B-52

My last fill I could not get anything down for at least 2 weeks.....first few days I even felt water restriction.....slowly graduated from liquids to heavier liquid type foods to mushies, etc..... For me, I'm glad I stuck it out...I did however have to re- adjust my foods and eating habits to co- exist with the band....as I had to do with every fill and new level of restriction. That was 2 - 1/2 years ago....everything has been peachy ever since with no additional fills since....but that last one was doozy, but definitely did the trick......and well worth it for...I cannot be happier the way things all turned out. I did call my Dr. Within that 2 weeks and he reminded me that this is what I had asked for....getting to the Green ASAP....and said to continue the eating plan I was on.....but then my Dr knows me, and knows I was aggressive with all this.... People are always saying they eat too much, are always hungry, and NEED a fill....I always say "Be careful what you ask for"

Understood...you would have to spend down your money to qualify...and nobody likes that is they help it.

Can you drink water?? Not to wash it through, but I have found when truly stuck, water will not pass through and will only come right backup...bringing with it what was sitting there blocking the way...

What is your insurance now?? If you can't work and your only income is alimony, why are you not on some public assistance such as Medicaid?

I cannot eat breakfast...and have not for almost 3 years now.....I do go out with my Wife for breakfast, but I will just drink coffee and maybe nibble on some toast.... As the day goes on it becomes easier....so I can eat a late breakfast, say around 10am, but even then not a lot of food...still early in the day. My Wife fully understands, and is happy I am thin and healthy.....and still alive....

I have found in my Lap band experience, that the habits [- RULES...are not put in place for me to loose weight...they are taught even before being banded, because there WILL come a day, if you're not one of those to back down, that it will be the ONLY way to co-exist with the bad and be successful.....loosing weight was only a indicator to the staff whether or not I was trying to learn these rules....the REAL weight loss will come with the band the band..... I remember saying to my Dr. and NUT that a lot of these rules were silly.....and they just smiled at me and said "You just wait" My first real stuck episode I knew exactly what they were smiling about..... I also did not follow these rules to the "T" early on.....then after my 3rd fill.....it all fell into place...and even to today I have to follow them....however, these "Rules" eventually become 2nd nature...a part of me to the point, as where I am now...it all happens naturally and I never even think about what I am doing...I just live a normal, easy day to day life, as though being banded was having my appendix out a few years ago...... There is some routine Maintenance things I do, but other than that.....

I usually don't have a problem.....I do wait maybe 20 min - 1/2 hr...then I'll continue...sometimes with the same food I got stuck with...SOMETIMES...if it was a food I notice I get stuck with often, then that food item becomes history..... I learn my lesson, and if I continue I take it much slower........and easier. Because of the stuck episode there was a lesson to be learned. When I was first starting out, within the first 6 months still trying to get to the green zone, and then learning to live with it...I have, on days, gotten stuck as many as 3 times a day....untill I finally got it through my thick stubborn head of mine I needed to change many things about myself if I wanted the band to work. I have NOT gotten stuck now in over 2 years, have been in the Green Zone ever since, and since then have found this lifestyle the EASIEST weight loss lifestyle I could have ever imagined....I have been at my optimal weight and body fat % for a while, ad I STILL find this lifestyle to be easy and simple...as a matter of fact the longer time goes on, the easier it gets if that is possible...it all becomes second nature. But those first 6 months...Bandster Hell is a understatement!

Do actually FEEL full???? Many people say they do...I for one have never "FELT FULL" since getting the band.....the band limits the amount of food I can take in....Green Zone = Portion Control....so since I am no longer eating anywhere near what I used to, I can never get that old full feeling anymore... What the band does do, is take away my hunger, and my desire to eat....it's mental..the band tells my brain I'm full, without actually feeling full...so the brain say "No More"...even if I have not eaten in 12 hrs...I still have no real hunger.... But back to your question,,,whether I want to continue eating or not...the band will not let me! Sooner or later I grew to accept it so that, and Cravings...grow more and more distant....the habits disappear... For me, there is no trick or gimmick at all.....it's ALL about the band....and that's why I had the surgery.

The trick for motivation is....keep telling yourself "I can do this today, no reason I cannot... I've done it yesterday, I can do it today"...and after a few times of that, you start telling yourself "I can do this, I've done it dozen's of times" Then 100's of times, etc, etc, then "Everyday" and before you know it....... It's 5 am right now, having my coffee...will head to the gym at 5:30 to run my 5 miles....it's easy...I've done it before, I've done it dozen's of times, I now do it everyday!!! NO REASON I CAN"T DO IT TODAY!!!!! No reason I can't do it tomorrow!!! Take that, PLUS how good, satisfying, and rewarding it starts to feel, and eventually you will feel down and depressed when you miss a day! I started with the C-2- 5K program...struggled with it..took me about 14 weeks to complete the 8 weeks because there were weeks I struggled so bad , I would go back and repeat the entire week..... I now run at least 5 miles a day and it's all become routine....and that is getting easier so now I am increasing my pace.....to keep my heart rate at optimum...I do 5 miles in a little less than 45 minutes. So I will increase my pace and maintain the 45 minute duration and see what happens. I am 61 years old, a heart attack survivor with subsequent cardiac surgery......and only started this since being banded....and I am still improving, So I don't like it when people say they can't...or don't have the time.... but they can figure out ways to cheat the band....very clever indeed...tricking themselves like that..... I also now play softball every Sunday in a 55 and over league, and I am usually the oldest guy there, yet one of the better players.(shortstop).....all because of the band!!!!

Perhaps...but if you keep at it, the rewards are going to be so amazing it is beyond explanation...you're going to love yourself and love your body, and who you are like you never have before!!! And want to show the world.... There is a reason you see people running on the streets everywhere you go all times of the day....5K and 10K races have never been so popular...seems there is one every weekend where I live..... They don't do it because they have to....they do it because they NEED to, like a addictive drug...which at times it can feel like it (Runners high) It is right now 5:10am...I'm having my coffee along with my Vitamins, etc, before going to the gym when they open at 6am.......1/2 of me wants to go back to bed.....But I'm addicted! I HAVE to go...and I know how miserable I will be if I do not get my workout in for any good reason..... A trick I adapted...I mostly run on a treadmill at the gym....I have to have my I-Pod, with many playlists I put on there...I REFUSE to look at the distance or time on the screen when I'm running...I'll have a blank screen.....I will run listening to a playlist and get lost in the music and my thoughts....I will not stop, nor even think about stooping until the playlist is over....not worrying about how fast or how far I'm going....when the playlist is over I'll turn on the screen and surprise myself....and if the distance is say, 4.6 miles for example, I'll continue to make it an even 5 miles....I have even gone 6 and 7 miles at times, if the music is very good that day.... Setting goals can be good, for some people, even when trying to loose weight...but it can also add to anxiety....and one tends to feel finished when the goal is reached...I rather sail right past any goals.... As with the band, I have never set any goals for myself...I have always adhered to adapting to a new new lifestyle living with this corrective surgery.....and let the weight, and health take care of itself naturally.....which it has. Sorry for ranting on, I tend to get carried away early in he morning....

Perhaps...but if you keep at it, the rewards are going to be so amazing it is beyond explanation...you're going to love yourself and love your body, and who you are like you never have before!!! And want to show the world.... There is a reason you see people running on the streets everywhere you go all times of the day....5K and 10K races have never been so popular...seems there is one every weekend where I live..... They don't do it because they have to....they do it because they NEED to, like a addictive drug...which at times it can feel like it (Runners high) It is right now 5:10am...I'm having my coffee along with my Vitamins, etc, before going to the gym when they open at 6am.......1/2 of me wants to go back to bed.....But I'm addicted! I HAVE to go...and I know how miserable I will be if I do not get my workout in for any good reason..... A trick I adapted...I mostly run on a treadmill at the gym....I have to have my I-Pod, with many playlists I put on there...I REFUSE to look at the distance or time on the screen when I'm running...I'll have a blank screen.....I will run listening to a playlist and get lost in the music and my thoughts....I will not stop, nor even think about stooping until the playlist is over....not worrying about how fast or how far I'm going....when the playlist is over I'll turn on the screen and surprise myself....and if the distance is say, 4.6 miles for example, I'll continue to make it an even 5 miles....I have even gone 6 and 7 miles at times, if the music is very good that day.... Setting goals can be good, for some people, even when trying to loose weight...but it can also add to anxiety....and one tends to feel finished when the goal is reached...I rather sail right past any goals.... As with the band, I have never set any goals for myself...I have always adhered to adapting to a new new lifestyle living with this corrective surgery.....and let the weight, and health take care of itself naturally.....which it has. Sorry for ranting on, I tend to get carried away early in he morning....

I have felt the warning signs when drinking while eating, or close thereafter when food is still in the pouch...extreme pain...it is the pouch suddenly becoming over-inflated from the food being there, then suddenly adding Water...perhaps doubling the volume all at once....So I will NEVER do it....learned the hard way. I'm curious, for my own research, how long were you banded before you had the slip????

I have felt the warning signs when drinking while eating, or close thereafter when food is still in the pouch...extreme pain...it is the pouch suddenly becoming over-inflated from the food being there, then suddenly adding Water...perhaps doubling the volume all at once....So I will NEVER do it....learned the hard way. I'm curious, for my own research, how long were you banded before you had the slip????

Make your own protein smoothies with the flavors and ingredients you like and taste good to you...I also have pure liquid protein supplements....taste like crap, need a strong chaser like OJ after drinking a shot of one of those....but it works. I don't eat much, and I get way more protein then I need sometimes.

Make your own protein smoothies with the flavors and ingredients you like and taste good to you...I also have pure liquid protein supplements....taste like crap, need a strong chaser like OJ after drinking a shot of one of those....but it works. I don't eat much, and I get way more protein then I need sometimes.

I always have pop corn at the movies...everything in moderation...everything the band will allow me to eat, that is....

I always have pop corn at the movies...everything in moderation...everything the band will allow me to eat, that is....

Do you feel the band is doing anything for you? For myself, I had the surgery with the expectations that the band will help me loose the weight I could never do on my own, and keep it off.... So when I was struggling early on, I always questioned the band....and then if I am "In Sync" with what the band was attempting to do... But that is me...

Do you feel the band is doing anything for you? For myself, I had the surgery with the expectations that the band will help me loose the weight I could never do on my own, and keep it off.... So when I was struggling early on, I always questioned the band....and then if I am "In Sync" with what the band was attempting to do... But that is me...

I am coming up on 3 years, and short of some medical condition causing one to have fluid removed from the band, I cannot understand how someone can gain their weight back.....unless it was them controlling their food intake and not so much the band....because I can, and have failed at controlling my intake...but the band..how does it change in a way to allow a person to go in the opposite direction is something I am still trying to understand..... But that's me....my body has leveled off on it's own from my new eating habits....and has not changed up or down in over 2 years now.

The trick for motivation is....keep telling yourself "I can do this today, no reason I cannot... I've done it yesterday, I can do it today"...and after a few times of that, you start telling yourself "I can do this, I've done it dozen's of times" Then 100's of times, etc, etc, then "Everyday" and before you know it....... It's 5 am right now, having my coffee...will head to the gym at 5:30 to run my 5 miles....it's easy...I've done it before, I've done it dozen's of times, I now do it everyday!!! NO REASON I CAN"T DO IT TODAY!!!!! I started with the same program...struggled with it..took me about 14 weeks to complete the 8 weeks because there were weeks I struggled with and went back and repeated the entire week..... I now run at least 5 miles a day and it's all routine....and that is getting easier so now I am increasing my pace.....to keep my heart rate at optimum... I am 61 years old, a heart attack survivor, and only started this since being banded....and I am still improving, So I don't like it when people say they can't...or don't have the time....

I concentrate on 2 separate areas when I workout...... First and foremost...my calorie intake is greatly reduced because of the band, (I don't and never did count calories) and what I do eat I eat all healthy....no more meat either...along with reduced food intake I concentrate on running at least 5 miles a day to burn fat..... After my run, I will do weights and core exercises to keep muscle and skin tone... And lastly, I will sit in the sauna everyday for 30 minutes...nothing to do with weight loss, but does open pores releasing body toxins, and improving skin tone.... I do all this 5 days a week, usually at 5:30 in the morning, and always on a empty stomach...before eating Breakfast, then hve a high Protein recovery shake immediately afterward.... I have bee at my optimum body fat % for almost 2 years now, burned all the excess fat there is....have not lost or gained any weight in a very long time, AND YET....I have noticed my pants are loose and falling down so I bought the next size smaller and they fit fine...I can even go another size down. And I should mention, all through my workout and sitting in the sauna, I go through about 32oz's of Water easily....AND with all the weight I have lost and body toning, I have never had an issue with excess skin people complain about so much....

Drinking before, during or after a meal.....rules, and being told is one thing...but what do you experience if you do it??? I can drink before, but have found out for MYSELF what happens if I drink while I am eating, AND I also know how long I need to wait to drink after I eat, just from experience....and it has nothing to do with the washing food down theory..it is more real than that.... So when questions such as this arise, I have to ask...how does it affect you? Or does it affect you at all?? Some can drink, some cannot...some can eat certain foods, some cannot...and the list goes on and on... The longer you live with the band, the more you're going to realize your own limitations and freedoms...this was one of the biggest lessons I learned...and my Dr. had strict rules in the beginning...now, he smiles when I tell him certain things I have discovered..even if they go against the early rules (for newbies) But if you are just starting out, not in the green Zone, have no restriction, etc, you HAVE NO CHOICE but to follow the rules for your own safety sake...you need to get the band doing what it is supposed to do first before you can start living the new life....

I'm not sure I understand....since 2010 you lost only 40 lbs? Why do you feel the 5cc's in your band is good....is it making a positive difference? Also, I'm old school..in other words loosing weight is all about calories in versus calories burned...I do not count calories, just eat good healthy foods...and for me, I have always found the best weight loss when I eat less, yet healthy...then burn the majority of it all off at the gym along with some stored fat to use as energy. IF I were eating 1000 calories a day, (I'm really not sure) I also easily burn 6-700 calories a day at the gym...that leaves 300 that gets burned off just from daily activities, instead of storing it away as fat.... But that's me...many people here will tell you from their experience to loose weight you have to eat more....whatever works!

I agree 110%...many of my friends juice...my health club has a juice bar and I have enjoyed it from time to time.... However, after being banded, Protein is my #1 daily priority and I just can't get all I need from juicing....