B-52

People who knew me when I was fat, treat me like a superstar....for changing my life around, quite remarkably.... People I meet now for the first time, now that I am skinny and fit, well lets say my new sense of confidence positive attitude and love of life is contagious....so all my new relationships are positive. You reap what you sow.....what goes around comes around....etc, etc

You were just banded....what did you expect to be different from before you were banded? In the beginning it is as though there is no band there at all, and we are subject to the same behaviors and bad habits as we were prior. That's why the band is adjustable....it's a process...took me at least 4 months and 3 good fills....until then there is not much anyone can do but "Tough It Out" with traditional calorie counting and portion measuring, as though you were enrolled in Weight watchers or Jenny Craig....which we all know falls short of being successful...why else would we elect surgery? You are going through the toughest phase of this process....everyone has to endure it....that's why it is referred to as "Bandster Hell" I am at a point where this has become the "New Normal" if I didn't come here to this forum I would forget I was even banded...it is that easy for me....no thought or effort at all! But those first few months...they were tough...I thought I made a big mistake...I was as angry as I was frustrated as I was disappointed... I had to bear down and "White Knuckle" it....something I felt I could have done with out surgery.... However, slowly and eventually, with a few fills/adjustments, and many hard lessons to learn and habits to overcome, it became, as someone had said in another post "HEAVEN"...absolutely the best thing I could have ever done...to be at a normal weight with no effort, have excellent health, self esteem and confidence.... But you have to endure this Phase 2 first. I should also add....after 4 months, it was not as though a switch was magically turned on...it took me another 2-3 months of constant stuck episodes, severe reflux, etc, before I finally figured it all out, before I finally "Got It" That was over 2 years ago, no problems or complaints ever since....

I sympathize with your dilemma.....it's just that whenever I read anything, from anybody, and they tell other people definitive statements such as "The sweet Spot Doest not even exist" or "It is not even a tool"...I cannot sit idly by...because I, and other people DO experience those things. If you, and other people say "For Me, the sweet spot does not exist"...that is understandable..... Because "For Me'..I have been happily and blissfully in the "Sweet Spot" for 2 years now....so it does exist..perhaps just not for everybody. It's not you, people do it here all the time, telling other people things that are simply not true....may be true for them based on their experience, but to tell other people...well that's just wrong. Again, sorry for your troubles....does not mean everyone has, or will have, the same experience...that's all. Even though the band has been nothing but "perfect" for me...I still tell people considering this surgery that "It is not for everybody" and it is NOT for everybody....

Sorry..but if you come down to the Jersey Shore...you'll find me on the beach!

Not going to tell anyone else their business, but what you went through is the same I went through....My Dr. told me to wait it out also, with liquids...it too 2 full weeks before I could start eating again...but I'm glad I did wait it out...things did gradually did get better, but never the same....it made that big a difference....that was over 2 years ago...never had fluid taken out, never needed another fill..... I thought to myself I knew I needed a fill when I walked into his office...if I had gone back so quickly and had it removed, where would I have been then? Right back where I started? I was determined to change, and that is what happened. Again, I am not recommending. Just saying the way it happened for me.

Heaven....welcome to the other side, where you will discover the new you.

Sorry...I'm a happily married guy in his 60's...but I am in NJ.. Who is the Dr. you are using?

Can't comment....get back to you in 3-1/2 more years, my 6 year mark.... Untill then, I'm enjoying MY sweet spot...no one else's.

Green Zone for me means: 1) No HUNGER.....or cravings...24 hrs a day... 2) PORTION CONTROL....unable to overeat...no matter how hard I try 3) STEADY CONSISTENT WEIGHT LOSS....once I hit the Green Zone, loosing weight became the easiest thing I could ever do...it all became very natural with absolutely no effort on my part, other than getting my daily Protein and Water requirements, choosing good foods to eat and exercising regularly, 4) PATIENT SATISFACTION....When you have the above going for you, how can you not be as thrilled as can be.... I hit my Green Zone about 4-5 months after my surgery...it then took me a few months to understand and adjust my behaviors to the band, not the other way around....that was over 2 years ago, have not had a fill since, and have steadily lost weight untill there is simply no excess weight (fat) to loose....everything then settles out and becomes a new lifestyle, 2nd nature, a completed journey.... I never count calories nor measure portions...have not done so in 2 years at least....and I have no fear of ever gaining any weight back, short of some complication with the bad. (knock on wood)

You have to learn for yourself, what works and what does not.....everyone has different tolerances, based upon restriction. I avoid rice, don't go near it....as well as any flour products such as bread, donuts, etc. Also melted cheese...to name just a few. There are other foods I have learned to stay away from also....but you have to learn for yourself as you get closer to the Green Zone. If you have recently been banded, then there is also a lot of info that will not make any sense.

Are you sure it is heartburn? Or is it pulmonary...a burning feeling in your lungs.... There is a common phenomena called "Exercise Induced Asthma" which happens to a lot of people who run, or do a aerobic activity... Does not mean you have Asthma... I told my Dr., he's a runner and said he has it, as does a lot of his friends.... As far as heartburn...running or not I can no longer eat spicy foods....even something like Orange juice without following with Water can trigger bad responses....

Met some friends at the beach today, complimented me on my weight loss....Thank You very Much.... Then they started mentioning what other people are saying about my weight loss...all positive mind you....nothing negative...keep up the good work. However, they said that one very nice woman we know, whenever my name comes up, will say....."Oh yea, Bob....he's just a shadow of the man he used to be" She also happens to be a Trainer at the gym I belong to.... At first I smiled, picturing her saying that....then it hit me...WHAT? THIS is what I'm SUPPOSED to be! THIS is NOT a Shadow! What I USED to be was NOT ME!! THAT was someone else! Everyone laughed, said No! What she really means is you're only 1/2 the man you used to be! Wait...that didn't sound right either.... Actually I do get it...just a good day at the beach with friends having a few beers and lots of laughs (at my expense) ....

Yes...it does become second nature.....combination of the band..and new habits from following new "Rules" if you will..... Many people count calories for instance...I get it...I don't count calories anymore...it has become 2nd nature what is good and what is not...when I read a menu, I don't need to pull out my I-phone app.... Also, my band does tell me when to stop...and it has become 2nd nature to listen to it... Someone might think how can you just stop when you're still hungry? Well, the kicker is I'm not hungry... Sometimes I skip entire meals....I can go all day without eating, and I have at times....

I have a High Protein shake every morning for breakfast for 2 1/2 years now..... Start with some 100% whey, then 30ml of pure piquid protein, the add your favorite fruits, peanut butter, coffee, chocolate, just about anything your imagination can come up with.....put it all in a blender with 8-10 ozs water, or soy milk, add a ice cube or 2 in the summer.... Good to go with all the energy I need! I cannot come up with any traditional combination of eggs, cereals, yogurts, etc that would even come close.......not to mention how much I would need to eat!

5 days a week, before 6am....run 5-6 miles, and do weights, core strengthening 2-3 days a week..... Has not always been so...when I was fat I could not walk up the stairs without getting short of breath....but you have to start....it goes hand in hand with loosing weight, burning off that fat.

I do it as maintenance at least once every 6 weeks or so, to maintain my restriction (or get it back), relieve any dilation from everyday use, and overall, just give everything a rest..... I never do it with the intention of loosing weight or "kick starting" anything.... 5 day pouch test is just someone's fancy way of saying ...go all liquids for a day or two, or three.....if you have any issues with your band, your Dr. will tell you the same thing...if you can't listen to your Dr. he will give you an un-fil which will give your band a rest whether you wanted to or not....

For beginners, be sure to purchase your running shoes from a store that specializes in running, to get your feet and stride properly evaluated.....wearing the wrong shoes, however comfortable they may feel, can do more damage than good..... I bought shoes on my own because they were popular, had cool colors, and felt good....they were also very expensive ($180) so the had to be good, right? Every time I would run, I was getting pain in both hips...I thought it was old age.... Bottom line, I was evaluated, and sold shoes less than 1/2 the price, of the ones I thought were good... and never had hip pain again.....I could have done some serious permanent hip injuries! Now that I know my needs, I can shop for running shoes and know how to read and understand the "specs" when they mention pronation, toe box, heel or toe striker, etc...

I have not been able to eat first thing in the morning for over 2 years now...I do have my morning coffee, followed by a home made high Protein smoothie, and I have to take that real slow, small sips....I'm good to go all day, usually little or no lunch! Hunger or cravings are never an issue for me.... Heartburn - reflux was an issue for me and something I had to figure out on my own...I found I am more sensitive to spicy foods, and I never eat anything past 7pm.....

Some of my Friends are Vegans...It's not my business, it's a free world....they simply believe they will NOT eat or use anything that is derived from animals....moral issues, not health.

The band will FORCE you to modify your eating behaviors, or else! Or, you can get a un-fil, eat the way you want, and complain about not loosing weight and how the band does not work....

When I was fat I could not carry groceries into the house without fatigued and short of breath....I was the one everyone had to stop and wait for while I stopped to rest.....at the gym I was lucky if I could do 15 minutes on the elliptical.... Now, I have more energy as I ever did.... I helped a friend move into his new house a few weeks back....everyone, 1/2 my age kept stopping to rest...I put them all to shame... At the gym, I am now "One of those people" who probably was never fat a day in their life and has always been athletic...yea, it's easy for them....If they only knew. I go to the gym 5 days a week, at 5:30am....BEFORE a 8-10 hour day at work, on my feet seeing patients all day in clinic.... I run at least 5 miles, do weights and core strengthening 2-3 times a week....and "Boot Camp" classes on Monday Mornings at 5am.... I am 61 years old, and without giving my FULL Medical history, I will say I did have one Heart Attack that resulted in Cardiac Surgery...all before lap band surgery and all weight related.

A few months after being banded, and after my 2nd fill, it became difficult to eat Red meat of any kind...since my Dr.'s have always been after me to cut back on Red Meat for health reasons, I decided to stop altogether....no red meat for over 2 years now.... I had already stopped dairy products, again because of health reasons, long before being banded....a little cheese here and there but that's it. I do eat chicken and fish, but I am cutting back on chicken more and more....eventually I may go all vegetarian.... I can definitely tell the difference physically....and I am sure it had a lot to do with my now "Normal" lab tests (blood work) along with loosing all my excess weight from the band. I do it for health reasons....not for moral issues....I still wear leather shoes, etc...

Since hitting the Green Zone 2 years ago...I am NEVER hungry...at least I have no interest in food or eating....so I eat very little and not as often....choosing the best healthy foods.... Some people worry about eating...I don't..yet I have more energy now than ever before. That is how I now live my life from day to day...it's no longer a diet, but a way of life....

I wish I could have voted for "all of the above" But I have to say my health....too long a story to list everything that was wrong with me.....my PCP said flat out I did not have much longer to live...this after my Brother and Sister both passed away at an early age due to every illness associated with being Obese and eating poorly....I was definitley in the same boat, following their footsteps. I'm now 61, feel like I'm 40...run 5 miles a day, 5 days a week...plus weights and core.....My Cardiologist, Endocrinologist, Pulmonologist, Dermatologist, PCP and my Bariatric Surgeon all say I am a perfect example for someone my age in perfect health and fitness level....with no excess body fat! All because of the Lap band = a New Lifestyle, NOT another diet. (My new running shoes came today UPS...can't wait for 5:30am to get here!!!)

When everyone says it is hard work, I would like to know exactly what is so hard about this WLS......don't get me wrong, there is a phase that was very difficult for me, but after that it has been all as easy as can be!!!! So, I hear it all the time how much hard work this takes...tell me, and others...what do you find so hard??? Like I said, there is an aspect that is difficult....but it is not the entire journey!! Green Zone: No Hunger, No Cravings, Head Hunger a thing of the past.......24 hrs a day.....Check! Portion sizes under control, unable to over eat without adverse side effects...Check! Steady and consistent weight loss till there was no weight left to loose...Check! NO Counting Calories, NO weighing or measuring potions....Check! Does not matter if I am at work, a party, large holiday dinner, vacation, whatever...it is always the same, the band does not change because of where I'm at or what food is available...... so there are no boobie traps or "Falling off the wagon" episodes..... It can't get any easier than That!!! Can it? Don't sell the band short!!! There was a difficult period, but I wonder what everyone else is finding so difficult....then I will share what I found difficult...but I was able to work through it.....