B-52

People always dread Cruises...I guess because of the access to unlimited food.....but for people with WLS, that should never be an issue..... I usually loose weight, or at least not gain, every time we cruise...which is often....the portion sizes in the Dining Room are perfect, non banded people always complain they are too small.....and the band prevents me from over eating in the first place..... We always order a case of bottled Water to our stateroom, and I bring some liquid concentrate Protein with me.... We are very active on a cruise, with plenty of walking and activities in ports.....so when I am active and pre-occupied, food is always the last thing on my mind.....and there is usually little time to do so... Ships have very good fitness centers, jogging tracks.....so I am able to get my run in every morning, outside in the middle of the open sea as the sun is coming up......Beautiful!!! And then some time in the gym..... We also make it habit to use the stairs instead of the elevators..... Our next cruise is coming up in less than 100 days.....

You're getting waaaaayyyyyy ahead of yourself, and the band for that matter.....you just had surgery.... Right now it's all about the band and you learning everything you need to know about how to live with it..... As you get fills the band is going to behave differently, and you will have to behave differently also to maintain any lifestyle with it.....of course, you can choose not to let the band domit's thing, then you can do anything you want...to YOUR rules..... In the beginning I could eat anything....actually gained weight even after my first fill.....but as the band became more functional and I approached the Green Zone, things began to change and I needed to change my behavior and habits to cope with it...in other words it became a new, permanent lifestyle.... I could eat anything if I wanted I suppose, but as my band got tighter I found there were certain foods, textures, that gave me more trouble than others, with a higher risk of getting stuck...so I chose to avoid them altogether.... And when I think about it, all the foods I chose to take out of my life are all foods that are not good for me in the first place..... And now, today, I eat healthier than the average person, avoiding all that "Garbage" that did nothing but harm to me.....all because of the band.....and what I do eat, my portions are automatically controlled by the band also....I CANNOT overeat, no matter how hard I try, and believe me I have tried..... and I have not been stuck or slimed in over 18 months now....AND I have reached my maximum weight loss with very low body fat..... So since the band controls how much I am able to eat, I start by eating the good stuff first - protein, because I probably will not be able to get to the other stuff....so why blow my portion on the bad stuff first.... In the end...it all come down to you and your band, and how you choose to live with it that will make you successful, or not....not set of rules as with any diet, or comparing what other people can or cannot do.....but your relationship with your band, and learning how to "Listen" to it..... There are always going to be people who love to tell other people what they should or should not do...but if you fail, where will these people be then??? It's between you and your band.... Fact of life, not just with WLS...if you want to be successful at something, say in business, observe what other successful people do......

I make my own in a blender (smoothie) and add the things to it I want, also some additional protein and fiber concentrate.....I still do that for my breakfast and have done so ever since my surgery.....

My Wife loves Outback so we go there often.....I have stopped eating Red meat for over 2 years now, ever since getting in the Green Zone is has become difficult so I gave it up altogether...There have been many positive healthy benefits in doing so....and all my Dr.'s are pleased I did....they were always after me to do so.... But Outback IS a steakhouse......the chicken there is usually bad, too tough, overcooked, because that is not what they are known for.... So I usually start with a Soup, then a house salad of which I can only eat 1/3, if that, then some appetizer for my entree, such as a crab cake, or a few chicken wings..... However, lately they have expanded their menu offering more seafood dishes.....not the best in the world, but at least it's something and they're trying..... Then my wife will share her desert with me so I'll have a little of that to finish it off.... And of course, I have to start everything off with a adult beverage (or 2) before I eat anything......

I really did not change any habits on my own, untill the band, after a fill or two, started to compell (force) me to do so..... I did however step up my exercising, Water intake, and ensured I got all my daily Protein....all things I continue to do even today.....

I started to type a reply to this post, then before I posted it I decided it best to delete it...... This forum, is comprised of people just starting out....struggling....still a long way to go with their weight loss....many stating that they're failures..(many will be)...and so on.... and just learning how to live with the band.... In order to be successful one has to be strict with oneself....and learn how to "Listen" to their band...know it inside out....get into the green. There is a New Lifestyle with the band...one that will carry you for the rest of your life...but you have to "Learn" it now in the beginning.... I have learned this new lifestyle, my Band and I communicate very well, to the point I don't have to think about what I am doing anymore.....it would shock many people if I told them the things I can do at this point, and still not ever worry about gaining weight ever again.... But this site is made up of people who are not ready to hear that kind of stuff yet...they still have a ways to go...you can easily see it by the questions posted here.... Sometimes I see a question and I think: "If you have to ask.....then you're not ready for the answer" That may be why many people eventually leave this site, not much left here for them to learn.... As far a "Partying" and similar topics, just know there is a life AFTER you complete this journey....one most people would not understand or believe at their place of weight loss, and you first have to get through the initial phases first..... I do things most people here would not understand....and my Surgeon knows full well, I tell him everything...but I'm no longer TRYING to get there....I am there...."I'm Finished" Now I can get back to living my (new) normal life....and that is what is waiting for people here...IF you want to learn...

I quess everyone is different....aside from the first 6 months to maybe a year, it was tough...downright hell.... But now it is easy breezy....I may have desires and cravings, but the band is there to prevent me from doing something stupid....but then I'm very rarely hungry.. Green Zone says "Not Hungry", "Portion Control", "Steady Weight loss" resulting in "Patient Satisfaction"......for me, it does not get any easier than that....what more do I need to do? Granted, not everyone gets there...I have my opinions why, but that is all they are...Opinions so I'll not say..... All one has to do is scan through the posts on this website and you can see how many people are frustrated everyday.... So yes, telling people it is "easy breezy" is not sincere or accurate because many people will not experience it..... When I first started this journey, my Surgeon showed me the "Yellow-Green-Red" chart, and he said THIS is where our goal is....this is what I want for you....and I never doubted him and that was always my goal...... I am also glad I did not find this website till AFTER I had my surgery...otherwise I'm not sure where I would be today....too many mixed signals, too easy to get confused as opposed to a single source and goal.... But then, that's just me and my experience with the band.

Did YOU fail...or did the BAND fail..... To me, there is a big difference....I have failed at every weight loss venture I have ever attempted....started out good, then eventually it was as though I never lost any weight to begin with, often gaining more back than I started out with...... That is why I needed surgery....to do what I was unable to do.... I am a failure!

I hit the Green Zone 4 months after surgery.....but but took me at least 2 months afterward for ME to adjust to the band...sometimes getting stuck 2-3 times a day..... I could have gone for a un-fil, but I am glad I did not because once I got through that learning curve everything began to work just the way it is supposed to.... I never or rarely get hungry anymore, my portions are controlled by the band, and the weight began to steadily and easily come off with no effort or struggle what soever.... It became a BREEZE, the easiest thing I could have ever done, and no where near all the dieting I have tried and failed at before..... BTW, I have not been stuck for over 18 months now.....and I eat/drink things many people here would never dream of......it has become the NEW NORMAL..... But I did have to modify MY behavior, how and what I eat....but through that I found new freedoms.....

To be the Devil's advocate....Dr.'s sometimes see patients all day long, and put up with a lot of BS....sometimes you just want to smack the next person who starts on you.....so by the end of the day you can get very short and gruff....almost a "Here, take it or Leave" attitude..... Not saying that was your Dr., nor am I making excuses...it just happens...Dr.'s are people too who put in long hours and have to hear everything......

Just liquids....soups, shakes, coffee, water....etc, etc I remember only going 24 hours though, but that was a while ago...

Shucks!!! I was hoping he used my Weight Loss center....that way he would be in the audience next time I'm invited to speak.....sort of a role reversal

An example of what the Band Can do......just my own experience... At 5:30am today I had my usual Protein smoothie along with all my Vitamins, etc..... I've been on the road all day traveling.....it is now 6pm, just got home, and I have not had anything to eat all day...and right now I am not the least bit hungry....also food just does not have any appeal to me right now and I am not the least bit interested..... I'm sitting here convincing myself I need to go and have dinner....but I am also afraid I will eat very little and throw most of it away.... So I will eat, because I know I need to...I have a long day tomorrow after going to the gym.....but I have had days throughout this journey where I did not eat anything, especially when I am occupied with some activities.........(but I always get my protein and water) The band sends signals to my brain, telling it I am full, satisfied, whatever you want to call it.......but I have not had anything to eat...so it's not a physical feeling......it's all mental.....and it's just not between meals. The band is always there so the signals to my brain are always there....... BTW, this is NOT restriction....I only experience that when I am actually eating....

Night Sweats...to r/o, are you a Diabetic?

I wonder where in NJ, and who was his Surgeon???? Maybe I can be His Mentor!!

I was a little opposite...at one time I was seeing a Cardiologist, Endocrinologist, Dermatologist, and my PCP all every 3 months....and everyone was skeptical the surgery was the best solution and if I should go through with it...although it was my PCP who referred me knowing it was my LAST resort..... And now, they all want to take the credit for my success.....my Cardiologist is the worst...he was the most skeptical, and now he calls me HIS best patient and tells all his other patients aas though he had ANYTHING to do with the WLS.....

I have been baned for 2 -1/2 years, and I have not had a single problem.....I have not struggled with my weight loss either.... Granted, the first 4-6 months were "Hell"...going through the band adjustments, learning how and what to eat all over again, stuck episodes sometimes 2-3 times per day...all part of the learning curve, and behavior modification on my part..... But once I got through that rough start, the band...and myself, began to behave the way it was attended to....and although it bothers many people here on this forum (jealousy?) it has been then easiest thing I have ever done.....once in the Green Zone th weight steadily and consistently came off and I reached my goal in a year.....but it is now a lifestyle so the body determines when it is done loosing and I continued to loose until there is simply nothing left to loose....body fat% is normal if not athletic, everything reached a point of equilibrium.... Today, I simply live my life day to day, don't think about the band all that much...never count calories or worry about portion sizes..(Have not done so since 3 months post surgery) To this day as it was the first day I settled into the Green Zone, I am very rarely hungry...food simply does not interest me so I don't have cravings like I used to....and the band still controls my portion sizes.....dos not matter where I'm at, or what food is offered me, the band is still the band and that will not change....short of some medical condition that would change things...but for now it's all good....could not have expected anything better..... I read and talk to many people who "Struggle" with this surgery and I have noticed certain common themes, and I have my suspicions why it is so....but it not my place, nor any one else's to tell other people what they should or should not do with their lives, let alone their health...so I keep my mouth shut....and would be happy to share my success story and my first hand experiences. I am glad I did not find this website untill AFTER I had my WLS....otherwise I am not sure where my head would have been..confused I'm sure from all the mixed messages one can find here....and I may not have been successful as I am if I followed some peoples examples here.... But in a sea of negativity I will continue to tell MY story because people need to know that this thing DOES WORK, and can work, just the way it was intended to.... A lot of people who have succeeded, adapted to their new life, move on and way from this website...for varied reasons...I know, I still talk to them on other (private) forums, and many vow they will never come back here.

The band prevents me from over eating.....it would simply hurt, to mention but one symptom, to continue to eat when the band/pouch says stop..... But I am not bothered by this because I am also not hungry...mentally, not physically....which also has taken away my interest in food. Not between meals, but 24/7....all the time. I have to remind myself I need to eat on most days...and if I am busy I will not think about it and forget entirely. And it's not about being too tight as some may think...it is about having the band adjusted "Optimally" where it is working as advertised.... Below is a picture of all the Vitamins, Omega 3's, etc I take everyday...I do not crush any of them, but take them whole with no problem, and have been for over 2 years now.... I would not be able to do that if my band was too tight...... \

I listen to my band when it comes to eating...and my band does not like anything breaded and deep fried....

When I got stuck and wanted to get rid of it...I would sip water...the water will not pass through, only fill the pouch more and then it would all come up.... same reason I was taught not to drink while eating....increases volume too fast causing regurgitation....

No Rice.....Early on when I was still in the learning curve I had trouble with rice so I choose to stay away from it..... I will mix a tablespoon of rice with my Chinese and Thai food, but you can't even tell it's there.... Rice and dough products (breads, pasta, etc) were the first to go...then Red Meat....

You'll get many different opinions.....I for one CANNOT overeat with the band...and I do not understand how I can....believe me I put it to the test on cruises, etc, and when the band says stop, I need to stop...plus I'm not very hungry anymore so it is not that big of deal.... Even sliders, such as ice cream.....my normal stomach has shrunk so much from eating less and food and portion sizes, over time, that it does not take all that much to get genuinely "Stuffed" and a good old fashion "Belly Ache" As far as people slipping back into old habits and gaining much of their weight back, IMO it would appear to me it is because they lost much of the initial weight on their own will power and discipline, just as you would with any traditional diet, which leaves you with the opportunity to fail as you would with any traditional diet....as I have done 100's of times.....may take a few years, but people fail all the time... but the band is a constant.....it's surgical intervention doing something I was unable to do on my own.... But to your first statement, if I rely on the band and not myself, then, at this point 2 1/2 years into it, I still do not understand how that can happen...short of a medical condition forcing me to get a un-fill.....but for now, the band is the band is the band and I do not see how it will change...it is a constant no matter where I am, no matter the time of day, and no matter what food is placed before me...... It is now an everyday lifestyle, something I do not think about or have to work at all that much.... I had surgery...went through the adjustment phase, both for me AND the band, (Bandster Hell) and that's it....there's not much else I need to do except follow a healthy life style with good food choices and plenty of exercise.... But then the band is adjustable...and that leaves the door wide open for individuals to choose for themselves....and there is a high failure rate....

Agreed....as a Cardiac patient, my cardiologist has me taking one children's aspirin every day, and I also take Rx Blood Thinners. (Plavix)....My surgeon, PCP, and everyone for that matter all knows and no one has ever given it a second thought or mentioned anything to me........I had to stop the week prior to surgery for bleeding, but continued 1 week after.....that was over 2-1/2 years ago, and it's been every day since. I also have Bursitis in my shoulder, and also in my left knee that sometimes flares up and inhibits my daily running....Advil works the best when I need it. What's supposed to happen???

How did you know it was time for another fill? Mr Dr. had the Yellow-Green-Red chart on the wall....and after weighing me in and looking at the weight lost/gained over the last 30 days, and asking a few questions, he would refer to the chart and ask me where I felt I was with my band, on that chart....The HE would make the decision whether I needed a fill or not, and how much.... He made it very plain from the start, that the "Green Zone" was where he wanted me to be in order to get the full benefit of the band.... Took 3 fills one month apart, but he got me there....but then it was up to me to adjust and learn to live with it...which I did...that was 2 years ago and I have been in the Green ever since... So bottom line, it is up to your Dr.'s protocol and treatment plan.....

WHAT???? There are many who have had there port flip...evidently it must be common....one or two people I know had it fixed in the Dr,'s office with a local.... He HAD to be joking....it does sound like joke at the wrong time....