B-52

For me....I have no interest in food, and no interest in eating most of the time...in other words, no hunger...I know may people say no hunger between meals, but remember the band is adjustable and no 2 people are the same....so for everyone it is their choice... Also, I can eat just so much, then I have to stop....making my portion sizes automatically set...AND making it impossible to over eat.... When I have those 2 things going for me, then I have good steady weight loss, which equals complete patient satisfaction.... It was hard work for me to get to that perfect balancing point, took a good 4-6 months after surgery with aggressive fills....there were a few times I wanted to give up and go and get some Fluid taken out to make things easier...but in my case, I'm glad I did not because things did settle down and I found that "Groove" I believe many people choose not to pursue it but fall short..which is OK because that is one of the good things about this surgery is YOU finding YOUR comfort level...and where YOU choose to be is not right or wrong, and should not be considered the ONLY avenue as some here believe...(Their way is the only way) But once I did get through that difficult struggling period (Bandster hell)...it has been all an effortless coasting downhill ever since!!! Another perk I enjoy being in the Green Zone....for over 2 years now, consistently with no problems what so ever... But again, it is important to know that everyone is different....there is no right or wrong, just examples of how everyone has found their success and happiness.....or lack thereof...and it is up to you and your Dr. how you want to proceed wit tis journey...no one Else's.

That is EXACTLY what the band has done for me...it has changed everything there is wen it comes to eating.... NO Hunger...no interest in food, no cravings, tastes for foods have changed 180 degrees...many foods do not appeal to me anymore. SMALL portions....cannot overeat - impossible...can only eat so much and then I am done.... NO Fear of ever gaining weight or being fat again...I hear many people say this, but for now, I cannot imagine how that can happen to me as long as the band is there doing it's job...if I am never hungry, and it is impossible to over eat??? STEADY Weight loss....with very little struggle...easiest thing I have ever done...if you read the above, what is so hard??? FREEDOM from Diets, Counting Calories, etc, etc...This is a new lifestyle...NOT another diet! I eat very little, and very seldom...all I need to do is make wise intelligent food choices and I'm set. Speaking for myself, I refuse to call the band a tool....a tool is something I Use...like a hammer, I am in control and can choose when to use it or not at all.. if I had that type of control, I would have failed at this a long time ago.... In my case, I want and HAVE the band to be in complete control of me...making it impossible for me to ever cheat, and ultimately fail.... Having said all that, I have lost all the possible excess weight that is healthy to loose...eating "Normally" again, my body simply and gradually returned to a a healthy state of balance, weight and fat%...and as long as the band is in control..(not me)..I will continue to live a effortless life style having created new habits where i do not even have to remind myself anymore of what is needed to be done. This is obviously not the way everyone follows the band...it IS ADJUSTABLE enabling it to suit the path you choose to follow with it. There is no right or wrong.....it is how YOU choose to live with it along with you Dr.'s guidance for your success, and no one Else's...that is what it is all about after all...your decision and your health/weight loss.... For me..it IS a Miracle Device! Nothing could have been better or easier...granted, I could have the band adjusted differently, changing the ground rules for me...but I am extremely happy with this point of perfect balance....and when people say it is difficult...it is difficult for them..and should not say it has to be difficult for everybody! So much for my rant, off to the gym at 5am....

I have a machine capable of making juices...and I do occasionally have one made fresh at the juice bar at my health club...my son buys all the ingrediants and makes a juice every day with my machine.... My problem is this...since being banded, my focus is always on Protein....protein, protein protein....every restaurant, menu, etc, I'm always focused on it... I Don't see it it with juicing....tell me a recipe that will give me 35gm as I get with a smoothie and I will be converted because I love the thought of a nutritional home made juice.....as a possible Meal Replacement, it has to have high protein....otherwise my body would waste away.... As far as juice being slider, I don't have that problem because my hunger is under control whether I eat or not...the band is always there, so my hunger is also under control, and the magic is there 24 hrs a day.......and because my hunger / appetite is always checked, I stopped worrying about calories or carbs a long time ago.... I do need to stay away from fatty foods because of my history with clogged arteries and subsequent heart surgery. I have lost all the excess weight my body has to give up, with very little body fat% left....without protein, bad things would start to happen. A TRUE starvation mode...not the pseudo one newbies fear all the time....So it is even more important to me now than ever before.

I no longer have sugar cravings anymore since being banded....but sometimes I;ll eat a hershey's bar or whatever....and I have ice cream often... I don't sweat the small stuff, or worry about the calories, I'm no longer dieting........I look at the big picture...what did I eat the entire day, as compared to what I USED to eat in a entire day....and the answer is VERY LITTLE.... Those days lead to weeks, that lead to months, and eventually leads to a lifetime...a new lifestyle with a new way of eating, and less of it....never having to worry about dieting or gaining weight again. At least that's my story and experience....many others have a different approach....as long as you're successful, what does it matter.

Sounds familiar....after a few times trying to eat one, and after a few times getting stuck trying, the urge - craving totally goes away for the rest of your life!!! there are dozen's of things that no longer tempt, or appeal to e anymore for just that reason. Cupcakes, do-nuts, pastries, bagels, muffins, cake..anything made from from flour/dough...including pizza crust. Love the band...and the behavior modification it brings....

I start with a scoop of 100% whey...then after that I add whatever I'm in the mood for...frozen mixed berries from costco, sometimes a 1/2 banana with some Peanut Butter, pine apple, mango, strawberry, even coffee (espresso) anything your mind can come up with,,,even ice cream!....the ideas are endless.......then I blend with 8-9 oz. of Water, sometimes soy milk.. I even experimented and added some Rum once or twice....it tasted TOO GOOD so I stopped doing that at 7am.... I have to be careful not to make it too thick, else it goes through the band very slowly...I even spit it up on occasion from over filling my pouch...for that reason I do not add ice cubes as many suggest... This has been my breakfast every morning for over 2 years now...I cannot tolerate solids first thing on the morning...besides, what can I possibly eat, and how much....., to match the Protein and nutrition....

I have had mine resized 3 times....and I do not expect to have them made larger in the future.... If you prefer, the jeweler does have a little sleeve he clamps inside to reduce the size, that can hold you over for a little while...the clamp / crimp part is on your palm side so it is not noticeable....

Has that been your experience?? Smoothies do satisfy me, and I have a hard time finishing just one every morning, without taking my time....sometimes I have to take it with me in the car...

The blender is my best friend, and I have used it every morning for breakfast since being banded...so I invested in a top of the line "Vitamix Professional" at Williams & Sonoma for big $$...but it is essential for me to have....

In my case, it all depended upon how much energy I had stored away as fat.....I would work out on a empty stomach, and eat very few calories during the day..probably around 800 calories, wherre one good run can burn well over 600...(I never know for sure because I never count) and probably burned more than I consumed on any given day... But now that my Body Fat % is in the "Fit" range, and I have no fat or weight left to loose, I need something to eat..even if it's a pure liquid Protein shot, before I do my runs....(which I do take...30ml) I run 5 miles a day, 5 days a week, then weights, and attend advance group fitness classes...(Core, boot camp, body pump, etc) And there are days I can't sit still because my energy levels are so high, I'll go back to the gym after work, before eating dinner....so at times I do get 2 workouts a day with very few calories... Marathoners will have Pasta bashes before the day of a race...but they're not trying to loose weight, and are already skinny as a rail with no stored fat to burn.... One thing about trainers, diet guru's, along with their App's....they do not understand life with the Lap band and always want to apply traditional standards....IMO, I am very un-traditional....most times I throw all logic out the window and stick with what works best for me....then change up as I change... There are a few NUTS I work with at one of the Hospitals, and they always want to "Go by the book" not by the case presented before them...

Oh I am very intolerable to the cold....need a electric blanket when I'm watching TV.... Guess that's a trade off after loosing all the insulating Walrus Blubber....but I rather bee skinny and cold than fat and warm....

I'm not sure why you would be afraid of loosing that you would get Fluid taken out....but then that's your business, not mine... In my experience, I found that point of band adjustment to the point where I began to eat "Normal" again, a permanent lifestyle, not a weight loss diet...once I found that "Groove", as per my Dr.'s advice, I simply continued to live this new lifestyle and let my body return to a "Normal" weight....where IT wants to be, not me....

The key for m at that point was to "listen" to the band, as to What, When and How I eat as the band dictated, and sprinkle it with physical activity to burn off the excess.....sounds simple, but it can be as simple as that. It sounds as if you are at the point where your band is talking to you making it possible to "listen"

Depends upon whether you are counting calories or not....my Dr. told me that I needed to loose a certain amount of weight before surgery...he did not care how I did it, just as long as I did.... So really, bottom line is follow your Dr.'s instructions..especially in the very early stages when there is so much yet to learn....

Is it worth it??? It changed, AND saved my life....I too have dieted for over 30 years...up and down, always failing and feeling more down about myself than before...and my medical issues are, WERE too numerous to mention....WERE because they are all gone! So I NEEDED WLS as a last resort...to do what I was unable to do with dieting on my own....surgery to correct my eating habits and personal behavior....And I can not be more pleased with this new life I now have.... For me, I have lost all my excess weight, reaching a good muscle mass and body fat %, all without dieting, counting calories, or any of that stuff that used to drive me crazy....this is truly the easiest thing I could have ever done.... I don't even think about the band, or feel I even had WLS, or the constant worry of loosing weight anymore....people all around me are always commenting how they need to go o a diet etc, etc, and when I hear this it brings a big smile to y face....NO MORE of that for me.... Granted, the first 3-6 months were very hard and frustrating, because the band is adjustable and it can take some time to get everything...including myself and my behaviors, in perfect balance with one another...it can be difficult, and I read here people never finding that balance and always complaining about gaining their weight back, uncontrollable hunger, etc, etc...Most of it, IMO is because the band is adjustable and that is where they choose to be....but it does not make it right or wrong, it's where everyone wants and how to live with it.... But I love it...it is indescribable and way beyond my expectations....it really is a new lifestyle, I never worry about overeating and being fat again.... (cannot ignore the band, and it calls for some routine maintenance...but other than that...) Everyone will have a different story, because everyone IS different, and have their adjustable bands set to their desire...that does not make anyone right or wrong....it is a very flexible thing and it all comes down to how you want to work it...that's another thing people like about it as compared to other surgeries....it is more flexible...

My first 3-4 months after surgery were very frustrating for me also....I even gained weight after my first fill of 4 cc's.... I was very frustrated and felt I wasted my time with all the preparation and build-up....Dr. and staff kept assuring me not to worry, we will get you there..indicating the Green Zone chart on the wall.... Then after my 3rd fill, 3 months after surgery...BAM! Did it ever come...took me a good 2-3 months after that last fill to figure out what was happening and how to adjust my eating, my food choices, and my behavior to exist with the band....I feel many people would not have dealt with it as long as I did, but I'm glad I did....because every since then it has been the EASIEST, most EFFORTLESS thing I could have ever done..ALL my excess weight slowly melted away at a steady weekly rate until my body reached what it considers my optimum muscle mass and fat %.... That was over 2 years ago...have not had a fill since, and the ease of living this new lifestyle is as good today as it was when I finally found that perfect balance of Band fills, eating techniques with choices of food, and plenty of exercise.... So yes...your situation is common...for those first few months, untill the band begins doing it's job....remember, the band is adjustable...meaning you do have a say as to where and how you want to work with it... IMO it is sad may people back down and choose to live with it 50-50 band and good old fashioned will power and dieting...there's not much to say when they "Fall off the wagon"....

My Dr. would refer to the Yellow-Green-Red chart on the wall, and ask me to point to EXACTLY where I felt I was...he would take that info, along with my weight loss/gain from the previous visit, ask a few other questions, then determine if I needed a fill or not, and how much... His goal was always to get me to the Green Zone in order to be at a proper adjustment and have the band work efficiently....so I received 3 good fills, one month apart....meaning my last fill was 3 months after my surgery day....have not had, or needed a fill since then, over 2 years ago...and have been happily enjoying ALL the benefits of the Green Zone ever since.

Not as painful as it is for men!

I did follow your link...I did click to vote, but then a pop up came saying my profile including my friends list, etc, will be made available to others through that site..... Sorry, but exited when I saw that.....there have been other facebook pages - groups that want to post my info / profile also...yours is not unique....I just don't like putting my stuff "out there"

The port should be anchored to the abdominal wall - muscle...under layers of fat, and skin being the top layer...if your port is protruding through the skin, as mine is, Rejoice because that means you do not have much, if any, belly fat... But there is visceral and non visceral fat to contend with.... Also, think about all the stories where Dr.'s can't find the port to do fills, or people having their ports flipped....I know I will never have those problems....port is sandwiched very tightly, in plain site. I can see every nook and cranny, even the tubing coming out the side, traveling 2-3 inches before it goes deep.... Other people in the locker room at the club can see it very plainly and I get asked now and then what is it...I just say I had surgery and it is an implant...no big deal.

If you ran 19 minutes today, there is absolutely no reason you cannot run 19 minutes tomorrow, then the next day, and so on...then 30 minutes and so forth..... That is how I motivated myself....I built off of previous accomplishments...do it once, can do it again, no reason I cannot.... I now run 5 miles a day in 45 minutes as a routine...I kept telling myself I did it yesterday, I can surely do it today..... .tell myself that everyday and now, it is as natural and routine as can be.....I could do more but I get bored after 45 minutes....so I stop there....but I have been increasing my speed, staying within the 45 minutes = using the speed setting as my new motivation and goals...again, I ran at 8mph yesterday, can do it today...right? And if I do it today, which I will because I know I can, no reason I can't do it tomorrow.... When I was doing the program you are doing, I always had to stop and start over from the beginning if I got interrupted....and if I could not finish the day/session, I would go back and start over at the beginning of the week and work back to the day I had a problem with. I wanted to be sure that when I finished the program, I was actually trained and in shape to do it everyday, not to say I completed it as in a competition....

I enjoy whatever foods I wish...and what the band allows me to eat...in other words I don't feel guilty with things like chips and salsa, or ice cream etc... For me, this is not a daily, hourly diet...it is a new lifestyle..and that means I have to look at the big picture and that is, on any given day, I eat about 1/10th of what I was capable of before being banded.....add plenty of calorie burning exercise on top of that and I'm good to go.... Have to careful though...since the band only allows so much food intake, it is in my best interest to make that food choice as healthy as possible...not calorie counting....

I was experiencing the reflux everyone talks about....found I had to cut way back on hot-spicy foods....since I figured this out I have not had any issues....

I'm Curious...I have been reading many posts lately from people stating how much weight they have been loosing prior to having their surgery.....how succesful and proud of themselves they are... One person reported how much weight they have lost, how much they love to go to the gym, and stated that food has no control over them.....they are in control!!! Another poster was bragging...and rightfully so, how they have lost over 70 lbs so far, prior to getting their surgery date...and there have been many others. I'm curious, if people are that successful and motivated, why go through something as drastic as surgery??? For me, it was a last resort, I could not loose weight on my own or take control over my eating. I even screwed up and failed at my required 6 month Dr. supervised diet...I think if I had lost 70 lbs on my pre-op diet, my Insurance co. would have said...... "See? You CAN do it...you don't need surgery..." So WLS was not a reward for me for doing do well, it was a last resort because I was such a failure....a glutton and food slob....with one foot in the grave. I had no other alternative. Believe me, if I didn't need it I would not put up with something wrapped around my stomach, connected to something that sticks out like a large tumor on my belly....and the scars...and the fears of complications in the future.....no sir...it was not something I liked doing, and would not have if I had any choice....but I had no alternative. ... I wonder, if people do so well without surgery, what are they hoping to achieve with surgery??? What would their expectations be? What are the hoping for in addition to what they are already achieving on their own ?? I wish I never had to resort to surgery...I wish I had the motivation and self control to do it on my own, sadly I did not... But yet, every day there are posts with people stating how great they are doing pre-op.... In the back of my mind I'm thinking that one's success is determined by how much in a need you are for solution? How desperate you are? Literally Life or Death? Enough to fully commit through the good and bad to get it at all costs? Literally (for me) it was Do or Die ??? May be nothing...just something on my mind...all I do know is, I would not have gone through all this if I did not need it....and if I did not need it, how committed would I have been to sacrifice and succed? And if I did not show some level of commitment and need, would my PCP even refer me in the first place? Would I have passed the Physc. Eval? Would my Surgeon agree to do the procedure and take me on as a patient???? So when I read posts about people loosing 70lbs + without surgery, and stating they have complete control over food, I have to ask myself WHY??? Why are you here??? Why alter you digestive system with surgery??? It's 4:30 am and I just ranting along with my morning coffee before I go to the gym when they open at 5....

Sorry, but I disagree...I've got this thing licked! As long as the band is there... I have tried to infulge, and over eat...it is simply impossible for me to do...may be possible for others, but I cannot... As far as slider foods, people don't realize that a after a few years of eating less, our stomachs shrink! Making it very difficult to over eat on sliders...good old fashioned stuffed- belly ache! I can drink a beer with no problem....2nd one gets very very difficult.....there was a time I could down a 6 pack....along with a lot of food....but my stomach was large and stretched...no Mas... Not to forget the band has alleviated all hunger and cravings....so it's not a issue in the first place. Many people sell this band surgery short and settle for marginal results....I am too aggressive to settle for anything and go for the max....which is exactly what I have.... Sorry for the rant, but like I said...I don't like being maginally successful. And as long as the band is a constant....I will never be fat again....I read many posts about people gaining weight, and most of the time you read about un-fills due to reflux or something.... I don't have confidence in myself, 35 years of dieting proved that. I know I am not in control....for me the band is not a tool I can choose to use, or not. If anything, the band is in control! I do gave confidence in the lap band, and from my experience I know what it is capable of....I'm living it everyday.