B-52

Don't worry, it goes away and becomes old news....people begin to forget I was ever fat, and I even had to remind some people on occasion. And the new people you meet as time goes on never knew me any other way but slim and fit.... So it's only for now, a small portion of time compared to the rest of your life.... BTW, when people would ask me "How did you do it", I would tell them truth...I eat just a portion of what I used to, no longer eat red meat, pastas, breads, Desserts, etc.I have not eaten a normal Breakfast in years, but make home made Protein smoothies and juices. I have become a real "Health Conscious Nut!" looking for the best, organic if possible, foods available. Since I eat so little, I can afford the best. I concentrate on high protein, nutritious foods, and PLENTY of exercise. ALL TRUE!

Never cared for the word journey either....i don't have a word for it.... I had surgery to correct something that was not right, then after which I began to live a new life, learning my new relationship with food and eating.... I would not call any type of surgery a journey, but a means to "Fix" something, make it right, back to normal.

ABSOLUTELY!!!! And don't forget the mocha, Peanut Butter, pineapple, coffee...you name it. Let you imagination take over. Mix it all up with Almond Milk in the blender, in the summer add a ice cube.... I have been making my own smoothies every morning for my breakfast ever since surgery. At least 40gm of Protein, plus plenty of energy to last the entire day. Try to match that up with something traditional like eggs, etc....

Fly all the time, never had any issues or can tell any difference. I always have a drink or two on the plane, and food is not offered anymore. I may eat something in the terminal before boarding. But again never could tell anything different. This topic comes up all the time, so stay tuned...there must be something to it being so common a question, someone out there may share their experiences that are different.

I have noticed, the majority of people who come to this forum are those who are seeking help or advice...that would be those just starting out who, in all respect, have very little experience and don't know much except what they have heard...mostly from other people with little experience.They say the craziest things, from where it comes from I haven't a clue. Just look at how many posts there are from people who have been banded only a few weeks and already they're talking about stalls...!!! Then there are people who do have legitimate concerns or have/are experiencing major problems...they feel that need support so here they are...and in reality, there are not that many. It just seems that way And IMO, the problems they are experiencing are not the bands fault, but the person's...in the first few months I had some issues, problems also...but it was not the band giving me problems, it was me having to break bad habits, etc, learned over a lifetime which was the reason I was Obese...and now they had to go...just like that. We are fat because we eat wrong, way too much of the wrong things....so we have WLS...what do people expect this WLS is going to do? It is going to make it impossible to live the old life and force you to start doing things differently. Some people are just not ready for that, and insist on fighting change...the first time they get "Stuck" they run back toi their Dr.'s saying there is something wrong with the band...(and not them themselves) then complain 2 years later the band is a failure, or they fell off the wagon.... It wasn't the bands fault, and I wonder what wagon they were on??? Jenny Craigs? How many posts do I read about eating pizza??? WHY WOULD ANYONE WANT TO IN THE FIRST PLACE? That's the real question! Same with rice, and many other things not good for you in the first place! The staff at my Surgeons office tells me stories all the time about people coming in to get Fluid taken out of their bands so they can enjoy Vacations, holidays, weddings, etc....They don't get it...either you want to loose weight, which means change, or you don't....you can't have it both ways. There are a lot of successful people out there...many who were here when I joined are long gone. Frankly, why would they want to hang around? They have a new life to live and enjoy, and don't want to be around people with such negativity.... I left for about a year, could not take it anymore...but as time goes on I just get more founded in my new life.And I will probably leave again when I can't take it and need another break. I am 100% successful..having lost ALL the excess weight possible, resulting in a very low (athletic) body fat %. I am NEVER hungry, have no cravings, head hunger is a thing of the past. I have absolutely no fear of failure or ever gaining weight again...no more dieting counting calories...none of that. I have been set free.... I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving and the holidays....don't need ant clever strategies to get through it...... THAT statement right there will raise eyebrows and draw criticism from many people here who have no idea what I am talking about, and would label me a heretic.. ,,,,....that being said, why would I, or anyone else successful, want to hang around here? Lets just pretend everybody has problems and difficulties and lets stick with the horror stories, and keep telling each other how much hard work this is and it's just a tool after all, don't get your hopes too high.....That way when we do fail we won't feel so bad....misery loves company. Sorry, I'm ranting...It's 4:30am and I tend to do that with my first cup of coffee...... But know this, the band does work and there are more successful people out there than you may think...and this forum does not represent everybody... Either you want to accept change, loose weight and get a new life, or not....the band is adjustable, and even reversible.

The band is the band is the band...no matter what the day or occasion.... Knowing I will be able to eat so little, I will make it a point to have a taste of everything there...just for the love of it! Whereas everyone's plate will be piled high, a real belly buster of a day....those are just memories for me. I am not a calories counter, just make sure I eat the best, healthiest foods I can....not blow my opportunity on junk... but this is one of the days of the year even that goes out the window....especially the home made Desserts.... And of course, I'll be at the gym first thing in the morning before, and the day after.

My Brother died at age 60, my sister died at age 63...both morbidly obese, with ALL the worst that can happen from obesity. Between the both of them... Heart condition, circulatory problems amputations, blindness, kidney failure - dialysis every 3 days, severe infections putting my sister into comas.. I can go on and on, but needless to say it was ugly!!! So there I was, age 56, Dx'd with diabetes taking daily injections and oral meds, then the heart conditions started resulting in angioplasty and stents. When they went in, they found scar tissue from a previous heart attack which I never knew....can happen to diabetics, "Silent Heart Attacks" because of the nerve damage. I was seeing my PCP, Cardiologist, Endocrinologist, Dermatologist (from all the severe skin issues), and a Podiatrist (diabetes effects the feet) on a every 4 month schedule. (my teeth and gums suffered also) My blood work was off the charts, all over the place. You name it, it was out of whack and I was taking more medications than I can count and could not get anything under control. I could not sleep at night because of the pain in my legs. I would have to sit, out of breath just from carrying groceries into the house. My PCP sat me in his office, knee to knee, and said if I did not start loosing weight, I'll be dead very soon...following my siblings. I told him, and he was also aware, that I have tried, and FAILED, at every diet plan under the sun.....EVERY ONE!!! He said, as a Last Resort, that I should go see a Bariatric Surgeon, and WLS may be my only hope. So he referred me. I never thought I was a candidate, or that WLS could be an option for me. But the surgeon said I was EXACTLY the type of person needing something as drastic as surgery...to save my life. Believe me, WLS is something I did not want to do, and I feel (felt) ashamed that that is what it led to. But I can say that today, I do not have one single regret...has been the absolute best thing that ever happened to me...it gave me my life back, along with perfect health, and a life style free from ever dieting again, and no fear of ever gaining weight back as before.

Actually, Bandster hell is yet to come!!! Right now, you are at a point where it was before you had surgery. You had surgery, you're healing, then it is back to square one as though nothing ha happened. people exoect the surgery itself to give them instant results. For the majority of people, it dos not work that way. All you did was have this thing installed.....Next comes the adjustment phase. Can take months, even as long as a year in some cases before the band begins to do anything. THAT is bandster hell..... But hang in there, this thing does work. The first few months for me were very frustrating, to the point I felt it was a big waste of time and money. Just another diet, like i Did and failed so many times before. But today, it is he best thing I could have ever done....easiest and most simple thing going. I refuse to call this thing a tool...it is much more than that. It is something that physically and permanently changes everything about me and food, eating. But patience is the key....following your Dr.'s orders and directions....his/her treatment plan for you, to accomplish and get you where you need to be with this.... Many people I feel, loose that patience, that willingness to change, and back off way too soon and accept where they're at instead of moving on....then come here and complain and ask others why this is not working. Don't let that happen to you.It can be a rough trip the next few months, but the reward on the other side is worth it!

Vietnam.....the one on the top row is for Combat Action...

What do I say?.....THANK YOU!

I cannot drink with meals, this theory of liquids pushing food through the band or diminishing the effects may hold true for some, but based upon my experience it is quite different..... The band is there restricting the passage of food at a reduced rate, meaning there will be food sitting in my pouch... Drinking Water will not push the food through, but instantly increase the volume of what is sitting there....which can result in severe pain..(pouch stretching?)...and since this increased volume as no where to go, it will over flow...meaning it can come right back up....not pretty when you have to get up and run to the bathroom... However, early on when I was still learning..(the hard way)...getting stuck sometimes 2-3 times a day, drinking warm water was something I learned to do from my support group to get instantly unstuck....just be sure to do it in the bathroom. As a side note, I read posts everyday where people say "THIS is the way it is, THIS is what will happen or this is how the band works...... I wonder if people make these statements from personal experience, or are they just repeating what they heard someone else say...so they have adapted it.... I prefer hearing other peoples experiences....good and bad. Just a pet-peeve of mine.....had to vent

Never been told not to, never experienced any side effects........I'm not a straw fan, but I'll use them when I am driving....or get a soft drink to go with a lid on it...

Plateau, you level off, having no opportunity to go higher, only down when you reach the other side of the mesa.... A stall, you're climbing on and upward, untill you need to pause, stall, then eventually continue onward and upward... I believe I have plateaued, reaching that place where I have no where else to go, having lost all the weight I possibly can without injuring myself (low body fat %)....so yes, I am at the Mesa, leveled off, and I am enjoying the view!! And I am never going down the other side.

The pre-op diet taught me that without this surgery I could never loose weight and keep it off on my own....this diet was just like any other diet I have ever been on....if I could do this, then why go through surgery???? It only reinforced my decision that surgery was the avenue I needed to go if I am ever going to accomplish anything.

As a lap bander.....Don't know what it is, exactly, I would say it is tied to the Brain somehow,,,,but I just have no interest in food, and no desire to eat...I can take it or leave it.... And if I do get a rare craving, desire...one or two bites and I realize I really didn't want it in the first place and throw it out. Has nothing to do with sickness, etc, it's just a "State of Mind" In the early stages, it started with my "tastes" for food dramatically changing.....food just did jot taste the same. Also, I have never had this "Feeling Full" thing many other Lap Banders talk about. When I eat a meal, there comes a moment when I just don't want to continue. I'm like the little boy playing with his vegetables at the dinner table....just don't want to do it. I have my theories as to why, but they are just that...my theories and do not fit into any of the research listed by the OP. Will have to admit, I Love it!!!! My problem was uncontrolled eating, and cravings all day long....and all that is now behind me regardless where I'm at, a family get together, vacations, parties, does that matter. I don't need strategies to cope with things like Halloween candy, upcoming holidays, etc.

Yes, it is very allusive....a very fine balance between band adjustment, how we eat, and what we eat.... There was a time when it was not unusual for me to get stuck.slimed a few times a day....there were some very hard lessons to learn, and some old habits, beliefs I had to break....and it's very hard to determine if it's me or am I too tight. And it could have easily been interpreted either way...after calling my Dr. he said if I come in and get that last small fill taken out. 1/2cc, that would put me back to where I was before I had that last fill....and was that the place I wanted to be? The answer for me was No...so it must be something other than the band...which turned out was Me! I am in my 60's...that's a whole life of eating wrong! Some very deep ingrained habits that I was expecting to change withing a few months and a few fills? Very hard to do....I'm still learning..... I read posts here everyday about people eating certain things, and asking if it's Ok....I have to shake my head, but then, everyone is different and if it works for them, then who am I to say differently....

Don't stress.....the Echo is actually easier and quicker than the Nuclear method..... They do a echo on you while at rest...then put you on the treadmill and run you through the paces...at the peak, they will immediately do another echo....that's it...Finished. He/She can see the results right then and there as they are looking at the screen....you can ask right then "Am I then cleared for surgery?" Then as you are getting ready to leave, you can politely ask the results get to your surgeon ASAP because they are waiting for them to wrap everything up. Only reason 2 weeks, is the cardiologist to send the report out...but it should not take that long....

Nicely Done....you certainly "Get it" when it comes to letting the band do it's thing....we all had this surgery because we wanted change. And if we let it, the band will do just that. Don't fight it, just go with it and that is exactly what you're doing and reaping the results..... Now get to the Gym! (only joking, well sort of)

I for one, do not feel guilty about having a cookie or two here and there...or nibbling all day if in that situation.... When I was first starting out, I observed very closely friends of mine who are physically fit and not an ounce o fat....they ate Cookies, ice cream, etc, etc....they also are very active in different things like cycling, swimming, running, etc... The difference was they ate so little over a 24hr period...I ate enough to feed an army...I was a real pig and could not control myself. What they are doing day to day as their normal lifestyle, I now do also. Difference is I needed WLS to do it. They did not. This is not a diet were I'm going to die if I eat a cookie...I have been set free from all that.....This is a new lifestyle...it's what I do over an entire day as opposed to what I do minute by minute.... And what I actually eat over a 24hr period is so small I never though it would be possible.

I guess I was an emotional eater, or something similar. All I know was I could not stop eating, 24/7..... The lap band cured me of that...pure and simple!!! granted, it wasn't easy, and I read here all the time where people back down from accepting change. (only to complain later they are failing, falling off the wagon, etc) I never understood when people say they had to loose weight prior to surgery to prove they can do it...the fact that I could not do it was exactly the reason surgery was my last resort.... I had to do a 6 month medically supervised diet program, mandated by my insurance...I asked the staff at the bariatric center why....I was told I had to prove to the insurance co. that I did sincerely attempt loosing weight the traditional way, and FAILED! I told them all about every diet program I have ever been on, and failed at every one of them. I was told simply saying so was only my word. They wanted something official, with charts, graphs, weekly visits and counseling, all documented and signed off by a MD....and put into my file. So I did, and just like every other diet, I started out good, positive results, then about month 4 I started to cheat, and then by month 6 it was all a bust......but that was exactly what the insurance co.wanted to see......without directly saying so. But yet I read here all the time that people have to "Loose" weight in order to qualify.....I guess the thinking is that a Dr. will not tell you to do it and not take it seriously, they want you to give it your best effort and let thee truth stand out.... Bottom line, you do have to follow your dr's directions....

I fly frequently...never had a single problem....that includes having a snack in the terminal before the flight, sometimes....only peanuts on the plane, plus a cocktail or two.... As far as hunger, for me, that's not an issue...but there's not much in the way of food on planes anymore anyway so you're in the same boat as everyone else. I do read on this forum people having issues with flying all the time. So there must be something to it. But I have never experienced it.

I'm no longer on any type of "traditional" diet.... I was Obese because I ate TOO MUCH...Non stop! Now, I still eat whatever I want, difference is, because of the band, I cannot eat too much...impossible to overeat!!! so what I do eat, knowing it will be very little, I better make the best of it as far as nutrition...always starting with Protein....and not blow it on something that will kill me. As a small disclaimer, there are foods that are just not band friendly with me, I will probably never eat them again. But when you look at what I no longer eat., I realize they were foods not good for me in the first place...so it all works out for the best all around.

Speak with your Dr...I have been banded almost 4 years now...in the beginning NO carbonated drinks. Period. But now I do....I like Beer, Pellegrino, and a few others.... It's all about "Listening" to your band...and that can take some practice....My Dr. asked me some key questions, then gave me the go ahead with certain conditions...one of which NEVER with, before or after eating....any liquids are bad for me under those conditions, carbonated drinks...well, I don't even want to imagine the harm.

Years ago, we had a member in our group who would only give .5cc per month.... 6 Months later, everyone in the group was moving on and discussing - experiencing different things such as getting into the Green Zone, etc...it would have taken her OVER a year to get were we were in 4-5 months. She was very upset and angry....convinced her Dr. was stringing her along making $$ by doing numerous monthly fills over a longer time period. Was always hungry, and struggled to loose or even maintain her weight...not moving in a positive direction. She changed Dr.'s, who got her quickly on track...she became successful and completed her weight loss program...not as soon as others in the group, but quicker than if she stuck it out with her original Dr. I recall asking my Dr. about how much adjustment I would need.... He always pointed to the "Yellow-Green-Red" chart on the wall, and would indicate to the Green section and say that that is what and where his goal was for me and all his patients to be, and he will be as aggressive, or not, depending upon the patients ability and willingness ids for change. Only YOU can answer the question if you feel things are going as you expected..are you Happy? Are you loosing? Do you feel thit was all worth it???

I weigh every day, sometimes a 2nd time at the gym...and each time brings a feeling of satisfaction and victory...and a assurance due to the fact I have NOT gained any weight in almost 4 years now.....only lost and then leveled out at a healthy place. LOVE IT!!!!!! HOWEVER....before my surgery, I was too embarrassed and also did not want to face the music....so I avoided the scale. People ask me what was my highest weight before surgery, and I honestly cannot answer because I knew it was bad...so never weighed myself... But today, I can't pass one buy without getting on it!!!