B-52

Perfectly normal...22 days post-op what did you expect to happen?? Your band is doing NOTHING right now but making itself feel at home. As far as will power...that's about all you can do. I never had any...that's why I needed the surgery in the first place. If I had will power I would have been successful at dieting and never been fat!

Perfectly normal...I get days all the time where I don't feel like eating anything. There are days, if I am occupied doing something else I completely forget about eating completely. Does not mean I won't snack on something like chips or whatever. I feel sorry for my non banded wife. One day we took a train into the city to see a Broadway Play. Had my shake early am, then we caught the train at 10:30am. Got into the city then walked to the play which started at 1pm. After the play, we walked around a bit before heading back to the train station. Said we would stop to eat but everything was crowded and it did not seem that important to me. At that point I said screw it, why bother eating at all at this point? It was my poor wife who finally said, at 9pm, that she needed to stop and eat or she would pass out. food is way down on my list of things that are important to me. I have to remind and force myself to eat most days not because I'm hungry or even interested, but because I know I need to.

Why no fruit??? I add fresh mixed berries every morning, sometimes a banana, etc. Have always done that.

I have not been able to eat anything first thing in the morning without difficulty. So for over a year now I have been having a high protein smoothie. Sometimes that does not go down easily. I know many other people who are that way also. I told my Dr about it early on and he did not seem to concerned or surprised.

Food is not my friend.

You'll be fine. A little pan from drinking too fast. If you drank too much too fast it would come right back up. First lesson......everything you swallow has to be slow and easy.

All depends upon where you are at in this journey. Have you had only one fill?? When were you banded???

It is a dilemma....friends have been telling me for some time now I can stop loosing...I look fine. My Dr.s don't say that at all. As a matter of fact they ask me if I think I can loose more or not. But this goes back to when I did not have the surgery at all, and we would talk about what my goal weight should be. No one had a good answer, and we would discuss certain things like how much did you weigh when you graduated HS, or when you got out of the service, etc, etc. No one knew for sure, because peoples body makeups are different. It's more than height and weight. BMI's at a point, mean absolutely nothing! Sure their OK when your way up there, but when you start getting within a few lbs here and there...it is more about your body composition than anything, as in "Muscle Mass" Last Years Super Bowl there was a running back for NE that is the same height as me, but actually weighs 10 lbs more!!!! I would not call him fat or overweight, and his BMI is higher than mine. I'm not saying I'm a NFL Athlete, just that there is something to be said optimal weight goals.

Ok, just to share this for some general info. Right now it is 5am, working on my 2nd cup of coffee. Will head to the gym in a hr, for a good 3 hr workout. I asked my self if I am hungry, and the answer is No, not in the least! Then I realized, the last thing I had to eat was 1-2 shrimp, 14 hours ago. This happens to me frequently. The Band completely takes care of my hunger and cravings so much, I have to remind myself most times that I NEED to eat. This is not new. This is how it has been for me since finding that "Groove" almost a year ago. If I'm busy doing something else, food is the last thing on my mind. Which does not bother me in the least. I should add, I never count calories, and never measure food portions. I'm in a place where the band controls that for me. Also, people are going to start to chime in about metabolisms, getting your minimal calories, starvation modes, etc, etc. I am not saying those things are not correct. I am just saying I have never worried about them. And to add to that...I'm 60 years old, work out at the gym 5-6 days a week, generally at 5:30am, and for 2-1/2 hours. THEN I go to work for 8-10 hours a day. I have NEVER had a problem with lack of energy, or metabolism problems, etc. I have more energy now than I ever had in the past 20 years! And not so much as a sniffle! The band is definitely the best decision I could have made....after years of dieting, fighting various illnesses, it is the EASIEST thing I could have done. I do not have to do anything! Except learn to "Listen" to my band, make wise food choices, and be sure I get all my Water and Protein. I would not call that a diet!!! I would not call that struggling. And for me...I do not call that a "Tool" (I take exception to that term) I have been at my goal for a few months now. I told myself if I never loose another pound, I would be completely happy and satisfied where I am at. The other day I got on the scale and saw a number that I have not seen on over 37 years! And today that number is there again telling me it was not a fluke. The only thing that changed in my routines, is that I mixed up my workout routine a little at the gym. That's all it took for 5 more lbs to drop off.

Treadmill Trainer...I'll look into it. But right now I'm set on completing the Couch to 5K. My goal is to be able to get out and run a few miles wherever I'm at, and whenever I want. At home, on vacation, etc. Thanks!

I'm 60 years old....I have been on more diets than I can count or remember over the past 35 years, and everyone of them failed. I just don't have the self dicipline and will power. The band does all that for me mow. I don't need to count calories, measure serving sizes, etc, anymore. The band controls what, when, and how much I eat for me. I do not have food cravings...let alone any real interest in food at all for that matter. All I need to do is "Listen" to the signals the band are sending me, and make the wise food choices, concentrate on Protein so I do not look a holocaust survivor, and drink my Water. VERY EASY!!!!! And IT"S NOT A DIET!!!!!!

Normal for me...has been that way for a year now. I have my coffee, then I make a home made high Protein smoothie with about 45gm of protein. Gives me more nutrients and energy throughout the day than anything I would be able to eat in small quantities.

Welcome....you have a interesting screen name. I have learned to watch out fr the hot, spices foods. Was giving me terrible reflux, heartburn that would go through to my shoulder blades. Since we eat so little, he spicy food is more intense.

All depends on how tight your band is, how much restriction you have. That's what makes everyone different. I have a hard time getting my shake down in the morning, and forget any food first thing in the AM.

Think of a funnel. The large top portion is your pouch. It slopes down to that small narrow passage which would be your band. How small that passage is depends upon how tight your band is. The concept is that food, Water, whatever has to pass through that small passage very slowly. Eat too fast and you get overfilled. Now thinking about the funnel, you can pour water through it slowly, as fast as it can pass through. Dump the whole container in, or put too much in there too fast.....Where do you think it's going to go??? That's why you cannot drink while eating. There is just so much room there, and you need to get the food in. Adding water will only add to the volume and over fill it too sudden. Trust me...been there, done that. Know all this from first hand experience. But it all depends upon how tight your band is. Someone else mentioned hot-spicy food, which I love. But I had to give that up because, food will accumulate in your pouch and pass through the band slowly. It is one thing to have hot-spicy food go directly into your stomach, washed down with water, but it is entirely a different thing to have hot-spicy food sit there in a small confined are like your pouch. I wa getting severe acid reflux - heartburn, had to tone it down the spicy stuff. I drink right up ti the time I begin to eat. As far as how soon after, I have learned to listen to my band and can tell when it is safe. Depends upon what I have just eaten most of the time.

The fact that you can gulp water at all.............that will change in time if you continue on this journey.

With no sarcasm intended, I have no idea because I quit counting calories about a year ago. Personally, for me, I have no good reason to. May be essential for others, but I am maintaining, if not still loosing slowly.

I have no problem with the B4, but during and after....given some decent restriction, you will be cured of your hesitation the first time it immediately comes right back up on your plate!

I do not have a ulcer, been checked and I'm good. However, I was getting that type of pain. Found out taking ant-acid's for heartburn cleared up the pain. Spoke with my Dr. about this and we both agreed, that since my band is so tight and I eat very little, I have to avoid the hot-spicy foods, which I have been and have not had any problems since. Yes, I would put hot sauce on everything. Used to be Ok, but not now with the band.

10cc in how large a band?? It is possible your pouch stretched a little, happens all the time from overuse, eating. When I begin to feel that I'm eating more than usual, I go on liquids for about 2 days to give it a rest. People call this the 5 Day Pouch Test. You can google it.

My first fill I felt nothing....2nd fill I had restriction, but it would come and go. 3rd fill was the charm for me. Now, if you are at a place where feeling good restriction is the norm, 24/7, in the Green Zone, your band can get loose from time to time. Not a accurate term, but people understand it. I get into periods where my band gets loose. I know it because suddenly I can eat more that normal, over a few days. When that happens, there are self techniques you can do to get it tight again. But I don't know where you are at with your fills.

Statistics......take the best number (those successful) and take the worst number (those who are failures) and come up with a average number in between. Means nothing!!!!! It is still up to you what you want!

I get the stomach noises right after I eat anything, or drink for that matter. Normally this is something we don't hear that much, but with our digestive systems empty the majority of the time, anything we introduce gets gobbled up. But, to the OP, "Gurgling" sounds in the throat after drinking something....like Water circling the drain. Actually I think it's pretty cool. In the wee hours of the morning when all is quiet and I'm having that first cup of coffee, if I leave my mouth open the sound carries across the room.

Depends upon the person...some are very good at dieting. I am not. That's why I needed the surgery to loose weight.

My Dr. Turned me loose after one week to do anything I wanted, but take it easy on lifting. I am in week three of couch to 5K. If it has been a while since you have done any running, invest in the best shoes you can afford. Go to a running store where people who know can fit you for the proper shoes. I'm not so much concerned about entering 5K's as much as I am wanting to get out and run a few miles every day whenever, and where ever I'm at. Home, vacation, where ever.