B-52

NO WAY for me...I absolutely love oysters and clams on the 1/2 shell....last time I had one I felt it slide right down and PLOP! Sat right there! I threw up instantly! Right in front of everybody at the raw bar.... Of course, everyone has there band adjusted differently, no 2 bands are the same, and have different restriction and reactions to eating.... so I cannot speak for others.....and I drink beer regularly with no problems...go figure. Like anything, it is something you have to find out for yourself....and only you know your band...no one else...

"I gave up. I ate with reckless abandon" I read these stories all the time....I'm sorry, but for me this is one thing I am still trying to understand...after 3 years. I had surgery because I could not control my eating...the Lap Band now does that for me... Did the band not do that for you? Even if I wanted to, I do not see how it would be possible...I have been on all inclusive vacations where food was always available...I threw caution to the wind and put the band to the test...and it prevented me from overeating... Stress, grief, party celebrations, family dinners...does not matter to me...the band is the band, is the band...it does not change unless I should have Fluid taken out, which I do hear here from time to time....that I can understand. I'm not being accusatory, and single you or anybody else out....just something I still do not understand, although I read it here every day....people falling off the wagon...needing to get back on track.... It sounds like things I would have said when I was attempting to loose weight and failing with so many diets....I would give up...but surgery prevents me from doing so, no matter what I may want to do... That is why I have been successful with WLS as opposed to other attempts at loosing weight....

I'm old school...and agree with your Dr...if you want to loose weight, then eat less.... If you had to eat more to loose weight, then everyone would be skinny... I was once told by a Dr...I was fat because I ate too much...don't eat so much and you'll loos the eight...it's that simple...calories in versus calories burned... For me, one of the most liberating things was when I finally stopped worrying about counting calories, carbs, etc...only thing I pay attention to is daily Protein... I have no idea what my daily calories count is...but it has to be very low.... And on a average day, what I eat is so much less than what I used to eat before I was banded...some days I don't eat at all and have to remind myself to.... I go to the gym everyday...before 6am, on a empty stomach...never had issues with energy....sometimes I will take a shot of protein, but that's it.... I have body analysis done every now and then just to check...and my body fat % is low, in the athletic range, and my muscle mass is holding steady...in other words I have lost all the weight that is possible....it is finished. Anything more and it would not be fat...and be unhealthy. I read posts here all the time how complicated and scientific people make this....it makes my head spin...and yet they are not loosing successfully and without a struggle.... For me..it has always been simple...eat less to loose more...cannot control your eating? Then surgery will take care of that...simple....at least that is for me.... And sprinkle it with some exercise and you're home free.... But everyone has to find they're own "Groove"...what makes them successful is all that matters.

No, nothing weird at all....you're learning the band...I have to stop and pause all the time, then resume with smaller bites, chew better...take it slower if I am to continue.... I recall some things I was told early on...bites should not be larger than a pencil eraser? I should put the fork down between bites....and of course the chewing... All of which is still extremely hard to do all the time...so yes, I need to stop and wait... There is also a signal as to when to stop altogether....for me, hiccups come later and usually means I'm finished...but after 15 minutes I may still have dessert... Everyone has to learn their own band, as to the signals, what they can and what they cannot do...

Throughout the journey I adopted a new lifestyle of healthy eating, nutritious foods, high Protein, Water, etc.....and above all a steady consistent (average) food intake..no overeating... My body continued to loose weight and settled out on it's own...reached an equilibrium.... I asked my Dr. What Now? and he asked if I was happy, I'm obviously healthy so the foods I'm eating the amounts are good....what else is there to do? If I'm not happy I could get some Fluid taken out, but that's not needed...I am happy and I am eating good...and I am healthy.... Incidentally, I set my own goals and went right past them... I would not mind being about 5 lbs lighter, but where would it come from? Not body fat.... I do not rely on BMI's..they are only good to a point...then you have to look at your Body Fat% to determine what's left to loose...and too low is unhealthy...

Little by little can be best for many people....I remember the tough times I had adjusting to the band, and my Dr. joking with me saying "Imagine if it was not adjustable, and everyone simply got a pre-adjusted band at surgery" Same tightness, Fluid volume...What a disaster that would be...! You have to start slow, and increase little by little, learning noticing the slight changes needed in order to continue...realizing when those "Rules" they always preach actually start to come into play, one by one...and you have that AHA! moment.....so that's what they meant... I am at a point today where I can say I do not even have to think about it anymore...and yet the way I eat, what I eat, and how much I eat cannot come close to what I was like 3 years ago...I am a different person. It took me 3 years to here today...and everyday it does continue to get even easier... Simply being in the Green Zone does not make it easy either...so many people wish for it...once you get there, you have to be able to live there....! And that can take practice...LIke learning to swim for the first time..Ok, now that you jumped in the deep end. what are you going to do now? Hmmmm? Ready to swim the English Channel? I can sit here and say that this is all very simple after all, and easy...no big deal...BUT THEN, I have to remind myself that was not always the case....I had to evolve, learn, adjust myself as the band got adjusted.....took a little time, it was not a "in one day out the next"...all finished! No Way!

This is a lifestyle!!!! I know plenty of thin-fit people who eat ice cream, along with other things dieters cringe at.....I have sundaes all the time, just not every day, or numerous times a day...had a large cherry vanilla with crushed nuts, coconut, and whipped cream last night.... I wasn't struck by lightning or the earth didn't swallow me up.... Once my body reached It's goal, I have not lost or gained any additional weight for 2 years now....other than the up and down variations within the same 5 lbs.....and I am no longer bound by all those dieter's rules...just the rules needed to live with the band. But then...this is just about me and my life, not everyone elses....people have different needs..

If your Dr. cleared you, then it is up to you when you're ready....After 3 days I was climbing the walls....I did do a lot of walking, then Dr. cleared me 7 days after surgery....

I have not eaten bread, or Pizza crust, do-nuts, rolls, certain cakes, pastas, etc. in almost 3 years now...and probably never will for the rest of my life, or as long as I have my band. But I do not miss it either....

It is not a question as to whether I want to or not...I simply CANNOT drink while eating....and I need to take small sips afterward until I can FEEL it is safe... I have personally experienced problems as far out as 30 minutes after eating.... I can drink all I want right up to the point I start eating.... It all depends upon you and your band....

If your Surgeon is not supporting you, then I am sorry....not to be offensive, but I cannot possibly know the truth...sounds like a He said, She said..... The things he said are correct though, but perhaps with a poor bedside manner in your case.... Loosing weight is all about burning more calories than we eat....physical activity makes that process easier and allows us to eat a little more freely... If we want to loos weight and not burn off the calories, then we have to eat even less... 2+3=5....if you're not getting the 5, then you have to examine what is wrong with the 2 or the 3.... Also, people will experience problems if they do not learn to eat differently...and I can say from first hand experience, that after 58 years of bad eating habits, it was very tough changing in just 4 months after surgery...very hard 4 months, felt like backing down and quitting many times....fortunately my Dr is tough and when I called him he would always tell me to wait another week, and examine my eating habits...suck it up!....I'm sure he tells other patients things a little differently... I deal with patients and their families all day long on clinic days, and learn to approach each case a little differently....have to be very diplomatic at times, and sometimes joke that I didn't go to school to be a "Priest"....and other times have to be very direct because my patience wears thin at times....it is a 2 way street...some people don't understand we are working very hard for them, and in many cases going way out of our way to meet their needs....but then I do expect something in return...maybe a little cooperation and perhaps some gratitude....I like to go home and say I had a good day......but some people are part of the system and expect everything to be handed to them....sorry, I can't do anything for them but go through the motions......you can lead a horse to water.... NOT SAYING YOU.....but I read story after story on this forum over the years, where people run back to their Dr. to get fluid taken out because they can't keep food down, etc.......then I read other posts from the same person, weeks later, complaining they are always hungry, not loosing weight, and the band is not working.... Same person will post comments at later times talking about different dinners/recipes (???) But they're LOW CAL and nutritious!!!! they say.... Sorry, has nothing to do with the band, and everything to do with dieting I'm sorry to say...not in terms of keeping food down, cooperating with the band and changing your eating habits....Forever! I'm a man...and I need a swift kick in the Butt at times, I don't mind "Hard Love"...and realize I deserved it although maybe not at that moment... Young Senior ,,,new term for me, I'm 62...have to think about that one... Again, I am not saying this has ANYTHING to do with your case....just another viewpoint from a different perspective....and it's 5 am and tend to ramble on this time of day while having my coffee..... It's off to the gym for me, then a full day of work....

I would be extremely worried about my Metabolic Syndrome, and what are going to do to treat it...ASAP....they should be on high alert...when someone says Metabolic Disorders", they get my attention.... The band can wait.... By chance, are you a diabetic? High BP? Cholesterol?

ANYTHING is better than nothing.....when I first started I could barley get 20 minutes at minimum resistance on the elliptical.... Bottom line....you have to do something, anything.....and go from there....

There is a website that will trouble shoot treadmill problems....I have had one for quite some time, it is a very expensive one....I need to change the belt about every 2 years, and the drive belts on the motor about every 2 years.... It's not easy to do....and there are service people who will come to your home and do it....they can also check out all the electronics, and the motor strength......calibrate everything... Also, more simple, there is an adjustment to tighten the belt....it will stretch over time and slip, before it actually wears out... The first treadmill I ever owned was a inexpensive, cheap one...when it came time to be serviced, and I realized how involved it was and what the $$ would be, I put it out at the curb.... I now have the same treadmill and elliptical in my house, that they have at my gym....there are outlet stores throughout the country, and they sell "refurbished" used equipment, with full service warranties....as an example, I paid 3 thousand for my elliptical...used and refurbished, and that was over 1/2 the price of a new one....

When you, and others, say "Cardio", are you actually doing an "Aerobic" exercise....where you are actually doing 85% of your maximum heart rate for the most efficient way to burn fat.... Everything I do, running, elliptical, stationary bike, I wear a heart rate monitor and adjust the machines speed, resistance, incline, until I get to that "Level 3" heart rate....and it can take me 5-10 minutes to work up to that.... Reason I say this...in my case...if my total time for a cardio Workout is 30 minutes.... First I do a 5 minute warm up...starting with a walk and speeding it up....then it takes me another 5-10 minutes to get my heart rate up to 85% of Max HR, THEN my true Cardio actually begins.....I only count the time I am within that aerobic level....after which you need to do a 5 minute cool down.... So for me...30 minutes would mean I actually did only 15 minutes of true Cardio, at best...the rest was warm up, working up to the 85%, and cool down.... So, the way I approach it, for me to get 30 minutes of a true aerobic workout, I would have to spend at least 45 minutes on any machine...at that point I say screw it...I came this far, might as well go for 60 minutes. Also, many talk about "Distance"...I understand, I do it also....I say I run 5 miles a day...but in reality I'm always looking for the actual "Time" spent within that Level 3 heart rate zone....distance is a side benefit....and is used for competition...

Do you REALLY THINK I'm giving other people medical advice? And worse yet, telling others what to do? There's enough of that going on around here and I'm not one of them...lot's of self proclaimed EXPERTS who can talk the talk, but have never walked the walk.....telling others HOW to do this, yet have not actually done it themselves.....I'm simply sharing MY experiences...that's all anyone can and should ever do..... PLUS anyone who actually listens to other peoples advice on this forum (the world wide web filled with strangers) should have their head examined.... I take issue with your offensive comments....but then maybe you're one of those EXPERTS?

Can't wait...that day is the unofficial day we start outdoor practices for the spring summer softball leagues.... I'm 62, and play short stop in a 50's league, not the 60's league.

Not to get off topic, but I had my Heart Attack and subsequent angioplasty and stents prior to this surgery, so I am also taking blood thinners for life (?) All I needed to do was stop the meds a few weeks prior to this, and any other surgical procedures including dental work, then resume a few weeks after...no big deal.... My Daughter is a PA in Cardiology, and she tells me new studies have shown that blood thinners are not needed for life for people with my condition.......not to mention that my overall health has reversed 180 degree since loosing weight, I'm going to talk to my Cardiologist about this in a few weeks when I have my annual stress test....

I was at a serious stall, early on,.....then I got rid of My FitnessPal and started loosing consistently after that.....followed my band instead. just my opinion, I do not have much faith in those apps, at least not for people with WLS....it's probably good for people long to follow traditional diets....I guess.....butt we are a different breed...traditional diets and such did not work for us before.... At lest that is my experience....I'm sure other people swear by them....

Congratulations....if everyone had the ability to manage their own weight, then there would not be a need for this surgery, and none of us would be here.... There are many things I am strong enough to do....but controlling my eating, (I love food) and the ability to diet and loose it myself, is not one of them.....I needed surgery.... And the surgery did for me what I was incapable of doing...and it did work, I have lost all my excess weight/body fat..... I'm 62 years old and as active and fit as if I am 30 years younger....whereas a few years ago I had one foot in the grave... (it's 4:30am, and I'm off to the gym at 5 as soon as I finish my coffee...something I do everyday now)

The Term "Restriction" can get very confusing at times....yes every one wants it, but understanding what exactly to achieve is another... Not saying you, or many other people for that matter, but sometimes I read people using the term and I wonder if they really understand what it is they are looking for.... the term has been thrown around so much, it is becoming generic ... It's 4am, have not even finished my first cup of coffee yet, I'm just rambling....

Pain killers!!!!!! A electric blanket, comforter, lazy-boy recliner, and the TV remote....and more pain killers.... Oh, and some broth and endless supply of Water.... I don't remembering moving for almost 24hours.....a well deserved rest!

If that is the way they did it, adjusting it till they feel it is perfect.... then be very careful and mindful of possible swelling irritation...that will make it seem like a lot more than 1cc putting you way over the top.......if so, stay with soups, etc for a few days and ease into mushies.... My feeling is, if it was perfect when you left the office, no matter what happens in the next few days it can/will return to that same perfect place....so long as you don not continue to irritate it....(if it happens at all)

I'm a Bander...not the sleeve as you all are.....so for me it is a little different...I feel the meals are very nutritious, and a good quick meal, portion size....ate them al the time when I was dieting....of course I failed at every diet so Surgery was the final option..... HOWEVER, as a Bander., I cannot eat them because 99% of them are made up with rice or Pasta and sometimes potatoes...things I can no longer eat...

I have a friend who has had 10!!! And is still gaining weight....and each one was 1/2 cc or less, one month apart! It's NOT about how many.... I have only had three....but my Dr. was very aggressive, and he knows I am aggressive also so we went full speed ahead....got that Green Zone in 4 months, then took another 2-3 months of a roller coaster ride getting things (Me and my attitudes Actually) under control and a "Groove" found.... I also do not like to compare how much I have to others...everyone is a little different...some people have not had a fill...(very rare, a lot of self discipline) And my band does things for me that it does not do for many other people....does not make any of it right or wrong, it's simply the way it is....