B-52

Agreed. It won't stretch the pouch because as a liquid it will pass right through. (unless you're eating at the same time, in which case you will have other problems) It has more to do with the buildup of gas below the band. I gave up things like Coke a long time ago. But since being banded I still drink beer. Not a lot in a short period of time, and NEVER with food in my stomach. I just got rid of my beer belly.

Very funny I should find this post. My daughter is getting married this next October also. (costing ME a small fortune. I could buy a new BMW) But now everyone is talking about how they are going to start their diets! I am very pleased that I am just a few lbs. from my goal and don't have to worry about loosing weight anymore! Everything is moving along quite naturally. As a matter of fact, I can't wait to get in all those pictures and videos wearing that tux!

Welcome, and congratulations! Looking at your picture, and being from NJ, I know EXACTLY where you were standing when that was taken.

A short time ago I made the decision not to pay much attention to these boards until I reach my goal because, IMO, they are overwhelmingly negative. But from time to time I read a post that I just have to give another perspective to. The hardest thing I had to do yesterday, concerning my band and weight loss surgery, was to make the decision "Chicken or Fish" for dinner, or just pick something up on the way home. There, I said my piece. I'm going back into hibernation until I loose these remaining 10 lbs.!

True, But there will always be more than one side to a story and people need to know that for everyone who finds this as being "Hard Work", there is someone, like me, WHO DO find it as a "MIRACLE WEIGHT LOSS" procedure. I have a band wrapped around my stomach, tight enough, that I can not overeat no matter how hard I may try. Automatic portion control. I never measure or weigh food, or count calories. Not anymore. Also, having this thing, it sends messages to my brain 24/7 telling me that I am "NOT HUNGRY". I simply have no interest in food most times. BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION. Yesterday I was having clinics all day at a Children's Hospital where I was able to have lunch in a cafeteria. The only thing I had to eat all day was my Protein shake for Breakfast. I looked at all the food they were serving, and although it all looked and smelled great, I was not interested. So I got a small cup of Soup and went back to clinic. And I did not finish that! And I was not bothered or hungry! To me, nothing can be easier! I can go days and not even think about the fact I was banded. I am not preoccupied with thoughts of food or when will I be able to eat next. I can look at food and make correct choices without a 2nd thought. Having surgery 10 months ago is all but a memory. I might as well have had my appendix removed and now I am all healed, and life goes on. I see my surgeon once every 3 months. I see my dentist every 3 months also for a cleaning. Very Routine! All I am saying, that when people read stories about those struggling and finding this as "Hard Work", there are those, like me, who find it quite the opposite. But it does take a few months, at least, to get there! I LOVE MY BAND! Best decision I have ever made! Probably saved my life!

Sorry to hear it has been so rough for you. Speaking only for myself,, I find this is the easiest thing! I really don't give it much thought throughout the day. Things have become 2nd nature to me. All this of course, after going through the first few months of what I call, "Basic Training"

Do you have a name - brand I can look up?

I am coming up on my one year anniversary for being banded, and have 15lbs to go to reach me personal goal of 175lbs. 175lbs! I have not been at that weight for over 35 years!!! It is so close I could taste it! I have not one single complaint concerning my surgery. EVERYTHING has gone as planned and I feel I am on a POSITIVE track. I am 110% positive about this, and I will not let anything distract or deter me! That is why I have made the decision NOT to log into this website anymore. At least till after I each my goal. Everyday there is more and more "Woe is me" and "I'm Miserable", "I think I made a mistake" And to make matters worse, is that those who have been banded a while log in and agree with them! Ever hear the term "Self Fulfilled Prophecy?" I wish this was a place were everyone can rejoice about their success, but it is not. It is a place where people complain about Plateauing 2 weeks after surgery, etc. Sorry, but I'm going to stay positive and focused. I've noticed that the "Veterans" who used to be here when I first joined are now gone, or don't log in anymore. I think I now know why. There's no reason to. Good luck to all those seeking a life change! See you in the future!!

So, according to last 2 posts, all this "Surgery" and other stuff is a waste of time?? And after 1-2 years it is as though you have never been banded? No appetite suppression? No band restriction with portion control? No lessons, lifestyle changes learned? Sounds like diets I have been on before, where I loose weight only to have it come roaring back! I want to be a loser, but not that kind! Why waste my time! I should start thinking about having this thing removed and go back to a life of diabetes, coronary artery disease, $$ per month for Rx drugs, XXX clothes. I was getting ready to head to the gym this am, but after reading this good news, why bother? Me and thousands of other people have been duped! My wife and I, after I loose an additional 15-20lbs, were researching surgery to have these "Love Handles" removed. But now I am loosing all my motivation knowing I will be a failure in 2 years. There's a lot of people on the "Reached your personal goal???" thread in for a rude awakening! I'm really bummed!!

For better or for worse......For me, there are foods that I know I will NEVER be able to eat again, some were my favorites. But getting banded is a life style change so you learn new things/habits and the old ones fade away.

Most of the time, I go to the gym at 6 am. So I have my breakfast before I go so I have some energy. For breakfast I have a protein shake, a protein supplement, vitamins. Coffee Is the first thing I have when I wake up. When I workout in the afternoon, I don't eat anything prior other than my regular breakfast lunch regime. I have my dinner after my afternoon workout. I go to a gym that has a sauna, steam room and whirlpool. I consume 28-32 oz's of water after every workout while sitting in these for about 45 minutes. Mixed with that is "Special K" ice tea mix that has 5 gm protein and 0 calories.

I love these type of posts! Looking at your history, it appears you and I are on the same track, from starting weight to the reversed diabetes, to the weight loss. Congratulations! It is plenty to keep you motivated. I have said many times that it just keeps getting better and better!!! I remember the feeling that I could never be below 200, and that in itself would be a dream! NOW it is but a distant memory and I am starting to consistently weigh in below 190. To all the Newbies out there.....PATIENCE!! Don't get hung up over how much weight you may or may not be loosing 2 weeks after surgery! YOU AIN'T SEEN NOTHIN YET!

My Dr. cleared me after one week to go back to the gym, and also allowed to soak in whirlpools, etc. He said I could do anything. No restrictions. Anything? I asked? Anything! He then caught himself and said "But don't overdo it" for a few more weeks. All I can say is, if I lay prone (stomach down) or press against any hard surfaces, (such as lifting weights on a machine) it presses against my port and can hurt! My port is right below my skin and looks like 1/2 golf ball bulging out. There's no fat there. Skin, port and muscle underneath so it can press hard. Sliding on a gym floor may hurt. But you will have to try it for yourself. I can see myself doing it, but I would probably wrap my mid-section with one of those neoprene belly binders or similar for protection. Just because I'm banded, I will not let it get in the way of anything I want to do. I am a active, adventurous person, and my Dr. knows it and he has never told me to avoid things.

Been there also. You have to go through the motions and try to do the best you can. I remember going to my Dr. For my monthly check and I had gained weight since last visit. I felt very guilty going in bu he just chuckled saying "that's why you're here, so we can make the needed adjustments and eventually get you were you need to be." When you get to that place, you won't believe how it will be. Many people panick because they can't eat the way they are used to and go for a un-fill. I rather eat less, and eat differently.

Make sure, after taking a break, that the pre-tests you have already taken don't expire and you have to repeat them. I had to repeat one at the last minute (2 days before surgery) and one other, we found a loophole we could use even though the primary test had time expired.

Lots of good questions. First, people call the band a "Tool". I personally do not understand this concept because a tool is something that makes work easier. Being banded has not been work for me. Well, maybe yes in the early stages. To me, the band was "surgical intervention" that, were diets have failed me in the past, this is a foreign object wrapped around my stomach and adjusted (tightened) that prevents me from doing something that I tend to do. And that is overeating. Period. Simple. The 2nd thing the band does for me, is it stimulates certain nerves signaling the brain that I am not hungry. Notice I did not say "Full". There is a difference between the 2. Example: Yesterday was thanksgiving. I sat at the table and ate till I felt full. Which was very early, eating very little because of the band and the pouch. Today, as I am typing this, I have not had a single thing to eat yet today (other than coffee and some water) and I am not hungry. I even went to the gym this am, so I should be hungry enough to eat a very large Breakfast. But I don't feel like eating. That's the band talking to my brain! Also keep in mind it took me 4 months past surgery to start to get these results. It was not instant. So yes, as you say, diets have failed before. They failed because WE have to do the work with discipline. That is why I needed to have my stomach banded! Because I could not do it. Also, keep in mind as you read all the posts on this board. As with any "Bell Curve" you will have people on both ends. Those who have had the surgery and never need a adjustment (fill) and loose weight just fine, and at the other end there are those where everything went wrong for whatever reason. But then there is the large bulge (bell) in the middle where the majority are.

For dinner I filled up my plate with a sample of everything I wanted, covered it with gravy. Ate NO TURKEY, have chicken 4 days a week so I wanted the other things. Did not measure or weigh anything. Plate looked mighty full. Started with the mashed potatoes and stuffing. Let the band do it's job, ate a very small portion, left much of it on the plate. Had 1 beer, and 3-4 glasses of wine. Also had a coffee with apple pie dessert. Only the filling, crust is on my "Do not eat or else!" list. Got up and went to the gym at 6am this morning, weighed myself and lost 1.5 Lbs!

Yesterday, Thanksgiving, I had one beer and 2-3 glasses of wine.

Exercise is beneficial for many reasons, but to be more specific to your topic: It all depends upon how much weight you need to loose. There are people who have a lot of weight to loose and they will loose more then the next person whether they exercise more or less. Then there are those whose fat that they want to loose is not so conspicuous from the outside. The fat is more within the muscles rather than an outer layer.. Think of a poor cut of steak that is heavily marbled with fat. Only strenuous exercise will get at that fat, even if it means building muscle. I have 15 lbs to go to my goal, and I know I am one of those people. My skin is tight over my belly, legs and arms. You can see the muscles and veins when I lift weights. So where is the remaining weight (fat) I have to loose? Marbled within the muscle layers I'm sure.

This is the "Learning Curve". You have to learn new eating habits. For me it was the hard way, getting stuck many times before I started to finally get it. Now I can glance at food and know what is safe and what is off limits. Also, there are foods that are off limits to me, but I read here from many other people who eat the same foods with no problem. You just have to learn foir yourself as you get more restriction in the band and head towards the green zone.

The time between the Pre-op diet and the time to reach the green zone, I like to refer to it as "Bandster Boot Camp" During this time you go through all the different food stages, learn about portion sizes, calorie values, Protein, Water, proper eating and chewing techniques, etc, etc, etc. New habits are learned, mostly from discipline because not many have much restriction. I have also found from my own personal experience, that if I stop eating for a couple - three days, my band tightens up. (liquids only) So i would suggest, IMO only, that you may want to go back to day one of "Basic Training" and repeat the process to try to re-learn what all newbies do.

My Dr. did not require me to be on a all liquid diet. What he did insist on was I loose 20 lbs prior to surgery to shrink the liver, making surgery easier and reducing the risk of damaging the liver. Having said that, the best sure fire way to loose 20 lbs was to go on a liquid shake diet, like opti-fast. And that is what I did. But I did have regular food now and then keeping a eye on the scale. My surgery was a Monday morning. I had to have a "Final Weigh-in" the Friday before to insure we were all ready. If he felt I did not loose the adequate weight, then he would have postponed surgery that day. I passed, all was set, THEN I went out for my "FINAL MEAL" I pigged out at one of my favorite eateries because I knew I will never be able to do that ever again. That was a Friday eve., and I went on a strict diet(fast) Saturday and Sunday for my Monday surgery. Knowing that I could risk not having the surgery, after all the hoops I had jumped through, was motivation enough to loose any weight he asked.

You are still very much post-op recovery. No different than anybody else having any type surgery. Do the best you can, it will get better every day. I started climbing the walls after day 3 from cabin fever and had to get out and run some errands. Stopped by my office on day 5, (payday) and hung out for a few hours. Day 7 was my one week post-op follow up visit with the surgeon, then returned to work full time. This to shall pass.

Gee.....and I was happy just being overweight (as opposed to being morbidly obese then obese) Congrats! I hope to be there soon.

The more you have to loose, the more that will come off per week. I am close to my personal goal and it is hard to squeeze out a 1/2 lb a week. But as long as I am moving in the right direction that is all that matters. Also, there becomes a issue as t what is muscle weight and what is fat. People are built differently, especially active sports orientated men. I need to get on the scale that measures fat% as well as Water, etc. my 6 month program had one and it was a different way of looking at things.