B-52

Don't think of it as exercise.....think of it as actively burning off that disgusting FAT! The more you're moving, the more FAT will burn off and disappeare. And what you do burn off, don't replace it!

Don't even think about the fact I had WLS...just go about my daily routines day to day. During that "Learning" phase with the Lap Band, I have adapted to new ways of eating, along with new foods. Not to mention the foods I have given up such as meat and bread (flour based) products... Some on my own, some because the band won't let me eat them anymore. But it's all good As long as my band functions as it has since my last fill over 5 years ago, hunger and portion sizes limited, I have very little concern about gaining any weight back. There are a lot of things I do that would push many peoples buttons on this forum...so I don't mention them lest the newbies and those still learning get sidetracked Only thing I do think about day to day is Protein, Water, exercising and eating the healthiest foods I can.(when I do eat) I start every day with a wholesome protein smoothie I make in my blender, mixing in fresh fruits, etc.just as I did since surgery. I have many friends who have not had WLS that focus on the same principles I do, so I pick up on things they have learned, and vice-versa. One thing though, most times I have forgotten what it was to be overweight...not sure if that is a good or bad thing.

When was your surgery? Remember you were lying flat on your back on a firm flat surface for quite a while.

Coming up on 6 years...best decision I ever made!! The first few months to a year can be difficult, getting the band adjusted and adjusting oneself to get in sync with what the band is trying to accomplish. Many people get frustrated, perhaps they resist change because changing ones lifestyle is what you have to do...otherwise the band does nothing! Many people, during this phase, back down and will get Fluid taken out to meet THIER comfort....Me, I worked through the unpleasant consequences until I found a whole new comfort zone. And I have been there ever since. As my band got adjusted, I was FORCED to change not only what I ate, but how I ate...I was FORCED to eat smaller portions, and give up certain foods altogether. But once that did happen, the weight just fell off...and continued to do so until my body decided it was where it should be, passing any goals I may have set for myself. Of course, I could have gotten fluid taken out and eat whatever and whenever I wanted. Then call it a "Tool" to use in conjunction with traditional dieting..something I simply cannot do...diet. If you get sick, stuck, and the food comes back up, don't be so quick to blame the band for being too tight...ask yourself first, what did I do to cause this? Was it something I ate? Did I take too big a swallow? Not chew well enough? This is where the lessons are learned. And it can be very difficult. I can walk into a large room full of food choices, at a buffet, or a party, etc....for me now, it's a no brainer. I simply pass over food I know I don't eat anymore. People here will start complaining and worrying about Thanksgiving coming up...what's to worry about? There are foods I can't and do not eat anymore, so they're off my radar. And what I do eat, my portions are small. So overeating is not a worry either. It was, and is, the easiest thing I could have ever done to lose weight. For me, dieting was difficult and impossible always ending in failure. But with the band, as long as I accepted the changes, it all became a way of life. Today I go about my day to day business and don't even think about the band, don't think about dieting or calories...I have been set free from all that. It has all become very normal, a new lifestyle. With the band, I have no hunger, no cravings, and when I do eat my portion sizes are limited. Sure, if I try to eat too much, or eat the wrong foods, it will result in unpleasant consequences...but that was the lessons I've learned, and I cannot be more pleased with myself. So, when one is considering the band, I have to ask...How bad do you want it? How willing are you to turn away from certain foods?? You have to be willing to accept change...in a big way. many people want to hold onto the old habits. I read posts here every day about what people think they can or will eat. It just does not work. I have no fear of ever gaining any weight back, as long as the band is there.

Coffee....can't live without it. The stronger the better. I go out of my way to get the best blends, and I won't say how much I paid for my coffee maker.

I find most TV food advertising DISGUSTING! Look at those pizza commercials...I mean who can eat that stuff? Where is the nutritional Value? They compete with one another and just keep getting thicker and cheesier, even stuffing the crust..YUK! And the Burger commercials are just as bad...perhaps worse. The more gross they make their products, the more they feel they will sell....and maybe they do which is very sad indeed.

I had to read this post because I could not believe the title....I surely hope this a crack at being cynical.

Drop the weight, join a gym, and you'll have your pick of guys... Spandex works good also.

Fat people are masters at "Self Denial" and "rationalization" I can say this from personal experience....I could suppress the truth and reality so far down in my mind it didn't exist. The fact I am only 5'8" and had to buy my clothes from a "Big and Tall" clothing store. The only pants I could buy had to have the elastic waistband. I wouldn't look in the mirror, and it got to the point I would not step on the scale...ever! The examples go on... I currently have friends today, that if I suggest they join the gym I better duck! As far as Rationalization, I have been on more diets anyone can imagine, including medical supervised diets...I failed miserably at everyone...why? I would rationalize... I can have this little piece of cake, a little won't hurt, right? I know I'm on a strict diet, but if I have this one good meal, I can fast tommarow...but then tomorrow I'm rationalizing something else, again. And before you know it, the whole thing goes down the tubes and I'm back to my old self. I smoked 2 pack of cigarettes a day for over 35 years...same thing....can't tell you how many times I quit. I would buy a pack, smoke one cigarette and throw the pack out the car widow...crazy, right? Pretty soon I would realize how stupid (and expensive) that was and would just start smoking full force again. I believe what you are seeing on this forum, are new people who even though they have had surgery, they still have that old mentality that they can do things and rationalize it away, and then be in denial about it. They post these questions hoping someone will tell them it's fine, everything is going to be Ok. But when confronted with the truth....well, I remember when someone would call me out... It can be just as bad as confronting a high functioning alcoholic...can get nasty The fact is, to loose weight or change oneself in any way, you have to be confronted with the truth. Weight loss surgery is not a game...it's not a gimmick, a fad diet....it is major surgery designed to change and alter your life. You're right, I don't know how some get past the psych eval... but they need to be confronted

First off, I'm 64 years old, and had Lap band procedure coming up on 6 years. Prior to that, I was morbidly obese, diabetes, high BP, triglycerides, cholesterol, etc, etc, you name it, all out of control. Was seeing as many as 4 different Dr.'s all on a 4-month schedule. I was so out of shape I would become short of breath and need to rest doing the littlest things like carry groceries into the house. My PCP simply and straight forwardly stated that if I did not do something, specifically lose 50-80 lbs, I will not be around much longer. I should think about my family, etc, when I am gone. I told him, yet again, that I have tried every diet under the sun and was never able to keep it off. All diets started out good, but then I back slid and ultimately complete failure. I went for a stress test, and they found blockages in my arteries, which resulted in angioplasty with stents. It was then they discovered an area of my heart muscle was damaged which was a result of a Myocardial Infarction. They asked me when did I have a heart attack? I said never. They said Oh yes you did, a quite serious one...However it was silent which is very common for diabetics. Back to my PCP...suggested as a "Last Resort", I go for WLS. Which I did. WLS was 100% successful for me, once I got past the initial stages it became the easiest thing I could have ever done. Lost all my excess body fat, became a gym rat. I don't count calories or anything similar to traditional dieting. With the band I am forced to eat less so when I do eat I just make sure it is something as healthy as I can put together. Always focusing on the Protein. I indulge in things that are usually a hot topic here...point is, I'm not a glutton so a little here and then works just fine with me. Fast forward to a few days ago....went in for my scheduled Nuclear Stress test. Other people in the waiting room had O2 with them, were using walkers, etc...I came looking like I just came back from the gym knowing I would be running on their treadmill. Through every phase people would comment how good I looked and I surley worked out. One TECH wanted to know what my workout routine was. On the treadmill, where they take it to a high BPM (stress), they had me running at a good clip...I was also carrying on a normal conversation the whole time. Then they inject the isotobe and take pictures of your cardiac arteries First time I had one of these it didn't take more than a brisk walk, and I was so out of breath I could not speak. My cardiologist called me later and said I passed with flying colors..everything could not look any better...Perfect... This is what WLS did for me...literally saved my life. Turned around my Coronary Artery Disease, not to mention reversing my diabetes and everything else I was plagued with. I'm 64 years old and am the weight I was when I played football and ran track back in HS 45 years ago. I am at an optimal body fat %, (don't care about BMI's) cannot lose anymore because there is nothing left to lose. Wear normal clothes right off the rack, or order online without any worries, never short of breath, and I feel like I'm 30 years younger and can do anything. Last summer I climbed a volcano where the next oldest in the group was 1/2 my age, the rest younger...I led the pack most of the way up. I read posts on this forum all the time about people complaining about this and that, or having fears of failure only a year or less into it... People, PLEASE get over it....stop the whining!!! This thing DOES WORK...don't sweat the small stuff, focus on the big picture..like the rest of your life!!! Ok, off my soapbox. Thank You

It has been absolutely the best thing I could have ever done, if anything, no one told me how easy this would be once I got past the initial adjustment stages (both me and the band) But those in the know cannot possibly predict how each individual would handle it, so their comments had to be the standard for all WLS candidates. I do wish, I knew just how prominent the port would be sticking out under my skin. Once all my excess body fat was lost, and my stomach became flat and hard again, it is very noticeable and I (as a man) am very self-conscious when walking around without a shirt on or wearing a tight shirt...which I want to do to show off my body, but avoid because of that large protruding bump.

After years of failure, I never have to worry about dieting again...I simply live a new lifestyle where food, hunger and cravings are no longer an issue.

I have always been a believer that it all comes down to calories consumed versus calories burned... I have always lost the best weight when I eat less...it's that simple. Eat less, and exercise more! I work out early in the morning, on an empty stomach, in terms of food. I believe my body will look for a source of energy, and if it is not in what I recently ate, it will turn to what I have stored away as fat. And you know what? It worked! I can give first-hand experience along with 110% success. But now that all my excess fat is gone, I do have to consume some Protein before a work out so as not to lose/damage muscle and other vital things. Eat more to lose more? If that were true there would not be any over weight people. I have found over the years reading posts on this forum, that the so-called "Starvation" mode has been way over exaggerated. I have often wondered if people did not use this as another excuse to eat more. I know from experience as an ex-obese person I have always looked for ways to rationalize my behaviour. And because of it, it eventually led to my failure to succeed at any diets.

Tell us what you really think.... I was part of a conversation once and I was actually told by this person that her Dr. was always criticizing her about losing weight. She stated: " I wish I can find a Dr. that works only with fat people" My Dr. is such a pain. Yes, there seems to be many unlearned people on this forum...but they are the ones who need to see others example

Jog, Jog and Jog...works the whole body

This is exactly right. I was (and am) proud of my weight loss and my "normal" BMI---until I had my body fat % tested. Even though I'm pretty physically fit, do a nice mixture of cardio AND resistance/strength training, my body fat % is 31. Kind of blew me away. To be fair, I started at a 50%. Now my primary wants me to lose 5 pounds BUT work on building more muscle at the same time. It never ends :/ Take your current weight, what is 31% of that....??? That is all fat !!! However the average for women is 24-31% Your Dr. wants you to lose 5lbs? That will get you to the lower part of average. Not bad....keep up the Protein and exercise, and you will burn off the fat.

Weight and pounds has nothing to do with it...BMI's are a gauge only and not very accurate. Only healthy way to know is by Body Fat %.... BMI can say you are overweight, but if your body fat % is low to normal, then you are good...very good.And to loose any more weight would be very harmful. On the flipside, you may think your weight is what it should be, and the BMI charts agree. But if your body fat % is high, then you are still unhealthy and at great risk for all sorts of problems. You still need to burn off some of that fat. Body fat is the killer...not weight.

My last fill was about 5 years ago.... Prior to surgery, I was fat/obese because I had a lifestyle of eating way too much of all the wrong foods....could not control it no matter what diet I tried, and I tried and failed at them all. So, as a last resort, I had surgery. Then I had three fils - adjustments to get the band working properly for me. Then my eating, portion sizes, and hunger-cravings were brought under control. All I needed to do was choose which foods I was going to eat since I was limited in how much I would be eating on a daily basis. Long story short, I went to a new lifestyle of eating less with healthy foods, as opposed to eating like a pig with all the wrong foods. One lifestyle brought me to obesity, and the new lifestyle brought me back to normalcy. And that is where I will remain for the rest of my life. I don't count calories, just eat good foods. It's second nature, common sense what is good and not good. I have not gained, nor lost any weight in about 5 years now, and I don't expect to. I did not have any weight loss goals, my body adjusted and naturally came back to a point where it should be. I exercise regularly as any person should. WLS or not. I do not believe there is a "Maintenance" for lap band people unlike those who follow diet plans.

I never really set specific goals in the classic sense....my goals build upon themselves, they progress. For instance, if I go to the gym today and do 30 minutes at resistance 15 on the elliptical, then tomorrow there is no excuse why I can't do it again...I did it yesterday, I can do it again. When I first started I would not go past a setting of 3, and 20 minutes would kill me. You can call that a goal I suppose...a week or two at a setting of 15, I find myself increasing that to say 16...now there is no reason I can't do a setting of 16, I did it yesterday, and the day before that, I can do it today...and every day...before you know it I am raising the bar again, until I find the elliptical boring and I move to the treadmill and the process starts all over again with walking......eventually, over time, building on goals set the day before, I find myself running...it wasn't a goal I set out to do, it just eventually happened because over time it built upon itself.... Then you feel good, awarded that you've accomplished something...and you can't help but want to go back for more of that rewarded feeling....THAT's MOTIVATION....you become addicted. I don't know if that makes sense....but as people say, start small and build. And that is what I am doing. And I always tell myself I am there not to win competitions, but to BURN FAT. FAT KILLS!!!! "use it or lose it" and "Never go backwards" You got to get out there and "Just Do It!" Start somewhere, anywhere, and don't go back. The summer has been tough on me....too many family cook outs, ball games and lazy days at the beach...all with too much beer. But I did not gain any weight. Just out of shape. I'm back on the elliptical, but it will build and eventually back on the treadmill, and then back to running.

My Dr. has large posters in his exam room, and every visit he would ask me to point to where I felt I was on the chart. He made doubt that his goal was to get me to the Green Zone Green Zone : 1) Not Hungry....simple. Does not say between meals, or sometimes not hungry, but "Not Hungry" 2) Good weight Loss....are you losing??? 3) Portion Control.....in my experience, this means the band restricts how much I can eat at any one sitting. Find it impossible to over eat. 4) Patient satisfaction....if your hunger is diminished, portions are kept to a minimum, and you are losing weight, how can you not be satisfied??? And I read here everyday people who are NOT satisfied. I have happily been in the Green Zone for 5 years now...lost all my weight and excess body fat a year into it, and have been there ever since.

Wow, another thread missed....but then it is threads like those I avoid...being a Vet, I avoid certain threads, just by their titles...over the years it's been the same old same old... I don't believe it's my place to give advice to anyone....it's a free world, do what you want to do and I will do the same. All I can ever do is share my experiences, what I do or have done, and still be 110% successful. But if it is good for anyone else is any body's guess. Do I expect people to do what I tell them to do? Of course not! And I have done a lot of things with this WLS that are probably (definitely) against the mainstream way of thinking. (for the newbies I won't mention them) As far as bacon....I gave up all meat 4 months from surgery, as a direct result of surgery. I have never felt better for doing so, and have won the praises from all my Dr.'s.... Should I advise others here to do the same? Is it the only path to success? NO! Of course not. I can only share what I have done. On the flipside, I had black coffee 12 hrs after surgery...should I tell people it's ok to do so?? Again, of course not! Alchohol, popcorn, bacon, straws, carbonated drinks, cakes, Cookies, midnight Snacks, etc, etc...the list goes on and on...it was here 6 years ago, and it will be here 6 years from now.... Do my feelings get hurt? No...Do I get tired and loathe such posts...Yes. BTW, there was a forum just for "Vet's"...didn't work out well IMO, even Vet's can't agree on everything...it's a free world. You know what they say about opinions...eveybody's got one. I've said it before...people here come and go all the time, everyday.....people who were here when I joined, are all long gone... I stick around for the entertainment mostly.

I am a veteran and very reluctant to post because the majority of people here are newbies, and what they may hear me say can sometimes be things they should NOT be hearing. You have to learn to stand, then take baby steps, before you can run. Life at 6 years out is entirely different than those first year or two, just starting out, developing that new lifestyle, and learning how to "Listen" to my band. With the exception of 2-3 people perhaps, everyone (and there many) who were here when I first came, are now all gone...I still remember some of their screen names, and many of them were people I paid close attention to. In my opinion, there is not much here for veterans and it can be tough.

One thing that has always inspired me to lift weights regularly is not so much body building, although being trim and fit is nice.... I am obsessed with body fat %...dieting and exercising are good, and can lead to fat loss....but what about that visceral fat...the fat marbled within your muscle? Weight lifting, working your muscles helps to take care of that.

If you're truly stuck, then anything more you drink or eat has no where to go....I would go to the bathroom and start sipping water.....not very pleasant but it but it works instantly for me. Even gone back and continued eating......

Coming up on 6 years since surgery, consider myself 110% successful (living the new life) and if I were to give a report as to what I eat, (and drink) and how much on a daily basis, I'm sure I would be BANNED from this forum.... Let's keep it all warm and fuzzy....