B-52

Sounds like my kind of gal....

Weight loss will build your own self confidence, and general over all well being, self respect, an overwhelming feeling of accomplishment...more out going, and a positive attitude all of which is contagious to others.... I cannot begin to explain how much my social life has increased...people pop up out of nowhere and talk and treat you as though you have always been friends... Some days I can't get through my workout at the gym! YES...it is all thanks to the band and what it can do for us in more ways imaginable.... In spite of other peoples lack of faith, and negativity in this weight loss surgery, I LOVE MY NEW LIFE!!!

Same here...3 years coming up, don't worry about calories either...just learned to eat right.... Below goal also...way y Dr. explains it...if you are truly living the new life with the band, and not dieting, then your body will self adjust to your new ways of eating - living...it will return to where it should be...NORMAL! Congratulations...enjoy your new life after the weight loss phase...it's indescribable, isn't it...

BS Stories is right.....EVERYTHING cause slippage it seems.....a bunch of hysteria if you ask me..... As far as shakes, I have a high Protein, home made smoothie every morning, made from fresh ingredients....at least 35 gm of protein....that's a lot off eggs!

Ask your Dr.....it was one of the first tings I asked him....I was released 1 week after surgery, but told to keep heavy lifting to a minimum for at least 3 weeks.... Again...ask your Dr......what If I said you can exercise 3 hours after surgery? No? then how about 12 hours...1 day? 3 days?....1 week??? 3 weeks??? There are some questions that should not be asked on the internet from strangers....there are people here that will tell you just about anything...even those who never exercise will give their advice....

Have to ask... Have you ever had true restriction in the first place??? There are many people here who have very little faith in their bands and rely on their own self determination and motivation, which over time can wane.... If So.... In all that time, have you ever taken a break from eating, gone all liquids to give the band/pouch a rest??? My last fill was 2-1/2 years ago...it feels as fresh today as it did my last fill....however, there will come times when I notice I am able to eat more than usual..larger portion sizes than my band will normally allow.... It is then I will go all liquids...smoothies, Soups, etc, for 2-3 days at least...then re-introduce foods with a day of mushies...at which time I feel my band is as good as new.... I do this at lest every 6 weeks or so..... Dr.'s will take Fluid out of your band to give it a rest...easier to rely on people promising not to eat for a few days... Some people call this the "5 Day pouch Test" (why, I'll never know) I see no reason that the band would change over time, once you get it at it's optimal working state, other than working it constantly and possibly stretching....OR one could loose fluid somehow.... Of course this only works for those whose bands are turley doing the work, and not that of themselves....I have heard people say they will do the Pouch test in an attempt to get something they never had in the first place....does not work that way...

I Could never do it...tried and failed, So I had lap band surgery to do what ME could never have done..... And yes, thanks to the lap band, I lost 100 lbs, easily.... The only thing ME had to do was comply with the band and let it do the things it was meant to do....otherwise, why go through the surgery if I had no faith in it?? You will hear people loosing more than that, but remember...the heavier you are when you start, the more one will loose... Some people have lost well over a 100lbs, and IMO they are just starting.....

only 2??? Ask your question here and I'm sure you're going to get a lot more "Opinions" I'd say do what works for you...everyone is different even though there are people who refuse to admit that.... Myself? I have absolutely no eating schedule, other than a high protein organic smoothie in the early morning to get me started.... There's a woman in one of my groups who has about 5-6 small snacks throughout the day, because her band limits her intake...and her Dr. suggested she do this....

How much is in your band now? How many fills prior....? Everything you mention sounds like you're there.....for me, after my last fill, I was definitely in the green but it took me a good 2 months, at least, to get it all figured out....it is a balancing act with a lot of different variables....learning a new lifestyle where all those rules started to come into play... But the more I learned and practiced how to live with it, the easier it became....and now it is a no thought, day to day common thing...without any complications and little worries. I have not been stuck nor slimed in over 2 years now....and I am never hungry, not just between meals...and my food portions are limited by the band, making it impossible to over eat, even if I wanted to. Which I don't.

My point is, I've been there, done that BEFORE having this surgery....dieted and fell off the wagon 100's of time...for all sorts of reasons, some rational, some not....I was a looser....with no hope! This surgery changed all that...it changed my life....it is doing everything I hoped it would, and more... And I'll shout it from the mountaintops to anyone willing to listen....for me, it has been THAT GOOD! Nothing short of a miracle.... It pains me to think people would go through all this, only to sell the lap band surgery short...I want everyone to succeed, but it is up to each individual.....

I don't understand how people on a website assume they know me, or that my band is tight.... I take these pills every morning, without crushing them: A person with a tight band could never do that... \ \ \ \ I feel a properly adjusted band will put me in the Green Zone...and the characteristics of being in the Green speak for themselves.... That is why I elected to have surgery in the first place...to do for me what I could not do on my own... The band is adjustable and everyone has the choice to have it at their comfort level..there is no right or wrong...

Sorry, but I'm still having a tough time understanding how someone can fall off the band-wagon, short of having some fluid taken out of their band... I know it is a common occurrence, I read it here all the time...people looking to get back on track.... I read all the posts.....but keep my mouth shut because i don't understand it....

My tastes for foods definitely changed has my hunger diminished....it's all mental, definitely from the band...foods I used to love have no flavor, and I am not interested in them any more... Being in the Green Zone...I have very little interest in food, my tastes for foods has changed...things just don't taste good enough to eat....I no longer have any hunger / cravings.... Been that way for a while, still like that today....

Red meat was one of the first foods to go...Mr surgeon said it was not uncommon with the band.... Anyone who has worked around the elderly (geriatrics) knows you will never find beef on their menu's...does not go well with the digestive tract.... It did make my other Dr,'s thrilled to death...they have been trying to get me to quit for years.... It has been over 2 1/2 years now....and I can definitely feel/see the results. People say they would have turkey burgers, etc in place of beef...but it is the consistency that interferes with the band...and they go to great lengths to make the turkey, tofu, just like beef...so that's out also. I stopped Red Meat because the band would not let me do so easily...I'm beginning to cut back on chicken for health reasons....

AMEN!!! It's a Lifestyle...new habits you carry with you for the rest of your life...day to day...not a constant struggle. Who wants to live like that? That's why I feel this has been the best decision ever!

Other people are telling her what she should and should not do???? Bottom line...this is between you and your band....no 2 people are the same. Things that I eat, others find they cannot eat....and vice versa. Example...I take about 8 pills every morning...4 of them liquid gell caps...I swallow all of them Whole, and don't have a single problem...other people say they have to crush their pills... I drink carbonated beverages from time to time...others cannot. I cannot eat red meat, rice, bread, Pasta, etc to name a few...others say they do not have any problems... It's all about YOU and YOUR band....IMO the key to success is for people to get to know THEIR Bands, and learn to LISTEN to THEIR Bands, not other people's bands.... For me to know what your band is saying to you, or what you are experiencing, would be ridiculous!!! Other to say some things I have, and am now experiencing, perhaps someone else may recognize as something they're experiencing.... I cannot tell other people what's causing their heartburn.... I Cannot tell other people why it hurts when they swallow... I cannot tell other people what that lump in their throat is.... And I certainly cannot tell other people what they should or should not be eating.... I can ONLY share what me and my band can and cannot do...and that's it... These other 2 people should do the same...share what they can and cannot eat, and explain why they are that way.... (Sorry, BIG Pet peeve of mine....Psuedo self proclaimed Experts that feel they need to express their authority over others to make themselves feel important...yet they have NEVER been there or done that !!!!) Don't try to tell me what Paris is like in the Springtime if you have never been there yourself....

Congratulations....This Thing DOES WORK...in spite of all the people who complain and are unhappy!!! I looked at your profile....you're 5'3", and yet you set a goal of only 160 pounds..... Don't sell the band short!!!! It is a lifestyle, not a diet..... A diet we can start and stop whenever we choose, perhaps at the weight we desire....but this is SURGERY...forever changing the way we eat...a new way of life..... having said that, our bodies will continue to loose, as we eat a new way, and our bodies will stop loosing when it feels like it...when it settles out to a NORMAL, HEALTHY place...where is SHOULD BE but was unable because of the bad habits we had....but with this new lifestyle, we have new habits...permanently! The only way we can ever gain any weight back would be to start overeating again, and that is impossible to do with a properly adjusted band.... Most stories I hear of people gaining weight back are usually associated with getting Fluid taken out of their bands....

I really liked the Title of your Post, but then you went on and complained, making it a bad thing.... I know many people from support groups, etc, because of the post-op swelling, etc, have experienced this if not for a short time period...NO HUNGER and INABILITY to overeat...generally they are thrilled, thinking that is all there is to it........but it is short lived when the inflammation goes away...only to have to go through bandster Hell to get back to that place...Green Zone.. I have no hunger, no appetite, and the thought of certain foods...foods I used to LOVE, makes me nauseated...as does watching other people eat like pigs! It does give newly banded folks a "Taste" of what is to come in the future when their band is adjusted with fills, mimicking the inflammation they have now....giving them motivation for good things to come.... The process of band adjustments is spread over time so we can slowly adjust ourselves to a new lifestyle, a lifestyle that is NOT just a figure of speech....I recall a conversation with my Dr. and he said Imagine if everyone had their bands fully adjusted on the operating table...it would be disastrous...but that is were they eventually wind up, slowly over time.... But you are one of those feeling it all instantly...not good and can be quite a shock.... When that day does come, by then hopefully you will have learned a whole new way of eating, both in the manner and the types of foods, in order to coexist with the band and be truly successful... As others have said, this is short lived....

I remember the first time feeling that way also...after going to the gym on a regular schedule, and starting to loose weight....I had to p/u my daughter from the airport...parked what seemed like miles away, had to walk all the way to the terminal...I was amazed how strong and confident each step was...made me stand a little taller and walked a little stronger and faster.... Nothing simple about it at all....before surgery I would have stopped to catch my breath every 5 minutes...I really felt the difference and was proud of myself....

For the lap band, think of your pouch/band as a funnel....you can pour liquids into the funnel and it will go right thru with no problem providing you don't pour too much too fast....otherwise it will overflow...I've had it happen on Water alone..... Now, think about food passing through the funnel....a lot slower, also blocking the narrow passage.....add water on top of that and it's not pretty.... Dr.s say an hour? I've never waited that long for all to pass, but I've had food come back up over 1/2 hour if I drink too soon....

I can't see how the two can be related.....take a anti acid and see if that helps....you can have heart burn from irritation. Pain does have a habit of radiating at times....and everyone always thinks of their bodies as one or two dimensional. My reflux used to give pain at my right scapula.....

I will drink right up to I start to eat....once I start eating, I CANNOT drink anything unless I want it to all come right back up....I have learned the hard way.... Once I'm done eating, I gave to wait until I know it's safe....a little sip here and there and heed feedback from the band.....I have drank 20 minutes after eating and got into trouble....but it varies depending on what I ate, I guess.... Some people are afraid of washing food down....that is not the case with me...it must have something to do with how much restriction you have, I guess.

Head hunger is very real..... but then so is the Band! Early on I was very weak when it came to eating/snacking due to head hunger....but after a few fills, my band began to take over..... I would still grab and snack on foods, but because of the band I would take one bite and then have to throw it away.....and wonder why I did it in the first place... I can't remember how many donuts I did that with.....eventually the habit goes away.....call it behavior modification due to the band..... How many times does one have to stick their hand in the fire before they learn they will get burnt every time they do it....sooner or later.....

My Dr. clearly stated that once I had the surgery, his next goal was to get me into the "green zone" through a series of adjustments....until then, it was up to me to fight off hunger and determine portion sizes....

First, whose goal weight are you at? Yours? or the weight you should be at.....I ask because I had a few goals set for myself, I when I reached them I just kept on loosing....until my body "settled" at the weight it should be at, with a very low body fat %....there is simply nothing left to loose without it being unhealthy..... As for fills....I can only share how my Dr. determined if I needed a fill or not....HIS goal was to get me comfortably into the "Green" Zone, and stay there....he made that very plain to me right after surgery that that was our next phase..... When I had an office visit, he would refer to the "Yellow-Green-Red" chart he has hanging on the wall, and ask me a few questions to determine where I was in relation.....even if I had lost weight, he would be just as concerned about the OTHER attributes as well......so if I said I was struggling as all hell to combat hunger/cravings, that would NOT the green Zone, and he would feel I needed another adjustment.... But that was MY Dr......you need to tell your Dr. exactly what you're experiencing with this Weight Loss Surgery and where that all fits into his/her treatment plan..... Lots of people say they have their goals...but this is not a diet...I cannot stop this when I want to, unless I should get some Fluid taken out allowing me to eat larger portions more often....but I'm not going to do that. I have a hard time understanding how other people say they have a goal and will stop there....