B-52

Very Well said....you obviously "Get It" It is after all, really very simple....getting there can be difficult for some, but a new lifestyle is the key... Like you said, so much so you don't even think about it.... I hope many people read your success story.... And your right...many successful veterans do not come here anymore....there is not much to gain, the majority of people here are just starting out.... When I first came here 3 years ago, there were many successful veterans who posts I would follow intently...I do not see any of them anymore...does not mean they are still not successful, just moving on enjoying their new life...

I was attracted by the Title of your Post...Loose weight Fast! My health problems were severe, my family history bleak...loosing both my Brother and sister to problems directly related to obesity.... I was told by my PCP to loose weight Fast...or else! And that was not an exaggeration on his part...I actually sat in his office and talked about whether I had made arrangements, was my Wife taken care of financially, etc...etc.... So in the end...I don't give a Rat's you know what, people can think whatever they want......I'm alive, and have never been better in over 35 years....it saved my life.... And yes...once I got through that initial first few months of adjustments...both for me and the band...it did become easy...and still is.... I don't need to make excuses or apologies to anyone for going through this...the proof speaks for itself....

Everyone here has attempted and made up their minds at one point or another to get on a diet program, and exercise to better themselves.... There are many people in the world who are very successful at it....there are others that needed surgery.... I have tried dieting with every program under the sun for 30 years...I am one that needed surgery to do what I was unable to do....If I could do it myself, then I would not have had surgery...surgery forced me to change my ways, forced me to eat differently, and ultimately forced me into a new lifestyle...a lifestyle that today, after 3 years, I do not even think about it that much anymore.... But that's me....I have many friends who will never need surgery, they live a healthy lifestyle without it....

But you can find inner peace and satisfaction by saying to yourself " I Love NOT being fat, but healthy and fit, thanks to this WLS" When people are confronted with the truth (just by you standing there) they can get very defensive...they feel cornered.... You can point the way, show people the doors that are now unlocked...but you can't force them...everyone makes their own decisions...and some people are either too afraid to take that step, or too comfortable in their own mire....and we all live with the consequences.... It's not your problem.....

Each individual is different..whether or not your band is doing anything, and whether or not you are counting calories and dieting..... .I love Chinese food, get it all the time, or at least once a week....Thai and Vietnamese food also.... Bring it home, go through and pick out the things I can eat, throw the rest away...so I only eat about a 1/4 of what I purchased... For starters, I cannot eat rice anymore, have not in about 3 years......nor do I eat meat....shrimp is tricky also....many vegetables are not band friendly for me either... I also have a WOK and do my own stir-frys at home all the time....

I needed to do a 6 month medically supervised diet....with that, I needed to have weekly weigh-ins, along with face to face counseling....complete with progress notes, charts and graphs, etc, etc...to have submitted to my insurance... My PCP was willing to help any way he can...but it really was more than he could do efficiently... So I went to w weight loss center...run by a medical staff....had to pay out of pocket about $100 a week.... They did put together a very impressive report, complete with everything needed to show the insurance co.... BTW, Like any diet, I did well within the first phases, then eventually failed at the whole thing....a lot of money down the drain, but it did do it's purpose...showed the Insurance Co...for the record, signed off by a Dr.,..that I have tried and failed at traditional dieting....and that Surgery will be the only avenue for successful weight loss.... If I was good at dieting, why would I need surgery? And that 6 month program proved I am not good at it!

Drink plenty of liquids...fortunately you've just had surgery so not eating much in the way of solids yet.... Vomiting is one of the fears I have with the band...whether it be a Virus, motion sickness, food poisoning, whatever....I have not been sick in over 3 years, but I am prepared to do a complete un-fil if need be....I travel a lot......

Until the band gets properly adjusted, all you can do is continue to work hard...it can get frustrating... There will come a time when you can't pass by a scale, get on and feel great every time you do...like walking by a mirror..every time is a reward and you can't get enough of it.... Hang in there...it does get better and easier....

You sound very self motivated and determined to see this journey to the end...and it's only just begun.... Just wait until the band begins to do it's magic.... As far as exercising, I found I was limited on what I could do until I lost some weight...trying to run with all the extra weight did more damage than good....so I stayed with the elliptical for 2 years...always wore a heart monitor and worked that elliptical in a "Zone 3" for a steady 30 minutes, sometimes up to "Zone 4"...plus a 5 minute warm up and cool down... THEN I took it to the treadmill, did the C to 5k.....then the C to 10K.... Can now do 5 miles a day, in about 45 minutes.....but I had to loose the weight first!

Had a simple realization last night....let me start it out this way.... I'm a 62 year old male...I can be aggressive, hard,...I've been around the world a few times and there is not much I have not done or seen good and bad (won't go any further) I've done 2 tours in Vietnam! When I walk into my Dr.'s office, I am looked at and treated/handled differently that the the next person....my Dr. will talk to me about things, and give me instructions/advice...treatment plans...different than anyone else....there are things he will tell me to do, not do, that he would not even consider for any of his other patients, because he is treating the individual....the person.... AND THE OPPOSITE IS JUST AS TRUE... YOUR Dr. treats YOU as a person, and he/she instructs..gives advice, direction, that he/she would not even consider telling me...EVERY PERSON is handled, treated a little differently than the next person.... I would not expect the same advice given to a 34 year old mother of 2....nor would that person expect the same advice given to me...because we are all unique in a certain way, and a good Dr. will approach it that way as opposed to a assembly line of nameless faces... Now throw in the factors of how many different patients one Dr sees...then throw in the factor how ay Dr.'s there are out there performing WLS....is it any wonder, when a topic comes up here, say carbonation for example,...that there are so many different viewpoints??? What my Dr. tells me...would be ludicrous advice for you...and what your Dr. tells you would be just as Ludicrous advice for me...because we are not the same, nor are our Dr.'s.... I am a Cardiac patient having had one heart attack, and consequent cardiac surgery...I was given a certain medication that I was told I would need to take for the rest of my life....other people I spoke with in the same boat as me were on the same medication, but for only a year..2 at most...does that mean I should stop taking that med? And what, risk another heart attack? I'm not those other people, they are not me...one even has the same cardiologist...what I will do is bring it up for discussion next time I see him.... People come here, and ask specific questions...how can I or anyone else answer that? I don't know you...I don't know you background, your medical history, and yes even you cognitive ability.... Granted...as people come here, by the 1000's, and share their experiences, good and bad...certain commonalities begin to emerge...BUT I would not take those "Commonalities" and make then hard and fast rules for EVERYBODY..... I see patients all day long...many first time evaluations...and even though the same basic questions are asked, information sought for, and even though all the Diagnosis are similar, related in that field, each patient is approached differently than the next...what one patient and family is told is between us and them...and not the next... Yes there are commonalities, and when asked a question on a certain issue, I can give GENERAL answers, but not specific to any certain patient!! It is a over simplification, and has been said here so many times it has almost become cliche...but it really come down to YOU and YOUR Dr...NOT what my Dr tells me, or the next person...because we are all different and we all respond to treatment plans differently...treatment that only YOUR Dr. has the ability to give... Ok, sorry...it's 4:30am and I tend to run on so early...off to the gym, remember it's Friday! Oh, one more thing...If any of my Dr.'s do not get to know me, and are personable...then I have no use for them...I'll not be treated like a side of beef....

Seems like every other post the subject comes up concerning the "Band being too tight" either in the way of a statement, or a question, a problem... I am curious, and for the benefit of all the newly banded people that come here everyday, and those just starting out with the Lap band procedure.......when people talk about their band as being tight... What does it mean for a band to be tight? How do you know if your band is too tight? How would you define it? With as many people that talk about it, complain about it, warn others about it.....I'm sure there will be no problem getting explanations.....

I am one of those people who can't sit still....at the 3 day mark after surgery, I was climbing the walls, had to get out and do something...which I did... I got very tired, very fast, and just wanted to get home and lay down.... At 5 days I went back to my office, and then I could not stay very long..... I had surgery on a Friday also, took the following week off as vacation time, returned to work the Monday after the week...10 days after surgery...

Whenever this comes up...I know that there are many people here that will just not get it....and never will....and perhaps refuse to....C'est la vie In any event...It's 5 am...time to head to the gym....

Why is it considered elective surgery? Obesity, along with your cholesterol and any other co-morbidities are medical justification for this surgery....that is why my insurance paid 100%..it was because of my health problems, brought about by obesity... Perhaps this is just part of the Canadian Healthcare system? I know in the USA, you could fight it by appealing within 30 days, by submitting additional LMN's and so forth...

My apologies....it seems the majority of people who have had issues with the band, goining weight back, etc, also have some sort of medical complication to go along with it...as you did... Hope you get it all straightened out.... I have never needed to have my band unfilled....but from what I have read from others, is that you just have to start over from square one and work back to that good place....

I knew that whenever this comes up...people completely misunderstand what I am trying to explain... First, people automatically assume my band is tight..it is not tight..I eat things other people here cannot, and vice-versa.... I do not crush my pills and I take some large gell caps....I have not had a stuck episode for over 2 years now...I eat good..I have never been healthier....I can drink carbonated drinks with no problem...people with tight bands cannot....nor can they keep foods down without a problem...... It is not about restriction to the point you cannot eat...it is a mental thing...hard to explain, but the mere presence of the band, properly adjusted, sends a signal to my brain that I am full, satisfied, whatever , as though I have just finished a 5 course meal........and because I am full I do not need to eat, there fore I am simply not hungry, and do not have cravings.......but I know the difference and can eat through the mental part of it.... I have been making my own smoothie for Breakfast even since being banded...it is better nutritionally than anything anyone could possibly eat.... It has become a health fad with all people, just about everyone I know is doing it now....and blenders, magic bullets, etc, sales are everywhere... Whether I was banded or not I would do it simply for health benefits.... BTW, I use Almond Milk to make my smoothies.... Below is the Yellow-Green-Red chart my Dr. has always used for fills, and under the Green Zone is simply says no hunger....you can interpret that how ever you wish. I also attached a photo of the Vitamins I take every morning, with my smoothie before heading to the gym to run my 5 miles.... \ \ \ One thing I have learned is that everyone is different and many people here have different views as to how they have become successful...

It's worth noting....when I first came here to this site 3 years ago...all the veterans who were here 3 years before me, found their 100% successful journeys by saying they had no hunger...period. Green = No Hunger.... Now all those veterans have moved on, as all of us eventually will... And Today.... The new veterans taking their place and sharing their 100% success completing THEIR weight loss journeys, advocate no hunger just for a few hours, between meals... Interesting how beliefs change....but there are a few of us still around...... But for all I care, as long as an individual has found their way to be 100% successful, and has completed their weight loss programs, why should I care how they did it...as long as they did it and that's what counts...my experience and success is just one more example.... And eventually I will move on also....

YES...I am never hungry either...and along with that I have no interest in food or eating.... I have to remind myself I need to eat, otherwise I can, and have, gone 24hrs without food.... Some people only experience this a few hours between meals, which I experienced after my 2nd fill....but now, since my last and final fill, I have it 24 hrs a day, whether I eat or not.... As far as loosing too much, with my Dr.'s advice, I let it go until my body leveled out all on it's own at a healthy point...as long as I maintain my daily Protein intake... I also check my body fat% and body mass by having a full body analysis done every 6 weeks or so......staying within healthy "fit" ranges....I do not rely on the scale anymore, nor are BMI charts any good.... My body fat % is below normal, it is in the "Fit" or "Athletic" range...if I should loose any more weight, it would not be fat...therefore it would not be healthy.... It has been this way for me for 2-1/2 years, ever since hitting the "Green" zone.....have not had a single complication as of yet....have plenty of energy...exercise everyday (running 5 miles) and working my job 8 hrs plus, 5 days a week... So for me...life is good....and my Dr.(s) could not be more pleased..... Also, I should add...along with my appetite leaving, my "Tastes" have changed dramatically....things I used to love now have no taste at all....and they change all the time...

Do you mean the port and not the band? The port is attached to the abdominal wall, or supposed to be, and can pull and tear at the muscles, causing pain....especially when your abbs get tighter and flatter....

Just to understand what you're saying.....your band got tight, because you could not control your eating and gained 50 lbs....so then you had saline taken out...is that correct? I won't comment until I get it straight....

You're still very early in the game.....takes a while to get there... Here is an example what it is like for me.... Breakfast...had my usual Protein fruit smoothie...and my coffee, before heading out to work (no gym today) lunch..was Wendy's chili and some crackers....... dinner...Tonight my Wife and I went out to dinner...I started with a cup of chowder, had only 1/2 of it...then I had broiled shrimp with Spinach and mashed potatoes on the side...I ate 3 shrimp,(and that was tough) a little spinach, and only tasted the mashed potatoes...then for dessert I stole a little of my wife's cheesecake... That's it..and I had a hard time eating that! I cannot possibly eat another thing, and probably won't till lunch tomorrow... I do not count calories, but as you can see, due to the band, My hunger and portions are limited, not by me, but because of the band......tomorrow will be a little different, weekends always are, but in the big picture I eat considerably less than what I used to... But it did not happen immediately after surgery....I have been banded for 3 years now...

Extreme cold or heat would have to change your body's core temperature...and that's not going to happen...if it does....then....

I have been buying these at my local grocery Store and keep some in the fridge....they're great to throw one in my Briefcase to have during the day... I especially like the "Arabica Coffee" one...but they have many flavors and varieties...as well as different brands...it is becoming fashionable to drink health shakes - smoothies and Juices, instead of a heavy meal........with people who have not even WLS... \ \

Had my visit with my PCP today.....first a little background. I see my PCP every 4 months...used to be every 3 months, preceded by complete lab workup 1 week prior to each visit, for the last 5-6 years!!! ...reason was, we were desperately trying to get all my medical issues under control...everything was completely out of whack...and each visit he would adjust or change all my medications trying to get thing in balance...when one thing was brought under control, another thing would go off the scale...all the while my Diabetes was getting worse and worse....while all this was going on, Cardiac issues were discovered and I had to undergo cardiac surgery... Seemed like there was no hope, and I could read the frustration in my Dr....knowing that other complications were to develop..... Fast Forward.....as a LAST RESORT...I had Lap Band surgery 3 yrears ago...I did not like the idea, but I wanted a "Cure All" to my many medical problems... Today...all my blood work is right down the middle NORMAL !!!....and that is without the help of any drugs...I am no longer taking any meds, other than Cardiac Meds which I will for life because of Heart Attack.... My weight has not changed in 2 years, and fluctuates within the same 5 lbs...today was the lower end of the 5 lbs making it that much more sweet! My weight is the same as it was in High School, over 40 years ago! My Dr. said when he saw my name on the chart, it drew an image of who I was...but when he walked in the exam room, he thought either I was the wrong person, or he was in the wrong room...took him a minute, and he said it "Blew his mind" after he put 2 and 2 together... THE ONLY Blip on the radar, was my Fasting Glucose was HIGH, and my A1C was at the top of normal...he laughed it off, said after the holidays with all the partying and alcohol, whose blood sugar isn't going to be high? He would think differently of me if it wasn't (a Joke) Now everyday I can pat myself on the back, after getting on the scale or putting on normal fitting clothes, etc... BUT THIS....This makes it official....I have been examined and tested medically, and have passed the test!!! I am Bonifide!! I have my annual Nuclear Stress test in March...I CAN'T WAIT!!! I had them talking around the office last year...This year I'm gonna show them what this 62 year old man can do....I have been running my butt off - LITERALLY...5 days a week......my PCP says considering the strides I have made, I should ask to be taken off the Cardiac Meds...I'm not your usual cardiac patient.... My visits to the Bariatric Center are pretty much the same....they ask me one question.."Any Complaints?" I say "No", they weigh me in, then it becomes a 1 hour social visit with the staff talking shop.....I go back in May, and I think as an inside Joke, I'm going to bring them a couple dozen do-nuts for the break room.... Days like today...it just cannot get any better than this...what can happen that would be better??? It is a confirmation that everything I have gone through, and everything I am currently doing has been "Spot On"..at least for me...I would not, and will not change a thing....this type of affirmation will carry me for quite a while.... I am also on firm footing not to let the Negative Naysayers get to me....no possible way am I going to get sucked down.... I will NEVER make excuses or back down from what this surgery has done for me...never rationalize it away, never make it more difficult then it actually is, only confusing and clouding the issues..... I'm happy right where I am at....and I have no intention of ever changing that no matter what others may say....they have their success stories, I have mine, and that's all there is to it....Happy happy, Happy....Everybody's Happy. i HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO DOUBTS.......I'M WALKING ON AIR.... PS; I realize that many, the majority, of people here are just starting out, so I know I have to be careful of what I may say so as not to mis lead anyone....all I can say is follow your Dr.'s advice, and learn to THINK about what is happening.....and ask WHY....

It's not that you are telling yourself NOT to eat, by will power...it is like you said...Not wanting to eat..NO HUNGER or interest...that is the band talking...not you....a true sign of the Green Zone.... Many people get it, then it fades, perhaps just from a little swelling.....which is normal in the beginning...but you are getting a taste - feel as to what the band can do.... Some people get it between meals...some like me experience it 24hrs a day...whatever...as long as you get it! I hope it sticks with you...