carbs are not her friend....this is true with most PCOSers......we typically have syndrome X or insulin resistance that interferes and helps us to gain weight or keep weight. The metformin can help this also. I say try to cut back your carbs...and seek some help with your emotional eating. How much support do you have? (At home or in person?) I too am worried about you. Keep us posted.