B-52

If there is nothing worth eating, then I simply don't eat....my life no longer revolves around food..can take it or leave it, and hunger is never an issue with me as a bander....

For me, ALL hunger has been taken away, and when I do eat, I can only eat so much then I am finished.... It's hard to explain really....imagine a thanksgiving dinner where you ate so much you could not possibly eat another morsel...some one shows you the apple pie and you say "Take it away" I'm not interested...and there is no way I could take another bite/swallow of anything..... For me, it is the exact same thing, only there is nothing physical about it..I never get that "Full" or "Stuffed" feeling, although the band is telling my brain I am...it's all mental. I can go all day and that feeling is there, the mental aspect I do not need, nor want to eat... And again, when I do eat...the band allows me to eat just so much, and then I'm finished.... Also, if I should happen to eat the wrong foods, or eat too much too fast...it would be disastrous....but that do\es not mean I am in the RED ZONED...it means I need to change my lifestyle, my habits, learn the lessons in order to have this thing work... All too often I read where people think they're too tight, but in reality it is eating the old way, the way that made them fat in the first place....but they will go and get some Fluid taken out, then come back and complain that they're not loosing weight and the band is not working..... It is a balance of many things one has to learn to be successful...when they told me the band will "Change your life"...they were not kidding...and I don't mean in terms of weight loss...I mean in terms of my personal eating habits, choices of foods, exercise, etc, etc....

It's not that I won't drink with my meals...it is because I CAN'T drink with my meals.... After achieving a certain level of restriction....drinking Water after taking a swallow will immediately come right back up. The food is sitting there, slowly passing through the band....adding water will immediately increase the volume sitting in my pouch...having no where to go but right back up.... But that's the thing about the band..it is adjustable and everyone will have a different experience depending upon how their band is adjusted.... As far as washing food down...that NEVER happens with me....

Don't worry...it will all stop and be "Old News" People who knew you when you were fat will eventually treat you as you now are, and within that time you meet new people who never knew you as being fat..... I play on a softball team, and they were complimenting me on how well I play for someone who is the oldest on the team...62, and 6 years older than the next oldest.... I told them, "Would you believe that I was once over 100lbs heavier, and had a heart attack resulting in surgery" No one would believe I was ever that fat....I had to tell them to go ask "So and so", (a mutual friend who was a neighbor and knows me well), if you think I'm full of it..... So don't worry, this will all be history, no more diets and weight loss, and you will settle into a new life......everyone will get over it, as "Old News" So I do not get weight loss compliments anymore....NOW I get compliments for doing active things very well, like running, etc, just from being fit and trim...I get compliments in the gym about how well my body looks, and those are the trainers there who never knew I was fat once.......these are much better!!!!

I took a weeks vacation....never said anything about surgery......just a week off....

One thing I have learned over the time I have been part of this forum.... There are Many People who like to "Talk the Talk" and talk is cheap. And then there are those who obviously "Walk the Walk" before they shoot off their mouth.... Many of the "Talk to Talkers" I simply ignore, do not pay much attention to.....It's those that actually "Walk the Walk" that I have admiration for, and follow their posts closely....they obviously know what they're talking about because they are living the life... I may not agree with them, but so what...even better IMO, they're speaking from something other than what they've been told, or heard someone else say.... There are not that many of the 2nd category here that much, ....but YOU are obviously "Walking The Walk" Even your little story, whether one likes it or not, is filled with truths many could not imagine....unless they've been there.

My Take.....Cardio is all about getting to 85% of your Max Heart rate, and keeping it there.....may take 5-10 minutes to get there... Fat burn, consists of a lot of different variations....walking, running, sprinting, steep inclines, level, mixes it up pretty good..never the same for more than 5 minutes....

As far as goals, I have set a few and went on right by them....I remember the ONLY and BIGGEST wish I could ever ask for was to get below 200 lbs...that in itself was but a dream....if not just a fantasy.... Turns out that was nothing in the big picture.... I am fortunate to be able to have a "Full Body Analysis" done at my gym, for the cost of $15....among everything it tells me, I am particularly interested that out of my total weight, what % of it is actually fat...as opposed to bone mass, muscle mass, and Water weight.... BMI's are not accurate by no means....an individual can be 20-30 lbs over weight, but have a very low body fat %...just look at athletes like football players.... According to BMI, I am still 10 lbs over weight,,,but I have a very low body fat %...if I was to loose any more weight, it would not be fat...THEN that would be unhealthy, if not dangerous.... But that is why I am sure to get all my daily Protein....and all the water I can drink So I continued to loose until I bottomed out...but the entire time I was able to see it was my body fat that was going down...if anything, my muscle mass increased due to all the exercising I was doing along with the protein.... My weight loss stopped when by body fat bottomed out. And I have more energy and better health now than I ever have....

Never heard that as a rule....I have not had anything except a high Protein smoothie every morning since being banded,,,, It's not about hunger, it;s that my band is always the tightest in the morning and gets easier to eat as the day goes along...so yes, I don't eat until around 12-1pm...but it's not about hunger...

Cannot speak for what you are experiencing....can only share what I have gone through myself.... As I got my band adjusted, I had to earn to eat differently...give up certain foods, eat sower, chew better, don't drink with meals, etc, etc ....it was a very hard phase for me to go through after living an entire life of doing it differently.... At anyone time, if I did not adapt and change my habits, I too could easily experience what you are...constant pb'ing, not being able to keep things down...I could have said I was too tight and had Fluid taken out of my band saying I was too tight when in reality my band was fine...it was me that needed to change.... My last fill, I was miserable...took me weeks to months to figure things out...it was very slow but eventually I did start to learn I did call my Dr. stating the problems I was having...but he knows me, and after asking a few questions he talked me into sticking it out with the understanding I need to go back to basics, and ease into it being careful as to what and how I eat....it took a lot of trial and error, plenty of stuck episodes until I started to learn I can't do that, or eat that, anymore. Again, at any time I could have said I was too tight, git fluid taken out, but then I would not be where I am today. My last fill was 12 weeks after surgery, after which this was the most difficult time for me...took me months to learn...and 3-1/2 years later I am still learning some things, although after that first year it just got easier and easier...and today I do not even think about it that much.... Because of the band, I had to become a different person...I could never have gotten to where I am today if I insisted in sticking with old habits, foods....there are things I have not eaten since being banded....and never will for the rest of my life... I read posts here everyday from people talking about eating pizza, Pasta, sushi, cheeseburgers, steak, etc, etc...if they can do it and still find 100% success, ...more power to them...myself, I had to change or this entire project would have been an entire failure.... Again, I don't ave a clue what you are experiencing....could be any one of reasons, or a combination of many....I am just sharing what I have found I needed to do be 100% successful, and taking this to it's ultimate completion.... Today I eat and drink anything I want....it's just that there are certain things I do not want anymore....and when I look at them I realize those things are not that healthy or nutritious in the first place...so it all worked together for good.

First, who's goal? Yours or your body's??? I'm coming up on 4 years and still do not have an appetite, no hunger, no cravings...I could care less about food. Have no interest. Don't send me to the grocery store, I will wander around and not find anything to buy.... As far as goals, I was puzzled about this also....my Dr. explained to me....I lived a bad lifestyle with bad eating habits that slowly and eventually made me morbidly obese.... NOW I live a new, healthy Protein rich lifestyle....which will (and did) eventually return me to a "Normal" state...a place I am supposed to be....but it is important to note, since we eat so little, make the best of it....high protein, low fat, etc, etc.... I have become a real food nut...drives my family crazy when we go out to eat... BTW, with the Band surgery...when you reach YOUR goal, what are you supposed to do??? This is not a diet you can turn on and turn off...your eating habits cannot change if you are truly in the Green.... Only thing you can do is get some Fluid taken out...I tried that and could not wait to get it put back in.... I like the new me and my new life....don't want to change a thing.

You've got to "Eat More" to "Loose More" If that were true, none of us would be fat.....and we would be all as skinny as rails.... Sorry, it just never held true with me....I'm old school. I was fat because I ate too much, now I'm slim and fit because I do not eat nearly as much.....

Remember it's the internet....you can find, prove anything whether it be factual or not.... I'd rather hear it straight from people, what their experiences are, have been....

What type of surgery??? I have had the Lap Band...and after getting it properly adjusted, I have had no appetite - hunger or cravings for 3 years now... I have no interest in food or eating....can take it or leave it...but I do stick with a eating regime because I know I need to... Just no need to over eat, or eat foods that are not good for me....

I started out to explain what post-op gas pains actually are, until I saw you were experiencing them after drinking Coke 4 weeks after surgery....now I'm not sure what you are experiencing....

I do a variation of it every 6-8 weeks....But I am a bander, so I know why and what results I am looking to achieve... I would ask, for what reason do you feel you need to stay off solid foods for a few days????

My Sister Died at the age of 63.....she suffered for years from every possible horrendous medical condition you can think of all due to obesity.... She had a few open heart surgeries, for by-passs, and valve replacement. She had venous transplants, by-passes to improve circulation surgeries to do poor circulation in her legs, and also her carotid arteries in her neck.... She had skin infections all the time. Many times she went into comas due to severe septicemia, each time not certain if she would survive... For years, she would be in the hospital more days than she was at home....in and out, in and out... Amputations....first it was her right big toe, then her right foot, then her right leg below the knee, then her right leg above the knee..... After her right leg, the same process started in her left leg.... Eventually, her kidneys shut down and she had to go to Dialysis 3 times a week, by ambulance. She lived her last 2-3 years in a nursing home, when she was not in the hospital.....her room smelled like Death... In the end, she could not take the pain and suffering anymore, and knew things would continue to get worse...so she decided to end it by stopping Dialysis...3 days later she was gone... She had absolutely NO Quality of life, she lost everything she owned and went on Medicaid/Welfare to keep up with the medical Bills....she put her 3 daughters, my nieces, through Hell..... Not to mention the strain she put on the healthcare system....YOU supported her medical bills and lifestyle.... I can on and on...it was the most hideous thing one can ever watch.... Did I Love her? Of course I did...can I accept what she went through because of her obesity? NEVER! If you have a Son or daughter who is obese, are you going to pat them on the head and tell them everything is going to be Ok? Fat Acceptance? Sorry, no way...I cannot wish that on anybody...does not mean I don't love them, but I cannot condone their lifestyle either... Twenty Years ago it might have been a different story in some ways, but today...Bariatric Surgery is becoming more and more routine, and there is proof everywhere that it does work. There are alternatives to being Obese.... I'm sorry, but when I see a Obese person on a McDonalds on their 4th cheeseburger, fries, apple pies and anything else they can get into their mouths, then watch them struggle to walk to their handicapped parking spot, it makes me feel disgusted.... Granted, she is probably someone's sister, daughter, mother....but I cannot condone her obesity.... BTW, My brother was also Obese...and he died at the age of 60....so I lost both my siblings due to obesity... Fat Acceptance? Even though I was one, and can have compassion and sympathy, I did do something about it...everytime I don't want to go to the gym, but rather stay in bed, I think about them.... I can't stand Whiners...people who complain about the little sacrifices here and there...what no pizza? You mean there are foods I will have to give up??? Well, it's YOUR Choice...read posts here everyday how people are tying to rationalize and continue with the things that got them fat in the first place...they ask questions looking for acceptance.... Ge with it....This is life and Death!!! Not a game, not a silly diet...but Surgery to correct a very real problem! Fat acceptance? The very term makes me disgusted...sorry...but this website is for people who WANT to make a change...

Not in my case...I continued to loose until there was nothing left to loose...in terms of excess fat..I bottomed out and that is where I stayed, for a few years now. I don't expect to change, as long as my Band does not change.... I weight myself twice a day, purely out of habit...once when I first wake up, and later at the gym...my weight has not changed in years... I do however, fluctuate within the same 5 lbs....but I would not consider that a gain or loss, just biological... Also I hear a lot of talk about "Maintenance" for me there is no such thing. I had surgery, and because of that I had to adapt to a new lifestyle, new rules, new way of living....and it's that lifestyle that I will stick with me for the rest of my life.... If it were a diet, and I wanted to change my lifestyle, I would have to change the band....but then I would start to gain weight again....I suppose. But for me...surgery is permanent....unlike all the yo-yo diets I've been on over the last 35 years...

I see the majority here are those who have the Sleeve...and I cannot speak one way or the other how one works it wit te sleeve. But I am a lap bander, over 3-1/2 years now, and I cannot understand how it is possible to gain weight back with the band....but it does happen. Reading posts on this forum from banders who have gained weight back, I see 2-3 commonalities.... 1) their band malfunctioned....2) They had the Fluid removed for whatever reason, 3) Their bands were never properly adjusted in the first place. So if you want to consider ALL possibilities, then yes...I can see a high % of Banders gaining weight back. Don't know if 86% is accurate, but it can be high.

Hunger - appetite - cravings, etc...is in direct relation to how your band is adjusted...at least that is my experience. First 2 fills I may feel that way for a week, maybe...then my hunger returned. It was after my last fill that it stayed that way...hence, I never needed another fill.... That was well over three years ago, and it still is the same as it was on my last fill.... If your hunger returns, don't get upset..it is only your first fill and you are getting a taste of what it can be like, eventually...

I have found, for myself, the band is the band is the band...it is a constant regardless of where I am, or what I am feeling... if I was in a traditional diet, then yes, just as every diet I have ever been on, everything made me, or gave me the excuse to, eat.... last night everyone from my office went out to dinner...all paid for, as much as you want to eat and drink.... I had a few drinks, and picked at all the different appetizers ....by the time came to order the main course, I passed...I could not possibly eat anything else.... I did order a cup of Soup, a slider if you will, and i could not finish that either.... But then that's me and my band...I in no way advocate the way other people find their success....it is adjustable to suit each individual....

I'm coming up on 4 years soon, and every now and then the same will happen to me...,however, for me, the band itself will hold me in check and make it impossible to over indulge...so the feelings pass, and over time become less and less...sort of behavior modification.... But I am one of the few who depends upon my band to do the work I could never do through my own determination and will power....tried it many times in the past, failed every single time....so my PCP finally referred me to this surgery, which is the only thing that has ever truly worked...... I know many people here are afraid of slipping back to their old ways, and speaking for myself only, I still cannot understand that could happen to myself, unless something happened where I would need to get my band un-filled... I read many stories like that here....where people have gotten off track, and it always appears to e that somewhere in their story they had the Fluid removed, for whatever reason....

My Dr. did not care what I did to loose weight pre-surgery, as long as I lost "X" amount of pounds. Just happened to be that the protein Shake way is the most efficient....

What does your Dr. say? Surely after all that He/She must have some thoughts...

Why are they not good for you???