B-52

Interesting forum.....have to see where it goes before I find an opening to jump in

I grew up (and survived) the 60s and experienced EVERYTHING it had to offer, and I mean EVERYTHING!....in 1970 I went into the military and did 2 tours of Vietnam...when I got out i went to college and got my degree... I have been to just about everywhere in the USA, (and around the world)...lived in a few different areas including California, Oklahoma and others...I quess that's why people say I don't talk like I'm from NJ.... I quess what I'm saying, there is not much I have not seen, or experienced. have/had known many good friends and families from every different race, culture ethnicity, etc... I've been rich as many times as I have been poor...Spent nights in 5 star hotels, and on the floor of home made cabins in Colorado or the cliffs in Baha..... I am now in the medical field, and without to much detail I see new patients and their families 3-4 days a week...people say, and comment on how I can immediately make people feel at ease, and get their trust as though we grew up together...people are simply looking for someone to help them, not BS them.... Life has taught me a lot of things....most of all, LOVE! Life can be very miserable if you don't have some love and genuine interest for everyone and everything around you. And learn to laugh!!!! If people don't accept you, then F*** em if they can't take a joke!

You build upon your success...."If I did it yesterday, there's no reason I can't do it today" and it builds from there.... Eventually you're telling yourself...."I can do this....I've done it not only yesterday, but dozens of times in the past" Also, when I did this program, I did not do it to say I did...like a contest. I did it to actually train and be in shape to run 5 K's So, the program I used had 3 sessions per week...(although I did more than 3)...and if I did not finish a session to my satisfaction, I not only repeated that session, but I would go back and start over from the first session of the week... Again, I wanted to be sure I got it right. I moved on to the C to 10K after that....I now run 5 miles a day, 5 times a week....hey I did it before, I can do it again...and again, and again....

So tell me guys, or I should say Gals....am I allowed to eat pizza??? It's been at least a week since my surgery... You have to admit though, if it wasn't so sad, it can be very entertaining and funny.... But like someone else said...there are areas I avoid...and as much as I hate to say it, it is the posts where people who just had surgery lurk....if I said anything they would just not get it, or accuse me of being insensitive.

My Opinion??? You worked hard at getting in shape and staying fit...for what? To enjoy times just like this. So yes, enjoy your vacation.... I have gone through the same, and because I was in good shape, I enjoyed my self and all the activities more than I could have done before....I worked for it, I deserve it.... We are planning our vacation for next summer...and I have already booked an excursion to "climb", not hike, but climb a dormant volcano through a tropic rain forest till you hit the plateau.....all the literature and talk on the message boards say do not even consider it if you think in the slightest you're not up to it, and not in top shape. It is because I go to the gym, run 5 miles, and of course lost all this weight that I can go on vacations and do things like this...not worry where the nearest gym facility is..... So go enjoy yourself and the fitness you worked for....the gym will be there when you get back.

Well, people react and us the band differently..... I WAS a binge eater....I would eat everything and anything....I could, and did, eat an entire large pizzas with toppings every friday night. My family always got mad at me because if someone bought something like a bag of chips, a cake, or ice cream...whatever...it was not safe and eventually I would polish it off...so they would hide food from me. Nowadays, with the band and the amount of restriction I have...it is impossible for me to over eat without paying some undesirable consequences....I'm talking severe pain, probably from stretching the pouch or worse yet the esophagus, and it would all come back up....I HAD to learn to eat little and slowly...with no drinking during or after. Eventually, I learned, formed new habits, and got over the old bad habits....all because the band FORCED me to do...call it behavior modification.... If your burn your hand every time you touch the fire, eventually you learn not to touch the fire... I read here everyday where people have unpleasant experiences like getting stuck, sliming, regurgitating...they say here they are too tight and need to get Fluid taken out...REALLY? maybe it has something to do with the foods you're eating? Or how fast, or how large swallows you're eating? Then the band gets irritated only making matters worse...then NOTHING will go down. Nobody knows anybody on this internet forum...we are not each others Dr.'s where we look into your chart, have say and talked many times... I say that because when people say they are having problems, are they having problems because they can't each 3 Big macs anymore??? or perhaps, even a full day after eating that Big mac you can't keep Water down? Or are their problems something very serious...nobody knows each other that well here.... I do know I read posts from time to time, and I read discussions about pizza, Pancakes/waffles, etc, etc...does not matter if they're made with low carbs or high Protein...it's still Pizza and how is that working with your band??? So they go in and get fluid taken out....now they eat what they want when they want....perfect! My last fill I had problems keeping anything down...finally called my Dr. for an un fill...he refused, told me to stick it out and follow a certain regime with food for the next week or so....he could say that because he is my Dr and he knows ME, knows my behavior when it comes to eating...... And I'm glad he did....that was 4 years ago and it has been good ever since...then band did not get better, but I changed, in this case binge eating, (and much more) to get in harmony with the band. Long story short...I am now at a place where it is impossible for me to over eat....and quite frankly, I'm also at a place where food really does not interest me, have little or no hunger, when it comes to food I can take it or leave it. I can walk into buffets, attend parties, family dinners...does not matter. Te band is not going to let me....so I don't even try anymore....THAT's LIFESTYLE CHANGE!!! new habits, new me! There are foods I will never eat again...gave them up because it was just too difficult with the band.... I cannot gulp water.... When they say the band will change your life, it's not just about loosing weight....it's much more than that. But like I said at the beginning, people react differently, and have different ways to approach and live with the band...you can see that just by reading the posts on this forum.... As far as I'm concerned, if they have found success with the methods they adhere to...then more power to them. You can't argue with experience and success....and they need to share how they did it. But I have to say, for me, in my experience and success, the BAND FORCED ME to make changes... I do not like the phrase "It's a Tool"....a tool is something I use, or choose not to use....the band on the other hand USES ME...I am not in control of the band, it's the other way around. Sorry for ranting on, I'm having my morning coffee(s) and I tend to get carried away this early in the morning...tonight I will ask myself "Oh man, did I really say all that?"

When I read the title of this post...I misinterpreted it...but I'll say it anyway.... I also stopped taking my Diabetic meds, including daily injections, all together!!! And YOU WILL TOO!!! There will come a day when you will say bye-bye !!

"Sometimes, if you haven't lost, they threaten not to give you a fill. I am going to lose between now and appointment. I hope I can get back on track." That's Bass Ackwards!! We get fills to loose weight, not the other way around...why else did we need this surgery? I also never understood the concept of going on a 6 month diet ti show you can d\"Do It" before you can have the surgery... If I can do it, then I would not need the surgery.....(I FAILED at my 6 month diet, just like every other diet I ever tried) Can I do this??? For me the answer is NO! I CAN'T! Therefore I need surgery...the Lap band can, and has! My Dr. used to refer to the "Yellow-Green-Red" Poster hanging on the exam wall....and depending upon where I was at, in terms of hunger, portion sizes, etc.....he would determine if I needed a fill....I also got weighed in, and the difference was noted from the last visit. He made it very clear that the Green Zone was our goal in all this, and that was what we were doing with these post-op monthly visits.... He got me there in 4 months with three good fills! As far as eating, everyone is different...sounds like a cliche but you find how diverse people actually are when it come to the band. I eat whatever I want, whenever I want.....difference is, where I used to eat enough for an entire family of 5, I now eat so little is seems it would be unhealthy, but it's not....4-1/2 years and never been better! As far as carbs, I don't pay attention to them in the classic dieter's sense, but there are foods that gives me trouble and I have chosen to stay away from them....just so happens the majority of them are carbs such as breads, Pasta, rice to name a few off the top of my head. Last summer I asked my Dr to take out 1/2cc....wanted to see what would happen....my Dr felt if is isn't broke, then don't fix it....and sure enough, 1/2cc less, my hunger and eating started to increase, along with my weight...went back 4 weeks later and got that 1/2cc put back in..... so you see, I needed fills (band adjustments) in order to get my eating under control and loose the weight....not the other way around.

I see the majority of people posting on this topic are "Gastric Sleeve" people. Gee, I need to start visiting that group....The Lap Band section gets a little boring compared to this..... Wait, I think I just insulted two groups? Seriously, it's a big world out there with countless persuasions of people...and the Internet is tapped right into it....so signing onto a public "World Wide" forum......you expect, what? Take the good, spit out the bad.....just like life itself.... I've been posting here for over 4 years....but does anybody really know me? Am I legit? Are YOU legit! I'm have no idea. But I do know myself, and I can only pay attention to things that relate to me..... If that makes any sence.........BTW, this forum is tame compared to some other forums I belong to.....

If I was his Dr. I would NOT have given him permission....I don't see how anyone's heart can stand up to that.....not to mention what that abuse will do to his knees and hips..... But that is just my opinion....

Have I become a picky eater??? YOU BET!!! And I am loving every minute of it! Before Lap band surgery, I was a disgusting fat gluttonous pig with one foot in the grave...diabetic, one heart attack resulting in cardiac surgery....I would eat anything and everything put before me, then finish whatever was left on my wife's plate But after Lap band surgery, I have NO hunger, NO cravings...I have NO interest in food or eating in general....I have gone full days and have forgotten to sit down AND EAT.... At times, I can stare at a menu and not find anything that interests me. I can wander around a grocery store and not find anything to bring home for dinner. My Tastes have changed dramatically...things I used to crave have no flavor anymore. Because of the band, there are foods I had to give up...I don't eat meat, things made from flour such as breads and Pasta, no longer eat rice, nothing deep fried.... Not only is my hunger and cravings limited, but My portion sizes are very small because of the band. So when I do eat, I have to make the best of what I can...the most nutritious, healthiest choices I can make...don't want to blow that opportunity on something bad. So I have become a very "picky health nut" Always looking for the most nutritious,healthiest, all natural, organic, non processed and high Protein foods I can Am I Picky??? YOU BET! I go to the gym every chance I get....usually at 5-6am where I run 5 miles, then do weights. I have NO BODY FAT left! (or very little)...It is not my goal, but my bodies decision to stop where it is the most healthiest - normal. I have not felt better, been healthier, in over 35 years...all because being very "Picky" thanks to this WLS... I have friends, read magazine articles, advertisements etc, where people find this lifestyle very "Chic" and they work hard to try to live it everyday....for me, it all became easy and fell into place because of my Lap Band surgery... As a disclaimer.....on top of it all, since I am no longer dieting or have fear of gaining any weight back...I still enjoy life's little pleasures....we will go out and get a Ice Cream Sundae with all the toppings at least twice a week....I do not hold back on alcohol....I enjoy a good beer with my friends from time to time.... In other words...food does not scare me.... I Love this new life! Call me picky...I LOVE IT! It beats the alternative....

Do you have the lap band? Was is your history of fills - adjustments?

I'm not sure where you are getting your information from....The band is adjustable, which lets you, (and your Dr.) use it which ever way you want according to your comfort level.... I'm 5'8", started at 275+, and within a year to a year and a half, lost over 100lbs...nothing slow and natural about that...just a return to "Normalcy" But I don't have that "Look" you refer to either...as a matter of fact I never looked healthier and more fit...and get compliments all the time. Especially at the gym from people who will never know I had WLS... And my Dr.'s ( I was seeing 5 specialties once upon a time) could not be more pleased...especially my cardiologist.. But again, it is adjustable... I tried every diet under the sun, failed at them all...so the band, for me, did what I could never do for myself...I have no discipline and self control when it comes to food and eating...but the band fixed all that for me....controls my eating, and has taken away my hunger....that is why I had WLS after all... If I could have done this myself, I would have. For me, this was a "easy" quick fix...the magic bullet, the easy way out...all the cliche's, pick one.....I don't care...it worked and was simple (for me) Sure there is a lot to learn, many lessons, some the hard way...there are foods I will never eat again. I can't even drink Water the same way again...but I do drink Beer (NOT condoning it at all!!!, my Dr. knows) But I have no fear of ever gaining weight again..."Diet" is a four letter word. Other people, have more self control and discipline, and as you read through this forum, all the talk and discussions sound very much like traditional dieting plans and methods...talk as if it were a weight watchers website and not that for people with weight loss surgeries.......they go easy and light on the fills (Band Adjustments) Again, it is adjustable to how you want it to work for you...and as long as you loose the weight and excess fat, and be 100% successful, then that is all that matters...can't argue with success.

Right after surgery, everybody looses weight...lap band or no, we are on a strict post-op diet starting with Clear liquids and slowly progressing. Who wouldn't loose weight? And yet people give credit to the band. At this stage, the Lap Band is doing nothing, IMO....it was installed and nothing more.(there are a FEW EXCEPTIONS...very few) And let's face it...people who have much to loose, will loose more than the next person not quite so heavy. So when someone says "I Lost 50 lbs, blah blah blah, the next person should not feel bad only loosing 10lbs. I know people who could loose 50lbs if they skipped dinner! (only joking) There are people here who start at 400lbs and loose over 200, and people who start at 225 and only loose 75....so which is more difficult? So don't let the #'s intimidate you...it's all relative. I had my first fill 4 weeks after surgery, and it was 4cc's....after that, I began to gain weight because it also the time I came off the post-op diet and began eating normal food again. DUH! That first fill did absolutely nothing. Had my second fill of 2cc's, 4 weeks after that, = 8 weeks from surgery. The band began to do something....I didn't loose weight, but I did not gain either. All this time I was being told and reminded to count calories, measure portions, stay away from certain foods/drink, etc...ALL the things I could have done (and have done) without surgery, the time and anxiety put into preparing for this, not to mention the $$. Talk about Frustration!! I felt it was a big Rip Off! Came back 4 weeks after that, = 12 weeks from surgery for my 3rd, (and final) fill. THAT one put me over the top.Pushed me off the edge! Could not keep anything down. Feared I was going to be malnourished, etc. I was free falling! Many people would have gone back to get it taken out, get back within their comfort zone......but my Dr. (who knows ME and not YOU) talked me into sticking it out, talked me into slowing down my eating, choice of foods, all those thing etc, etc. Also said if I did get that last (small) fill removed, it would put me back to where I was after my 2nd fill...did I want that? I'm glad he did...it took weeks - months for things to start to find that groove, but it did all start to fall in line. That elusive "Fine balance - Harmony" where the band performs splendidly. The true "Green Zone" I quess my point is, this thing DOES WORK, but it is not going to work immediately...it is adjustable and it takes time, sometimes with trial and error, to get it right. And it is not just the band that gets adjusted along the way...we too have to get adjusted to the Lap Band. And that is key to success. Lap Band Surgery will "Change Your Life" but you have to ready and willing for change. And that can be very frustrating and take some time. Even though my last needed fill was 12 weeks from surgery, and the weight began to steadily and consistently come off, a year later I was still learning lessons, Life changing lessons...most times the hard and unpleasant way. Did not mean the band is at fault. I'm 4 years out, and I can do something right now, this moment, that would cause a very negative reaction with my band. Does not mean my band is at fault...it means I just did something I should never do...simple, yet it did take time to learn the difference. If people told me 4 years ago what and how little I would be eating today, and still be healthy and full of energy, I would have said they were blowing smoke up my you know what. And yet here I am at that place, and to tell new people this, would be accepted the same as I would have 4 years ago. This is the internet, and 1000's of people come and go here all the time. And I have read people's posts about frustration and feelings of failure (many of which are way pre-mature...give it a chance) when in fact I sense they are not willing to accept change. (still talking about pizza and cheese burgers, etc? Really?) Not all, but some. There are people who legitimately have problems, complications. But we, strangers on the internet can ever tell what is going on. They can't understand why they keep getting stuck...There's something wrong with their band...maybe there is, and maybe it's not the band....no one on the internet can tell for sure. That is why it is best, IMO, it's best for people to simply share their own experiences, AT ALL LEVELS, good and bad, positive and negative... Ok, it's 4am on a Sunday, I'm rambling on with my morning coffee before heading to the gym at 6...nothing more, just rambling..and pehaps ranting.

Use your own imagination...I start with a scoop of whey Protein powder, then add a combination of anything I'm in the mood for...banana, pineapple, fresh berries,...peanut butter, coffee, chocolate...you name it. Can get bags of frozen fruit, berries, etc at costco.... I then add 6-8 oz.'s of almond milk, skim milk, or just Water. Summertime I might add an ice cube or 2....put in all in a blender. The sky's the limit on what you can mix in there. I just try to use fresh ingredients.... Been doing this for my Breakfast for over 4 years now....30-40 gms of protein to get me through the day!!

Ok, now I'm turned off....

Yes...it is a great feeling...imagine what a 100 lbs less will be like... If someone showed me, or try to tell me how little I would be eating per day, or how little I would be able to eat at any one meal, and still be as healthy and full of energy as ever, there is no way I could live like that, I would NOT believe them and start to question the validity of this whole thing.... And yet....you mention spring rolls? I don't even try to eat something like that...

I have the lap band, and I can swallow pills of all sizes and shapes...my vitamins a big, also my omega 3 fish oils gel caps... But again, always follow your Dr.'s orders, not what a bunch of strangers say on the internet.

And don't forget the band! If I/we could do this, then I would not have had the surgery...

I thought the same thing...what is the competition....and where do I go to cheer them on??

I've always worked out on an empty stomach, before any eating, usually at 5-6am every morning....(but I need my coffee) Body fat is stored energy we, as hunters and gatherers, store away for periods of famine when there is nothing to hunt and gather.... So when I worked out I focused on using up that "reserve"...after my workouts I would have a high Protein "Recovery" shake, also a Meal Replacement, and I am good to go all day! This worked for me, I now have a very, very low body fat %...in the athletic range. Also I used to be a diabetic...no more!

Now that I have lost all my excess weight, I have developed a new lifestyle....I still enjoy food now as much as ever...along with drink, parties, etc etc.... ...I can do all things, just nothing in excess...the WLS, specifically lap band for me, prohibits me and takes away the urge to be a glutton.... I don't need to eat to the point of being stuffed anymore, and frankly I have no desire to...take it or leave it. I don't worry about calories anymore, Diet is a four letter word I will never have to do again....the diabetes, cholesterol, high BP, etc, etc are all gone! I have no fear of ever being fat again.... I am enjoying life, and all it has to offer, more now than I have in a long time. (I'm 63 years old) All the result of WLS...something I could not accomplish on my own. Bottom line....over a 24hr period, I eat less, WAY less, ( a 1/10?) than I used to....what I do eat I try to make the most of nutritionally...and I stay as active as possible, a real health and fitness addict.......a new Lifestyle that feels great! Over the past few years, I have found this to be true for me, having been on cruises, vacations to foreign countries, business travel, weddings, parties, picnics, holiday family get togethers....I have no fear and enjoy myself at them all! It's a new way of living.....opposite from the way I was that made me Obese and unhealthy to death's doorstep There is life after weight loss!!! And you know what? I am not ashamed that it was EASY! Why should I not want to admit it?? (learning and breaking old habits was the hard part) I don't care what other people may think....When it comes to this, it's all about me.

I never heard of the band causing nausea...see your Dr., may be something else... But you say you had these symptoms since being banded???

Everybody looses weight from a post surgery food diet, lapband or not...just don't get alarmed if you start to gain it back once you start eating regular food again.....just as you did before surgery. For me, real weight loss did not start till about 3 months after surgery, after 3 fills....until then, the band was doing next to nothing. It all came down to my own will power and old fashion dieting...which I cannot do with any success....that is why I had the surgery! In any event, congratulations, and know this...in spite of all the negative posts people will write here, this thing does work, and can be that magic bullet for some doing what I could never do on my own. For me, it WAS the easy way out...and I am glad I did it!! (but the first 4 months were pure hell !)

No that is not normal, IMO....eat till you get chest pains? NO.... I was not allowed to eat s close to surgery but had to follow a post-op plan of Clear liquids, then heavier liquids, then mushie foods, and so on . Took at east 1 month before I returned to "Normal" solid foods.... As far as reflux, what did your Dr./surgeon say? You did call him, right? I also had chest pains as the gas/air from surgery migrated up through my cavity to my left shoulder...at times it was hard to even breathe. And I was not allowed to eat at this point so I cannot relate the two.