B-52

Been a while since I visited here...have my reasons, mainly I find it tiresome after a while, mainly dealing with the self proclaimed experts.... However.... Thought I would give a report, especially for the newbies. I go to the gym 5 days a week at 5:30 in the morning. I run for 30 minutes (3 miles), do 45 minutes of weights, then finish the workout with 20-30 minutes of cardio on the elliptical. It took me one year to reach my goal, total weight loss of 90 lbs. That was 7 months ago, and I am still loosing although very slowly now. Your body will stop loosing when it feels it is ready to. I do not count calories, measure or weigh portions. I eat when I am hungry, which is not often. I do not deny myself the little pleasures in life like desserts, ice cream, alcohol, including beer, etc, etc. I do get my daily requirements of protein, water, vitamins, amino acids, anti oxidants, etc, etc, with little or no problem every day. There are days when I just don't feel like eating at all, so i don't force it. I am not a believer in the "Starvation Mode" I have/had enough fat and glycogen stored away to use as energy, and that is what I did. All this from a man who is 60 years old, have had one heart attack that I know of, had cardiac surgery due to coronary artery disease, had diabetes that is now completely gone, had loss of circulation in lower limbs with loss of sensation (feeling) which is now a thing of the past, cholesterol, triglycerides, everything is now well within normal range. Had my stress test a few weeks back and the cardiologist could not believe he was looking at the same person. My blood work (lab results) are straight down the middle normal in every category. The band controls my eating and hunger entirely. It is NOT a tool, something that I can control. It is something that is there, constant, doing what it was designed to do. People are afraid to go to picnics, parties, etc for fear of what I'm not sure. I cannot overeat no matter how hard I try. Does not matter what food you put in front of me, the band will allow just so much then that's it. I went on a cruise a few weeks ago and I did everything I can to eat/enjoy as much as I can...Impossible! I lost weight! I do not get stuck, slimed, etc anymore. It has been a long time since that has happened. There was a phase, when transitioning into the "Green Zone" that I got stuck sometimes 2-3 times a day. But once I learned my lessons, learned how to eat like a "Skinny" person, I broke through to the other side and life has been normal ever since. The "New Normal" as my surgeon calls it. My only advice to newbies is to work the band for all it's worth. Don't settle for second best, something just to get by. Demand everything you have always expected. I make no excuses for my success and my new life...why should I care what others think? It's me they're going to put in the ground someday...then where will the critics be....I have achieved everything I ever hoped and dreamed this surgery can do for me. I was once a fat person, so i know what denial and excuses are all about.... So you may see why I don't visit here all that much any more....

You cannot loose sight of the Forrest because of the trees. In other words you have to look at the big picture. Some days I eat more, some days I eat less, and there are some days I don't feel like eating at all. But it is the total accumualtive not the small incidentals. It is a lifestyle change, not a diet. Regardless of what I may or may not eat, with my new total lifestyle I eat a fraction of what I would have eaten before the surgery. I used to be able to eat an entire large pizza all by myself, every Friday night. Now, if I still ate pizza which I don't, I would not be able to eat 1/2 of one slice. I have been observing skinny people eat. Very interesting. They all eat as though they were banded also. They eat pizza, ice cream, etc. they're just not pigs about it. I have come to realize I now eat the same way a skinny person does. The secret is the band is why I am forced to do it.

I'm now 60, and I feel like I'm under 40. Been at my goal for 6 months now and still loosing although very slowly now. I'm now in week 7 out of 9 for the couch to 5k program, and plan to run some 5K's this summer.

I am wondering how many people believe they should get a "minimum" amount of calories per day, and why. Also, if you are concerned about getting you calorie intake, why are weight losers so concerned about burning calories to loose weight? If your Dr. says you should get 1000 calories a day, and you burn 500 a day at the gym, does that mean you should get 1500 a day to make up the difference? Would that negate the workout and calorie burning you did that day? Or perhaps if your Dr. says you need 1000, and you know you'll burn 500 at the gym, then maybe you can just get 500 daily intake and say screw the gym. I'm just wondering.

Actually, liquids will pass right through the band into the stomach....causing a buildup of gas BELOW the band. The band was designed for things to pass from the top down...it does not tolerate things that come from the bottom up....like vomiting which can be a sudden explosive force coming up from the bottom through a small orifice. Think of a Water balloon with a rubber band at the top, squeeze the balloon below the band with both hands and the top where the band is will pop! My biggest fear is to get violently sick like food poisoning or motion sickness...let alone drunk.... We leave for vacation in a few weeks visiting foreign countries...have to be very careful about what and where I eat - drink. Especially being 1000's of miles away from my Dr. Not going to snack on any food from street vendors, that's for sure! I drink carbonated beverages, just slowly and NEVER with food in my stomach.

Had my annual Nuclear Stress test today...and I am the happiest man on earth!! Background: I have one Cardiac artery that is completely occluded, totally blocked that resulted in my Heart Attack. It went un noticed because being a fat diabetic it was "Silent" same for women BTW. It was when I had a routine stress test 2-1/2 years ago that they found that, along with a 2nd artery that was 60% blocked requiring cardiac surgery with a full metal stent. It could have, and SHOULD have killed me! Today I had my annual Nuclear Stress Test. For you young'un's, they wire you up to all these machines, inject radioactive dye in your blood, take pictures of your heart in a machine similar to a CT Scan, and above all, they put you on a tread mill and get you to maximum heart rate for a few minutes...in other words they do all they can to make you have heart attack. (Stress) and look for any potential problems. Every Nurse, technician, I encountered today took one look at me and said "This is going to be interesting" When I asked why, they said because I was a "Athletic"!!??? When the Dr. got me on the treadmill, he said the same thing. It took them FOREVER to get my heart rate up to max. Normally you only have to walk briskly on a incline. They had me "Running" up an incline and then barley got me there. The nurse looked at me and said "That's what we mean by interesting" "It's always hard with Athletes"! Dr. said it was remarkable...not so much that I did so well, but because of my past history I still out performed 1/2 of his patients and should not be at that level. Whatever I'm doing, KEEP IT UP! Don't ever stop. He wished all his patients would do as I am. BTW, I had a resting heart rate of 46, and BP of 105 systolic. But from the above report, and the absolutely best news I can ever receive, you may understand my passion and commitment to this LIFE AND DEATH program. I feel so good about myself right now,...I can't wait to get to the gym this afternoon, and turn it up a notch! This band is the best thing I could have possibly ever done to improve, if not save, my life. It's a whole lot more than what size jeans I fit into, etc, although that is a by-product not the goal in itself. BTW, being on these boards for over a year I have learned that just about everyone has a differing opinion on how the band should or should not work. In all due respect....I know what has and is working for me and I'm sticking to it regardless of what other people may think. And I sincerley hope you find what is going to work for you!!

people only get stuck episodes, for the most part, whrn they are still fairly new and still learning to adapt to life with the band. It has been a while since I got stuck. I know what foods to avoid, and can read the warning signs very eary and have learned to stop and not push the issue.

My Dr released me after one week also, but then caught himself and said "go easy on the weight lifting"

I can be social and not eat much. Did it today at a BD party at work. Had a very small amount on my plate, which I picked at and never finished. Yet talked and laughed up a storm with everyone just the same. I did not watch them eat, and I doubt they were watching me.

I want so much to get a Harley as in my younger days....but my wife will either leave me or have me committed for sure. I'm gonna do some surfing this summer, I have 2 boards the kids left behind.

I do cardio everyday...running on the treadmill for 30 minutes. Then I alternate upper and lower body weight training every other day. I finish my workouts with a additional 30 minutes on the elliptical.

Whatever you add covers the tase...or adds to it...fruit, blueberries, strawberries, Peanut Butter....

I am 60 yeatrs old...have met my goal weight after 1 year...feel like I am 25 years younger. My current weight is now the same as it was before I was married...37 years ago. Was thinking the other day..at one point I was seeing the following Dr.s: Some every 30 days, others every 3 months PCP - Internal medicine Endocrinologist Cardiologist Dermatologist Bariatric Surgeon Podiatrist. Not to mention Dentist every 3 months, and optometrist every 12 months. Since loosing all This weight, that list has become less frequent. I don't see my Endocrinologist anymore, and I only see my bariatric Surgeon every 6 months. dermatologist was as frequent as every month, now once a year. All my medical conditions, Rx meds, have been drasticly reduced if not reversed.

Get a good blender...I use 2 scoops of 100% whey, then add a pure liquid Protein supplement,. 10 oz's of Water. After that you can add anything you like for flavoring....frsh berries, 1/2 bananna, fresh fruit, Peanut Butter....anything. I'm going to experiment with a shot of expresso one of these days. I have been doing this for over a year now for breakfast...45 grams of protein, less than 300 calories. It gives me energy and curbs my appetite for the entire day. I spoke with my Dr. about this, and he agrees there is nothing I could possibly eat (eggs, etc) that would come close to this. Not to mention, you pouch is very small and anything you try to eat is very limited in volume. And, I have already mey 1/2 of my daily protein requirment so getting the balance in for the rest of th day is easy...seeing how I don't eat that much food in any one day anymore. So I don't have to worry about over eating either.

Today, I got tired of pick and choosing....EVERYTHING I own that is a XL or bigger got tossed...no mas! I used to be as high as 2XB at one time, but worked my way down one month at a time. Everything left that is a Large, their days are numbered also. Long sleeve shirts have about 2 weeks left before I toss all of them. I have been buying new summer clothes for work and upcoming vacation - MEDIUMS! And they are fitting fine, with the exception of some tighter fitting t-shirts. Down to a 36" waist, 34" with some of my jeans and shorts!! This is a dream come true...but it is NOT about me or what I may or may not have done, I cannot take any credit....God knows I have tried on my own many times in the past with no lasting results at all.... It is ALL about the Band!!! Plain and simple....All you have to do is let the Band do what it is designed to do!

Break in down into phases....you are now in phase #2, adjustment phase. This phase can take months to get through, provided you follow your Dr.'s plan. The first phase being surgery, pre and post op. After the 2nd phase you will enter a 3rd phase where things will change dramatically, and all the lessons you are learning now will truly come into play for real. That is when the real weight loss journey begins, bringing with it new lessons to be learned, and not just dieting as before.

I am "Old School" In other words I like to keep it simple and not over think it. "The less you eat, the more you loose" I hear people say all the time...I'm not loosing..I need another fill. Why? Is it because a tighter band will make you eat less? Of course it does...then why worry about not eating enough at the same time you want another fill to eat less??? Of course, you need your Protein, Vitamins and Water.

I agree 100%...you have to listen to your band if you want to be succssful. When the band says "Stop Eating", you have to stop. It is easy, at that point to just put it aside for 15 minutes then continue continue eating. When you think about it, you could do this all day long...thus deeating one of the basic premises of having the band in the first place...portion control! This is one way to "Cheat the Band" and eat your way around it. Ignoring one of the other aspects of the band which is being "Satisfied" (full), and not hungry between meals, all because you want to continue eating something that you enjoy, not because you need to.

I hear many different views. And what I always ask people is this.... Before you got the band...what did you think it was going to do, how do you think it will work, once you have it installed?? In other words, what are your expectataions?

I am one that does not count calories, or worry about portion sizes. If the band restricts what and how much I can eat at any one sitiing, then it is not rocket science to be able to pick the proper foods to eat. IMO. I asked the staff at my Surgeons office once why did they make me go through all that "Dieting" protocol in the beginning if they knew the band would take control, and they said I would be surprised just how many people do not have even the basic understanding of food groups, nutritional values, and the difference between good and bad food choices. So they have to put everybody through the regime to ensure everyone gets a good education right from the get go, for total success later on. It's all part of the total paackage.

I had my first fill at 4 weeks, also when I was starting solid foods. After that I began to gain weight.....unless you are good at dieting you will gain untill your band can take over which may take a little time. I stink at dieting.....that's why I needed surgery. Oh, and all these rules they want you to follow....you need to start them now to learn new eating habits. Because there will come a time, in the near future, when that will be the only way you will be able to eat.

That is Severe heartburn. I have had it a few times untill I figured out what it was. With the band, given a good amount of restriction, goodwill accumulate in your pouch longer, smaller amounts but more concentrated in a smaller area. There fore things we used to eat with ease, spicy foods, will have a greater impact. No more hot sauce for me, mild salsa, and no more hot peppers! Since then, I no longer have heartburn or reflux issues.

Ok, see where this new group is headed, perhaps pick up some new ideas, methods. Gym rat? I guess I qualify. Which means I go about 5 days a week, and feel guilty on the days I can't make it because of long work day, etc. I'm a early riser, so I like to get to the gym before 6am, and I am by no means the only person there! Aside from weights, I do at least 60 minutes moderate to rigorous on the elliptical. I'd like to move up to running, but I have never liked running, and I was a sprinter on the track team back in H.S. Can't stand the "Pounding" throughout my body. I have noticed if I run at a faster pace, there is a "Lighter" step???? Loose more weight????? I'll figure it out sooner or later. I have a elliptical in my house, but I prefer going to the gym. Why? Because I like to be among other people doing the same thing. Strange as it sounds, doing so "paces" me and I push a little harder. Sort of a subconscious competitiveness I guess.

Went to surgeon yesterday. Aside from complimenting me, he shrugged his shoulders and basically said there is nothing else we need to do. Don't expect much more weight loss,anything more will be a bonus. If anything, he said he would be concerned if I loose anything more significant because that would mean loss of vital tissue and muscle. Body fat % well below 15. So that's it, confirmed by the man himself...definitely on maintence mode now. Only advice given was to continue the high Protein shakes for Breakfast, other meals portions should not be larger than a deck of cards, protein based, Water, Fiber, exercise....see you in September.. 16 months total time.....

I gave up soda years and years ago....but I still enjoy a beer now and then. Must drink very slowly, and NEVER with anything in your stomach. If I'm at a ballgame, I may have more than one, but I will not eat anything for the entire day.