B-52

For me, being in the "Green Zone" is what. and still is what it is all about.... Even before being banded my surgeon showed me the chart and said "This is where we want you to be....this is our goal for you" It has always been about getting there, and once there it is about staying there with little "maintenance" tips.. Green Zone means: NOT HUNGRY.....my hunger is totally under control, food simply does not interest me anymore. GOOD WEIGHT LOSS....never had a problem with this, other than a plateau here and there, once I was in the Green Zone PORTION CONTROL...Does not matter where I'm at, vacation, Thanksgiving, a restaurant, etc, etc...the band will allow me to eat so much and that's it...I CANNOT overeat..simple! PATIENT SATISFACTION....Well, when you have the above, how can you not be happy? Whenever I visit my Surgeon, he always points to the chart on the wall and asks me "Where do you think you are?" and after I point to a spot, he then says "Let's talk about it, THIS is where you need to be" Too often I read posts on this forum about this and that, overeating, not happy, not loosing weight, etc.etc....and all too often people will give different answers and advice. I wonder sometimes if this is a site for Lap Band Surgery or Weight Watchers...... My concerns are always "Are you in the Green?" and if not, "WHY NOT?" Like I said, that has been and always will be what this surgery is all about....once I got to that point it has been pure heaven....EASY GOING the whole way, and still is. Now I know there are people who CHOOSE NOT to take it all the way, and that's fine as long as they're happy with the results...but me...I want everything the band was designed to do...maximum results with the littlest effort on my part...which I am glad to say I have achieved....the only hard part was learning to understand how to live the new lifestyle with the band...new foods, new eating techniques, and learning how to "Listen" to the band when it is sending me signals...... So much for my early morning rant...off to the gym! \ \

I had serious regrets 2-3 months after my surgery.....felt no restriction, was not loosing the weight as I thought...I actually gained weight after my first fill. They kept reminding me about counting calories, measuring portions, everything I had learned and told to do from all the previous diets I have been part of before surgery. I was very upset, felt it was a big waste of time...all that preparation, pre testing and anxiety, just to go on another diet! Fortunately, that is all behind me, it was just the Bandster Hell phase untill the band got properly adjusted..... Now, my only regret is that I did not do this sooner.....about 20 years sooner!

How dos carbonation hurt the band? Something. I'm trying to understand......

I did everything I could to "fall off the wagon" but was prohibited from doing so. Lord knows I tried.....

My point was...it's normal to get stuck the same way it's normal to burn your hand on the stove......sooner or later you learn to be more careful around the stove...not stop using the stove.... My band it TIGHT...I can feel it with everything I swallow...yet I have not gotten stuck in well over a year...because I learned. I know someone, on another group I belong to, that is going for her 13th Fill!!!! She has also had at least 6 un fills.....she is not loosing much weight.....same 1/2cc fill, same 1/2 cc un fill........maybe it's not the Fluid in her band but her eating.......there is a fine line between being too tight and not eating the way we were taught.....finding that balance is the key, IMO.

Do you believe that?? Again, speaking ONLY from my experiences, THIS BAND DOES WORK! It will CHANGE YOUR LIFE....that's not a Cliche...but to change our life means WE HAVE TO CHANGE.... My last fil, I was getting stuck like crazy.....I learned, the hard way, I had to learn to eat correctly.....I learned, the hard way, that there are certain foods I will never eat again.... I learned, the hard way, not to drink while eating.....I learned the hard way, never eat prior to going to bed, or laying horizontal....and there are many more lessons I needed to learn... All these things they were trying to teach me up to that point, but it did not make sense to me until I got that point of restriction. Bottom line...I had to break those bad eating habits...the same habits I had for years that made me "Morbidly Obese" and just about killed.... I can say, there were days I got stuck multiple time throughout the day....I remember getting stuck TWICE while eating the same meal!! My last fil was 4 months to the day after surgery, BUT it took me 2-3 more months to get things figured out, "In the Groove" I like to call it.... I'm happy to say I've been there ever since....I don't get stuck anymore because I KNOW my lessons, and I KNOW the warning signs, when to stop, etc... And for me, it all came through the school of hard knocks.... Every time I did something stupid I got a good kick in the you know what by getting stuck, slimed and whatever else you want to call it.... And today...I would never have imagined, before being banded, that I could eat so little, so slow, and how rarely....and yet feel so healthy, energetic, and positive mentally.... Speaking only for myself....I was close to asking to have some Fluid taken out,.... but I am glad I didn't....I don't think I would have adjusted myself if I was allowed to eat the way I wanted to. But read other people's posts, everyone has their own story to tell....

It's never anybodies place to tell someone else what they're medical treatment should be.... Like I previously said, my Dr. would ask me to point to the chart where I felt I was....he would ask a few questions, look at my weight loss (or not) since the last visit, then determine if, and how much. of a fill I should get that visit,,,,, he would always point to the chart and say "THIS is where we want you to be" and he kept at it until we got there..... I have not had a fill since May of 2011.....

I've tried it on my own countless times over 30 years...everything from Dr supervised diets, acupuncture, hypnotism and drugs...... Failed at everyone, and gained the weight back..... My story is I have absolutely no self control or discipline when it came to dieting.....went ok at first, maybe 6 months, then hat was it.... i HAD to have surgical intervention to prevent me from doing harm to myself...preventing me from overeating all the time.... I am happy to say that for me, this has worked, and I am not afraid of ever gaining the weight back as long as the band remains in place properly filled..... But traditional dieting???? Not me.....

Yes, and NO!!! We definitely do not buy near as much as we used to......but we waste more than we eat.... It's hard to cook traditional recipes that can feed 4 people, when you're only going to eat less than 1/2 of what one person would normally eat..... It is still a learning game....sometimes it is easier to eat out, or order take out, and just have Soup and a appetizer.....

If you ask me, the 2nd and 3rd MONTHS are nothing more than traditional dieting....It took me maybe 4-5 months of VERY HARD WORK before I finally got the band optimally adjusted and things started to get easier....then after 6-7 months, when I figured out how to "Do It".....it has been pure freedom ever since..... But those first months, PHASE II, Bandster Hell.....that was the hardest of all....if it was a true traditional diet as in the past with so many other diets, I would have thrown in the towel.....very frustrating to have surgery and have to face that all over again....but until the band is properly adjusted, there is nothing else one can do but "White Knuckle" it all the way to Phase 3......

I'm a gun owner...and have been a hunter since I was 12, although have not been recently......... When I was growing up, seemed like everyone in our town had guns.....you could walk into any department store that had a sporting goods section and but one on the spot....just needed to be 18.....no big deal....and anybody of any age could buy ammo...I know because I did it when I was 15, friends and I would go to sand pits to target practice. NEVER heard about the insane stuff going on today by sick, evil individuals....I truly believe there is something else going on.......

Yes, in most cases.... Generally the surgeon will prescribe a few days of liquid ( 5 day pouch test?) but if that does not help, sometimes due to patient non compliance but not always, the surgeon is forced to do a complete unfill to give the band a rest untill things settle down. Ether way the thinking is the same. Most people I know, myself included, having reached their goal and no more fills ever needed, will routinely do a few days liquid as a time out rest.

I agree.....medical conditions always seem to interfere with lab band surgery and it's normal protocol.....seems every time I read about people claiming failures, there is usually something medical that is the underlying cause.

Very Good News..... For me, the pain is not that uncommon, it is usually a sign to take smaller bites, more time in between, the food I'm eating is too rough, (hard) or to stop altogether..... Knowing what foods to eat and knowing how to eat, it is usually my signal to stop eating..... Does not surprise me your Dr. was not alarmed, but actually gave you a small fill..... Being in the Green Zone is a wonderful thing.....but learning to live with the band, read all the signals is a learning curve we all go through to be successful.

Like 2muchfun said, it is NOT something that happens instantaneous.... Just like your belly getting big before loosing the weight, it comes from continuous overeating - overfilling your pouch..... For me....this is almost impossible to do, once I hit the Green Zone....If I try to over eat it would be disastrous....(I tried and learned my lessons) But I also believe the Pouch can and does stretch a little from time to time simply from over use....and for myself, I can tell this when my portion sizes are becoming larger than usual.... When this happens, I go full liquids for a day or 2-3, and things will return to normal. Some people refer to this as the "5 Day Pouch Test" which isn't a test at all actually, but someone's clever procedure to simply let the pouch get a rest and return to it's original shape. I do this at least once a month for maintenance....keeps me "tight" and in the Green!

I do a of of Public speaking and would wear a Men's T-shirt....... Happy to say I no longer need one......! I now have a normal weight and a BELOW Normal Body Fat %

Dried food is a KILLER.....Chicken is one of my main stays...but I will not order it in a restaurant because it is usually dry and tough....(old?) For that matter, after a while you have to learn which are the better restaurants to go to..... My Wife loves "Outback"...but there is absoululey nothing I can eat.....90% Red meat, and the Chicken is rock hard.....lately they have been coming out with more seafood choices other than shrimp...... Cannot eat deep fried (breaded) foods anymore..... Raw Veggies....bust be very careful......same with most fruits.... This may sound strange....but I have learned that I needed to "Listen to my Band" It gives me feedback with every swallow...even water...and I need to understand what it it trying to tell me....especially what NOT to eat, and when to STOP.... Some people say the band is only a "Tool"...That's Ok, I understand where they are at...but for me...the band is "Totally in Charge".....

Be careful what you ask for......

There are many posts here about people running 5K's, etc, as though we are all some kind of experts that fell from the sky or something... I just want to say that that is not, and has not, always been the case.....NOTHING can be further from the truth! There was a time, 2 years ago to be exact, where I could not carry groceries into the house without becoming short of breath. When with a group of people, I was the one that everyone had to stop and wait for, so I could catch up.... I was banded 2 years ago....I joined a gym a full year before being banded, and went regularly...but it was pure HELL! But I did it because I KNEW it was the right thing to do.... Forget the treadmill...too high impact for someone with all that excess weight. So I did the elliptical...but even then I could not go more than 15 minutes without killing myself. My lungs would burn! I did all I could to get just 20 minutes in with minimal resistance. I did lift weights more than anything....I was one of those people who would carry my towel strategically in the locker room to try to hide my naked body.... Not sure it did anything, and even though I could not feel any difference I'm sure it had to have some benefit. But I never felt it...just aching muscles and joints... It was only after being banded, when the weight began to come off, that I felt my exercising began to improve also...it went hand in hand. The more I lost, the better my workouts became.....I steadily increased my workouts on the elliptical, longer times and higher resistance... It was only last march, after I reached my goal weight wise, I felt I was not getting any more benefit from the elliptical....that I moved onto the treadmill. Walking at first, then slowly increasing to running. I started wearing a heart monitor and concentrated on aerobic workouts (and still do) I began the C to 5k program, a 12 week course that took me 20 weeks to get through. I then went on to the C to 10K program and breezed through that....1/2 of it was a repeat. Today, I get on the treadmill and run 5 miles, 5 days a week....but like I said, it took over 2 years to get there, and 100 lbs lighter..... Long story short...everyone has to start somewhere...the important thing is to start...and since you have been banded, it will go hand in hand and after a period of time you will not believe you are the same person! But you have to start! BTW, did I mention I'm 61 years old? And had one Heart attack resulting in Cardiac Surgery? So it is never too late, or early for that matter, to start! If I can do it, ANYONE can! Just remember many (myself) have been where you are, and eventually turned it around......so it can and does work! And all of what I just said is a lesson on CONFIDENCE building....but I will save that one for another time. each step of the way I learned something new about confidence, perhaps the reason I was fat and failed at loosing weight in the first place..... I

You're supposed to get Protein.....meat is a good source, but not the only source.

Keep in mind, everyone's funnel is different.....it is adjustable......

If you drink too much too fast, it will not pass through your band fast enough..... It happens to me all the time when I am working out.....there is a sharp pain, possibly stretching the pouch momentarily, but the water comes right up and I spit it out. ( I always have small towel handy, usually to wipe sweat from my eyes) Think of a funnel.....if you pour water slowly it will pass through easily..... If you pour too much too fast it will over flow...not giving it time to pass...... I don't think it is in the pouch long enough to stretch it, but it des come right back up. And NEVER have food sitting there.....that can stretch the pouch for sure. But it will probably come right back up.... When I used to get stuck in those early learning days.....sipping water will get me unstuck by having it come up. Also, a lot depends on how tight your band is.....mine is very tight and I have to sip everything, all the time..... BTW, right after my workout, I drink 32 oz of water withinn 30 minutes while sitting in the sauna or steam room......one sip at a time.

I am unique, and have my own quirky ways of doing things..... When I work out, I have it in my mind that I am going to use the stored fat I have as a my energy...I'm going to "Burn" that source first.... I like to exercise first thing in the morning, before I have anything to eat.....I felt if I ate before I worked out, I would be using what I just ate and nothing else.... I will take 15gm of liquid Protein, my Vitamins, omega's, etc to get my metabolism jump started.........and never had an issue with energy.....(also my morning coffee...can't leave home without it) Then, after a good workout, my body is screaming to be fed! I want to eat a full Breakfast (if I could)...but I always felt that would defeat what I had just accomplished...so I would have a high protein, nutritious recovery shake....... Like I said, that's just my idiosyncrasies....but It helped me......

I prefer the early morning.......My gym opens at 5am, I'm there 5 days a week before 6am.... I prefer the gym because I can sit in the sauna, whirlpool, shower, shave, fresh clothes, Protein shake for Breakfast at the juice bar...then off to work. After a 10-12 hour on my feet in clinics, I don't feel like doing much of anything when I get home except a "Adult Beverage" like a Scotch or a Beer...whichever...then dinner, maybe but not always.

As a side note.....I have lost 100lbs.....and people ask me all the time (including myself) where is all the excess skin? Well, I believe it is because I run 5 miles a day, drink all my Water everyday, and never go without my daily Protein.....plus I sit in a 170 degree sauna for 30 minutes everyday, and finish it all up with a "Ice Plunge" (like swedes jumping in the snow) All of these things contribute to "Good Healthy Skin and Muscle Tone" I believe, as I was loosing the weight, my skin was actually getting tighter!!!