B-52

Fortunately for me, even if I wanted to, the band is there doing it's job...it is after all why I had surgery in the first place...to stop/prevent me from the bad habits I had that made me fat.... Holidays, Buffets, Weddings, cruises...it does not matter...the band is the band is the band.....

If you can only eat a small amount of food, and lots of junk,...why not follow one of the primary rules of eating Protein first before the junk...by then you may not be able to eat the junk....from the way I'm reading this, you want a un fill so you can eat good food along with the junk? maybe I'm not following correctly.... I can only eat so much per sitting...I make good food choices, always foucusing on the protein rich foods first....THEN I move onto the other things, if possible... IMO, it's what the band is all about...eating less, eating wisely, and getting plenty of exercising. But, I agree...everyone on this forum is different and has their recipe for success....and after so many years I'm sure you have yours also. Cannot argue with experience. One more thing....you have been banded since 2009...you do know this forum is made up primarily of people who are just starting out and looking for answers themselves? Let alone giving advice from experience?? Just saying.....

If you have been banded since 2009, then NO ONE knows your band, and your lifestyle and success with it better than you.... I have only been banded 3 years, and I can recognize every little bump and twinge.....I know my band INTIMITLEY....it is a part of me after all.... If all of a sudden, out of no where I cannot keep things down, I would not need other people's opinions....if everything was perfect, why all of sudden is something different? Why after 3 years would I need some Fluid taken out? Could it be something else? At this point only me and my Dr. can determine that. It's like driving a new car everyday for 3 years...nice and smooth...then suddenly it starts to hesitate and backfire...I don't need to ask...I know something is not right, not normal, and it's back to the dealer for service asap....

During your weight loss, could you say your success was due primarily tom the band? Or was it primarily due to your determination and self control to get this completed.... Speaking for my own weight loss journey, I know what my band can and does do....and when I feel things getting away from me, larger portions or increase in hunger for instance, say every 4-6 weeks or so, I go straight liquids...no solid foods...to let the band get a rest and return to where it was previously.....it works for me, otherwise I would be telling myself I need a small fill.... A Dr. uses the same protocol, but instead of instructing someone to go liquids for a while, he/she will do a complete un fill to give the band a rest...

I'd be curious what the cause was also...I too fear severe vomiting....I travel out of the country a lot and the risk of food poisoning, etc, is always there....not to mention lack of medical facilities that can deal with these issues.... I am prepared to do a complete un-fill in case of a true emergency...

It can be very hard to find that perfect combination of band adjustments, food choices, and eating habits/techniques.... It took me a bit of a struggle also, but for me it was only 6 months, not a year...as a result I came out giving up meat altogether, along with some other foods. (BTW, not eating meat anymore thrilled all my other Dr.'s to no end, including my cardiologist)

You're going through the toughest period of all....that adjustment period..AKA "Bandster Hell"... I was mad as hell, frustrated, felt the whole thing was a waste of time and money...a big sham...I even gained weight after my first fill...I guess I wanted instant results, which for me was not going to happen.... It took me a few fills and a few months after surgery to get the band properly adjusted and "Tweaked" before it started running like a well oiled machine....so yes, it was hard, VERY HARD at first...both with getting the band adjusted and getting my head screwed on right and adjusted to understand and accept what the band is trying to do and get out of it's way...stop being the boss and let the band take charge.......since then, it has been a dream...well worth the tribulation....cause now it's as easy as can be....2nd nature... Guess you got to go through hell to get to heaven....

That's how it's been for me for 2 years now....also I have little or no interest in food...take it or leave it... Don't know your history, date banded, # fills etc., plus everyone is different....it may stay or it may be temporary... Either way, you are getting a taste of what this band can actually do!!! When I do eat, I just make sure my selections are high Protein, nutritious food...nothing can be simpler!! Best decision I ever made....

You do not sound stuck to me.......

Yes...you are...you are just starting out...long way to go until you need to be concerned about that....have you had any fills yet??? And when it happens, you will become experienced enough to know it, recognize the signs, and experienced enough to know what maintenance tips you can do.... It is still your stomach, and it can and will expand and contract as before....you will get to a point where you will know it when it begins to happen, and do something on your own to prevent it from becoming a problem.....

I suck at dieting...have tried every diet under the sun, including Rx drugs...for 30 years...every diet started out well, then I slowly back-slided, then failed completely, gaining all the weight back, if not more........even my 6 month Dr. supervised pre-op diet, I failed at...started out good, then slowly turned in the other direction, then started to fail and gain weight back...could not help myself, no self control when it came to food and eating......I thought I was going to be denied the surgery because of this but I found out that is EXACTLY what the insurance co. wanted to see....that I could not do it on my own and surgery was the only, and perhaps last, alternative....of course they can't tell you that before you start the diet....otherwise no one would be sincere in trying.... Coming up on 3 years...the band has performed splendidly,...controlling all my hunger and cravings, and determining my portion sizes for me....nothing else I could, or have to do other than enjoy good healthy, high Protein, nutritious foods for when I do eat....EASY...no calorie counting, measuring or weighing portions, NOTHING like being on a diet...sure, the first 6 months were Hell getting properly adjusted and learning how to cope with living with the band....but now it's all a new lifestyle...and along with a new lifestyle my body began to adjust on it's own, and return to a what it considered a normal weight...not my goal, but what and where I am supposed to be....reaching a natural equilibrium, balance... Also with a new lifestyle, I don't have to think about what I'm doing, don't have to remind myself everyday about any "Rules"....they are all part of me, new natural habits....and they all happen naturally because that is what I have become, that is who I am now...someone that eats a lot less, a lot better and healthier, and someone who stays as active as possible to burn the excess calories and fat....it's all that simple now....all thanks to the band. It's Sunday, 5am, 2nd cup of coffee.....heading to the gym when they open at 6am, do my 5 mile run, weights, whirlpool and sauna...finished off with my high protein smoothie for Breakfast. Again, I don't think about it, or force myself to do it...it's part of me, it's who I am...same with the lifestyle the band has created....

I suck at dieting...have tried every diet under the sun, including Rx drugs...for 30 years...every diet started out well, then I slowly back-slided, then failed completely, gaining all the weight back, if not more........even my 6 month Dr. supervised pre-op diet, I failed at...started out good, then slowly turned in the other direction, then started to fail and gain weight back....I thought I was going to be denied the surgery because of this but I found out that is EXACTLY what the insurance co. wanted to see....that I could not do it on my own and surgery was the only, and perhaps last, alternative....of course they can't tell you that before you start the diet....otherwise no one would be sincere in trying.... Coming up on 3 years...the band has performed splendidly,...controlling all my hunger and cravings, and determining my portion sizes for me....nothing else I could, or have to do other than enjoy good healthy, nutritious foods for when I do eat....EASY...no calorie counting, measuring or weighing portions, NOTHING like being on a diet...the first 6 months were Hell, but now it's a new lifestyle...and along with a new lifestyle my body began to adjust, and return to a what it considered a normal weight...not my goal, but what and where I am supposed to be.... Also with a new lifestyle, don't have to think about what I'm doing, don't have to remind myself everyday about any "Rules"....they are all part of me, and they all happen naturally because that is what have I become, that is who I am now...someone that eats a lot less, a lot better, and someone who is as active as possible....it's all that simple now....all thanks to the band.

The pouch is still the stomach with the same characteristics of expanding (stretching) and contracting, same as it is meant to do depending upon how much is put in it....or not. I had the classic "Beer Belly" from constantly overeating non stop, could not stop.......looked like I was going to have quintuplets....

My first fill was 4 cc's, which after that I gained weight!! 4cc's did absolutely nothing....2nd fill of 2cc's leveled me off....then the 3rd fill of 1cc put me over the top...have not had a fill since, 2-1/2 years ago...

I only eat when I'm hungry, and that's not often.....I stopped counting calories 4 months after surgery, when I hit the green Zone..... Never had a problem with lack of energy, metabolism, whatever....workout 5:30 in the morning on a empty stomach...gues I was burning stored fat for my energy because I now have none....no loose sagging skin either for that matter..... Personally I do not play into the "Starvation" mode scare.....I never found I had to eat more to loose more...it has always been the opposite for me. But that's how it worked for me to be successful...other people have their success stories and that's good....

It can be that little.....however, I was getting reflux when I laid down also, and for me I had to learn not to eat hours before bedtime...and I also learned to give up hot-spicey foods altogether..... Sometimes it's not the band that's the source, but our lack of modifying ourselves to co exist with the band...and the closer you get to that perfect balance, the finer the line becomes....and it can be very hard to find that balance... The staff at my Dr.'s office tells me stories about people requesting Fluid taken out because they want to eat the way they used to....if you eat the way you used to, what's the point?

I have not told anyone, and I don't care...sometimes it's all about you and what you need to do for oneself.....to better yourself in this world.... When the smoke clears and it's certain the curtian's going to fall...where will be these critics be then? Standing next to you to offer their help? I don't think so..... Same goes for all the critic's here on this forum....they're not going to be around to help help you when it's time.....so it really does not matter. Take care of yourself and enjoy the results....

The band has changed my "tastes" 180 degrees...things that used to be appealing, I have lost all interest in...for instance, green leafy salads...now they simply do not appeal to me anymore...there are many other foods that are that way....I simply do not have an appeal for them anymore.... Having said that, I have found I consume less and less dairy products...with the exception of ice cream, hardly any at all...and I am even loosing interest in that....also, I do not ave a appetite for "wheat" products anymore....breads, Pasta, pastries...whatever.... It did not happen because of side effects for me, it was just that the closer I got to the Green Zone, the more I lost not tastes in certain foods, but interest and hunger also.

You're just starting out....you've got a long way to go...many lessons to learn

For me, the Band will force me to slow down, take small bites,...or else! These are one of the rules that did not come into play until I had one or 2 fills, THEN it was necessary and the ONLY way I could eat....before that, it was just an exercise, practice for things to come.... After being forced to eat that way...one of the may new habits I needed to adapt to if I wanted the band to work, it has all now become matter of fact...don't even think about it anymore, it is just something that come naturally...as does many other things if I want to maintain the bands effectiveness.... Of course, I could get some Fluid taken out...then I could eat the way I want to, the way I used to eat when I was fat....but I much prefer the new way of eating resulting in the new me!

How can you make a definitive statement like that? You know this is fact, how? it is not about a tight band to eat less....people who say that do not fully understand what being i the Green Zone is like..... It's about being properly adjusted, finding that "Perfect Sweet Spot" so your portions are under control, AND you have no hunger, meaning you have no desire to cheat with slider foods, no reason to compensate in the first place........something dieting alone could never do...that's why I had SURGERY....and I feel GREAT! Not shitty! I can say this definitively because that is how it works for me...I have no hunger, 24/7...no desire to have cravings.....and very little interest in food altogether... I have not been stuck in over 2 years....once I learned to live by the rules needed to co-exist with the band.

As a rule I do not believe in telling people what they should or should not do....but what I do is to try to compare your experiences to mine and speak as to what I have experienced.... You say your band is super tight in the morning...so is mine, has been that way for a long time..I just accept it. And if your band is tight in the morning as mine is, then you know it is there doing something.... You say it opens up as the day goes on...I get it, mine does too...enabling me to eat easier...but it still does not let me over eat, or eat the wrong foods, or too fast.....if I did I would get as you describe "Stuck" and "Choking...nearly vomiting" It sounds as if your band is working fine...but you are fighting it...not listening to the signs...forcing food when you should have stopped... Is that uncontrollable hunger - cravings brought on by stress? Emotional eating even though you're not hungry? And yet the band is still trying to do it's job? Kind of reminds me when I was kicking addictions....but I wasn't banded...that would not have been pretty. I have an idea as to what would work, but it's not my place...speak with your Dr. about maybe too much anxiety....

If it was that bad....the FDA would not approve it, and do a re-call.....

I never told anyone, except close family members....and now that I have been at my optimal weight for a while now...no one asks anymore, everyone has gotten used to it, and takes it for granted this is who I am....done...time to move on to something else in the office to talk about. I even had some people tell me they cannot remember me ever being fat!! Now that's a compliment I will accept gladly.

I carry those with me when I travel....hold your nose and swallow...