B-52

It is a GREAT FEELING when, for the first time in long time, you begin to feel a difference.... I first noticed it at an airport, parked a long way from the terminal...and had to walk...I was also pressed for time....

Your Protein, whether fish, meat, whatever, should be no larger than your fist...that is the rule of thumb I leaned from dieting over the years.... Now, I let my band do it.... Also, I have been gaining and loosing within the same 5 lb range for over 2 years now...it's normal, and changes everyday...

Like I said, even though my morning readings continue to be high, overall things improved and I eventually got off all meds... I don't check my blood sugar all that much any more either...my A1C's have been good for 2 years now...

Are you saying your band all of a sudden started to act this way the same time you found dental problems? An infection? That's interesting...

I was Dx'd with Diabetes 6 years ago....subsequent to my surgery and weight loss, it has totally reversed....no more meds or injections!!! Having said that....my Glucose levels are always high first thing in the morning...always have been and still are today.. I get full lab work done every 4 months, and my fasting Glucose is always around 127 or so....but my A1C's are always good...and now, a little low which concerns my PCP a little.... He told me that some people just have high levels in the morning...just the way it is....

When was your surgery.... Which Doc put you on and took you off the med? Your Surgeon or your Primary? And did he say why? Was it immediately following surgery? or later..... And what was the reason you were taking it in the first place...for stiff joints? or was it related directly to your edema... I have had one heart Attack, and Cardiac Surgery...since then I have been on blood thinners along with low dose aspirin for over 3 years now...I simply stopped it 10 days before surgery, and was told to stay off it for 2 weeks following for bleeding issues...but since then it has been a daily ritual.... I have an appointment with My cardiologist in March, going to talk to him about getting off it since everything about my health has dramatically improved if not totally reversed.... And that is something you can look forward to also....an over whelming # of people have undergone WLS primarily due to poor health associated with Obesity.... There are many success stories here from people regaining their health after loosing the weight.... Speaking for myself, I had numerous health issues...and my Dr. had no reservations saying I would be lucky to live 2-3 more years....and then not a very good quality of life... But after WLS, and dropping the weight, I have totally regained my health, many issues no longer exist! I am off almost all my meds, and I have NO HEALTH COMPLAINTS.... I could go on about many other things, but you get the picture....

Looks Yummy! Unfortunately I can eat EVERY thing there including cupcakes, I probably can eat 3 cup cakes in 1 sitting! I don't keep my band dangerously too tight to not eat junk food...LOL...they will slide right down... I have to have disciplineI 've made the same decision since I'afraid of possible issues caused by a tight band. I have to rely on my willpower and sense of discipline. But when it comes to chocolate..willpower doesn't work, because mine is addiction! Maybe I had better not eat chocholate at all. Have you ever heard a doctor telling a drug addict : " have just a bit" ? How do you know when your band is too tight that it is "Dangerous" ??? I hear many people say this, and It is true...it can be too tight...but how do you know when it is???

The ONLY reason I had the surgery was because I could never loose weight on my own...it is something I wish I had not needed to do...bit I made the best of it... Have you thought of other WLS ?...such as the sleeve procedure? If I ad to do it all over again, that is where i would be looking....

Having this surgery was the best thing I could have ever done for myself....I am the same weight I was in High School over 40 years ago,,,, And you're absolutely correct...it's not about #'s...it is about eating the way we were meant to...and not the way that made us Obese...simply getting back to that healthy lifestyle, everything else will take care of itself, and the #'s will follow on their own....eat normal, exercise normal, and have a normal body.....

Are you able to eat, or drink I should say, anything else...water? broth? When you say you cannot tolerate it, what does that mean exactly...cannot swallow? Pain? or are you just feeling bloated and gassy, or something else.... Jan 20th, you just had surgery, not even a week....you just might need to continue to rest and heal, and don't force anything....

As far as warning people to be cautious and careful, you are correct...everyone should be careful in everything they do... I need to be careful when I cross the street or I might get hit by a bus.... But I am mindful that things can happen with this surgery...but what is one supposed to do to take care of their band? Follow the rules? For me, the only things I am mindful of, is that I am careful to "Listen" to my band, and not fight it...the band will remind me what rules to follow, and when....when it says stop, I stop...when it says slow down, I slow down...same as it telling me smaller bites...chew better....or do not eat this type of food!....believe me, if I do not, my band will let me know it.... I am one of those who drink carbonated drinks (Not soda)....don't condone it to everyone, but again, when I do drink it, I am listening to my band with every sip! I read here all the time, people complaining they are suffering from this and that, and I sometimes wonder, are they fighting their bands? And not respecting the signals by changing their ways to meet the bands demands? If they're fighting it, they're asking for trouble.... I am also a believer, having been at my optimal weight for 2 years now, that I need to go all liquids for 2-3 days, every so often, just to give everything a rest, and perhaps some healing I'm not even aware about... There are signs as to when I should do this, but that is another topic.... But just as I go to the gym often, and run, I also need to have some down time, or I'm headed for a injury... It is true, there is a high band failure rate...don't know the %, and Dr.'s are promoting other WLS ... I did talk to my surgeon about this....I'M NOT SAYING THIS IS YOUR CASE.....BUT he told me the rates of success are lower than he would like to see, mainly because of Patient Non-compliance....patients have to much control with the Lap Band...other surgeries, it is what it is...no adjusting...

First, I'm not sure what people are talking about when they say "Feeling Full"...and ":Fuller for longer"...obvious the people saying this are not banded...I have NEVER felt full....nor see how it is possible... Myself, crunchy foods are at the top of my "Do not eat list"....raw vegetables, things breaded and deep fried...they are just too harsh passing through my band, and I can feel it....especially since I cannot drink while eating either.... But then it all depends upon how your band is adjusted, if at all....there can be a vast difference....

You'll be fine as long as you follow your Dr.'s directions, from visit to visit.... Sometimes learning and reading too much only adds to the confusion...I know I read everything I could get my hands on prior, and to be honest...most of it was very basic, and common sense...I learned more from experience in the first few weeks, months, by "Being there..doing that"

Your topic title says "I wish I hadn't gotten the sleeve", yet you talk about complications from the band?? Is it the other way around? Did they ever offer an explanation as to the cause of your band to slip? And it slipped down?

Manchester....as in the UK? If so, I'd love to sign up....but the Concord is no longer in service for me to make the weekly meetings....

Welcome...sounds like you got your head screwed on right! Just be warned....this website has over 200 thousand members? Which means you are going to hear just about anything at anytime....it can get very confusing, perhaps negative....don't take any of it personal...it is THE INTERNET after all, not your friends and family.... You cannot be too sensitive and thin skinned.... I for one, am glad I did not find this group until AFTER I had my surgery... But like I said...sounds as though you've got a good grasp on things, so you can already sift through plenty of the "Talk" and focus on what's important.... Good luck...you'll do just fine.

Every visit to my surgeon, he would ask me a few questions about my hunger, cravings, eating....then, using the Yellow-Green-Red chart on the wall, he would ask me to point to exactly where I felt I was...he would look at my current weight compared to last visit, determine my average weight loss,....THEN determine if I needed a fill or not.... He made it very clear, even before I had the surgery, that the goal was to get me to the Green Zone as fast as I can tolerate....and that he did...took about 3-4 months to do it....THEN it took me about 2-3 months to adjust myself to the band so we both were in sync...THEN it all became heaven...no more bandster hell.... It's all about loosing weight....no matter how we do it....If I could loose on my own, then I would not have needed surgery...the same goes for fills....if I lost weight with no fills, then that is all that matters also....but for me, it took a few fills before I started loosing, and that is all the matters to me,.... Everyone has to find their own "Groove"....

In the beginning you will find you can eat jut about anything, and will have to force yourself to stay away from the foods high in calories...as the band gets adjusted, you will start to find there are foods that are less tolerable to swallow... The more you get adjusted...more restriction, the more types of foods that will become difficult, and perhaps some impossible... But keep in mind, the band is adjustable...so depending where you choose to have it adjusted will dictate the feedback it gives....and people will choose to have their bands adjusted to their liking... I like where I am at, and have been for over 2-1/2 years now, coasting along with little or no effort... Myself, I no longer eat anything made of dough, such as bread, pies, do-nuts, Pasta, etc, etc... I no longer eat meat...no longer eat rice, potatoes unless they're mashed........cannot tolerate anything breaded and deep fried.... I DO drink carbonated drinks, including beer...but I DO NOT recommended it to everybody, especially if you are just starting out...there is more important things to learn... It's funny though, majority of foods I no longer eat, are not foods good for me in the first place, and many are high in carbs... so I am not complaining, and it turns out there is a silver lining to it all....

I was at a support group once, and someone called this WLS a "Controlled Starvation"....I tend to agree. Ans speaking for myself, never had an issue with "Too Few Calories", and found the opposite to be true for me.

I do not know much about Gastric and Sleeve Patients.....but it is clear from your explanation that one thing is true regardless of how you do it...the less calories = more weight lost...add exercise on top of that to burn what calories you do eat, and PRESTO! Always has been, always will be.... It's good to know, from my experience anyway, that given the fact we banders adsorb 100% of the calories, I eat considerably less because of the band, so less calories to adsorb.....I quess it all evens out...

Interesting...wonder why bypass and sleeve patients loose more weight per month.... Sounds like even some of the medical staff are delivering these exaggerated #'s and this increases our weight loss expectations when in all actuality, I've not found any of this to be so. I've seen 10lbs+ a month with the gastric bypass and sleeve patients. 10lbs a month with lap band has to come along with a 1,200 calorie diet, no carbs, and a ton of cardio. Just my observation from my last 5-6 months being banded. I'm a Bander, and for a 7-8 month stretch, following my last and final fill, I was averaging at least 2 lbs a week, so that would be app. 8 lbs a month...average...I believe I had at least one 10lb month that I can remember...I had a 5lb loss one week in the month...then things started to level out as I got closer to a low body fat %.... And I never counted calories..still don't...that may have something to do with it...not sure. And I am a Gym Rat for sure.....

Sorry to hear about your loss.....and yes, Dieting can be tough.....

Everyone is definitely different on this one.....I take my daily vitamins/supplements whole.....others cannot.... But post surgery...I would go liquid....due to the probable post op inflammation.... What did your Dr. Advise? That is more important than what strangers may tell you.....

Seems that many who have gained weight back, have had issues with the band, and not that of teir own doing....such as your story...... If me, I would concentrate on getting my band back in tip top working order....

In my experience, rules are guide lines, that mean very little in the beginning.... I've been told no bread and no heavy steak ever again. I'm confused. Did anyone else get these rules? Also no asparagus I was told, and given a handout with a list of do's and don't s, many of which made absolutely no logical sense....and I told them what I thought....both the Dr and NUT laughed at me and said "Learn them to memory now...there will come a day you will HAVE to live by them...just wait and see...." And they were right....now, if I don't follow certain rules, I would not be able to eat at all.....nothing would stay down unless I follow certain guidelines, and stay away from certain foods..... And learn I did...THE HARD WAY, from numerous stuck episodes and other problems, that were not there in the beginning... So, eating meat and bread, as well as many other things like rice and Pasta, may not make sense to you right now...but eventually, it might mean whether you are successful or not... I read many posts were people get that fill, and then are very upset they can't get anything down, they're getting stuck, etc....then go back and get a un-fill.....THEN turn around and say the band is not working, they're not loosing, etc....and then they are told they have to do all those things you would do on a traditional diet, as though they never even had the surgery....and that it is hard work! I'm not speaking for everybody, but I do see this vicious cycle.....perhaps, if they learned the rules in the beginning so that when they did reach that place,after a few fills perhaps, they would not have had so many problems? And would not have been so quick to blame the band? Just a thought....