B-52

I used to be Naive and could not possibly understand how anyone can fail after having surgery....something that alters your body ...SURGERY! .....(and to a extent I still don't get it) But after another year, and reading and meeting so many different people here and other websites and at support groups where I sometimes as to speak.., ....IU now see there are so many different views about this WLS, and how there can be so many different ways people can approach it..... I can now understand how people can, and will fail at this.....it's sad, but it is true.....I see it everyday.... I also now understand why so many Dr.'s are not so quick to recommend Gastric banding as they once did, but other alternatives such as sleeving, etc.... I have begun to tell people, that even though the Band has worked for me, I would look closely at the sleeve first before making any decisions.....

Ok, I get it....I'm not trying to be confrontational, but just from a educational standpoint, what does the band do for you? Is there anything you are doing now you could not do before you had the band surgery??? I read this all the time....about counting calories, measuring portions, following the "Rules" .....and to me this is everything I have ever learned from any diet I have been on before I had surgery.....and failed at it because I could not do it...so I needed to have WLS as a last resort..... But, again not being confrontational, I really do want to know how the BAND has changed all that for you, if you are following all the rules on our own..... I for one, cannot do it on my own....if I did I will eventually fail, fall off the wagon, loose track, etc....my take a year or two but I eventually would.... Thanks for your honesty....

I always think of the images of those poor POW's, all skin and bone, and say...."If they only had an unlimited supply of Protein, Water, and Vitamins.."

The band will change the way you eat and the foods you eat....that's how we loose weight after all.....there is a fine line between being too tight and eating wrong.... You say you NEVER got stuck??? And he is ALWAYS getting stuck? Hmmmmmmm...... The truth is somewhere in between me thinks.....

I know it goes against many people's logic on this forum, but I always find it goes against my logic that we have to "Eat more to loose more" In my own experience, I have always found the opposite to be true..... Every plateau I've broken was by eating less..... If we need to eat more to loose, then none of us would be fat....... We are hunter gatherer's, and in primitive terms we store excess food/energy as fat in anticipation for "Famine and drought" .....well it has been my thinking it's time to start using that fat I've been storing away..... Since being banded....I have always heard people use the "Starvation" mode....I researched it as much as I could, read old textbooks, spoke with people at a few of the Hospitals I go to weekly (including nutritionists in the critical care units) ,....bottom line...IF you were normal weight and had to go without food, you're in BIG trouble..... all these studies are conducted with "Normal" size and weight individual....NOT morbidly Obese people who have enough fat to last 4 months on a deserted Island! What we do need is Protein, and Water, both which are essential to life...... I have always worked out on a empty stomach, other than some pure Liquid Protein, and relied upon Burning Fat as my energy source...and in my case, it worked! I now have a very low body fat %, the Fit - Athletic range..... Dr. says at my last visit, I have no more weight left to loose, and thee is not a ounce of fat on you (exaggeration) So all I'm saying, if you feel you need to EAT MORE...go at it.....I'm just saying the opposite has always worked for me...... (now, it's 5am and I'm off to the Gym)

Are you Vomiting? As in are sick with some type of stomach ailment? There is a difference between vomiting, and regurgitation from a tight band....a big difference.... Your last fill was in October...it would be strange that all of a sudden , all this time later you are having problems with the band being too tight, although I would not rule out something band related..... But again, you say "Vomiting" exactly what is it do you mean.....people tend to misuse that term here frequently..... Although I have been stuck and spit everything up several times...I have yet to been sick and vomit...to be honest, it scares me...... If I were to get sick, I would call y surgeon ASAP.....if I am traveling, which I do often, I carry my own syringe to do my own un-fills and avoid a catastrophe....in a foreign country....

I'm still seeing a team of Dr.'s...all on a 4 month rotation...I try to book them all on the same day to make my schedule easier.... So today...I see My PCP at 8am, then my Podiatrist for my Insurance paid pedicure and foot massage (diabetes) ....then my Endocrinologist...wish She would release me, my A1-c's have been holding steady well under 6.0, last was 5.6 with NO MORE MEDS or INJECTIONS...I don't even check my sugar anymore..... I also have my Cardiologist today...very routine but the the waiting room always scares me straight!...Soooo many very sick people.....every Obese, smoker should sit there for 1 hour....that will make you wan to go to the gym if nothing else will..... Finally my Dermatologist...again, release me.....I did have serious skin issues when I was fat, unhealthy and out of shape......was in isolation more than once! But that's all behind me..... After this, my PCP and Cardiologist always tweak my Rx's, so it's off to the pharmacy to get that straight.... Only Dr. not on todays list is my Bariatric Surgeon...that was 2 weeks ago... and he made me feel pretty good too...was told I have no weight left to loose! Can't get any better than that! The upside of all this...is once upon a time I dreaded facing each one because it was never very inspiring...like meeting the grim Reaper 4-5 times in one day....was even told point blank I will not be around very long and should think about my family and arrangements.... But now...as with the past visits, I expect accolade after accolade....I've seen my lab work from last week...everything is right down the middle....so it will be a very motivating uplifting day....even My cardiologist who was not very keen on this surgery (diet and exercise guy) will call me HIS prize patient....sure, he performed Life saving Heart surgery but not the weight loss......afterwards I will go to the gym and Celebrate by running till I drop! Then maybe a tall one when I get home to watch NCAA basketball on TV! It WILL be a GOOD DAY!!!

Everyone is different...My first fill was 4 cc's and not near enough to make any difference.....that was 4 weeks after my surgery date.... After my first fill at 4 weeks and before my 2nd fill 4 weeks after that, I GAINED WEIGHT!!!!! I too felt like a failure, the band was a waste of time....etc, etc, etc... NUT told me I needed to count calories, weigh/measure portions....etc... I was PISSED!!!! I could have done all that without going through surgery.....I did all that before and it never worked....surely WLS is supposed to be different.....right? It's for people who failed at dieting, right? At my 2nd fill....my Dr. saw my frustration and all he did was LAUGH AT ME!!!! He said it happens all the time....people, like myself expect instant gratification and yet, the band is not doing what it was designed to do.....He explained, by showing me the Yellow-Green-Red Chart on the wall, that through a series of fills the Green is where our goal is to be, and that after one fill I was no where near that place...yet.... He gave me a 2nd fill, of 2cc's....after that it made a difference....at least I no longer gained weight, and started to loose...but it was a struggle....still always hungry, cannot control my portion sizes, etc....... One month after that...3 months after surgery...he gave me my 3rd fill.....that did the trick...put me right where I needed to be...although all was not perfect...I still needed to learn what what happening to me, and modify my behaviors to adapt to the band and this new life style.....after that...it's been all easy..... So, after one fill and recently banded...you are no where close to being a failure......believe me.....I know people (some ere) who have failed to let the band work, and you are not even close!.........

He put it UNDER your stomach Muscle?? I have to ask him about this....never heard it can be done...My port sticks out like a golf ball right under my skin, you can even see the tubing come from it for about 2-3" before it goes deep to the band.....it's attached on top of the muscle, with no to conceal it..... He told me I already have the more smaller port, (realize) and there is nothing he can do but move it laterally.... If it is under the muscle, is it attached to anything? Is there any possibility it can do damaged to some organs such as the liver etc? I need to ask my Dr. next time I see him at the Hospital...

The band comes to the rescue every time..... I may crave something...may even go to the store to buy it...come home, take the time to prepare it.... Sit down to eat...1 maybe 2 bites and the reality of the band steps in......wind up throwing it all away.... Happened to me the other day...bought Chinese take out, a particular dish off the menu I Know I should not - cannot eat...but I wanted it so bad - (Head Hunger) wound up throwing it all away.... Sooner or later you learn, as soon as the thoughts come, you realize from experience it won't work....yet still I find myself attempting from time to time.....only to reinforce lessons learned... But if you are just starting out...I can't help you.....other than look forward to getting your band adjusted....

Sorry, no...at lest for me....I leg press 380lbs.....2 reps of 12......not everyday though.... I did experience a different type of pain at my port though...a sharp stabbing pain..... My Dr. explained to me it is because it is attached to my Ab Muscles, and as my Abs get tighter it tugs on the port.....

I do not consider it a problem... I have not had a solid breakfast in 2 years...I have a high Protein smoothie I make in my blender....as the day goes on, I am able to eat more easily...... I find this common with many banded people

I keep forgetting the majority of people here just starting out..... It was HARD for me also....until everything got adjusted the way it is designed to do..... You Know..Green Zone....No Hunger, Good Portion Controls..Steadily loosing weight....Patient Satisfaction....what's so hard about that??? But the pre-op, post op dieting was hell....as was all the stuck episodes I went through as I learned how to live with the band....not to mention a week or two in the Red Zone....but and learn and adjust I did.... For me...Dieting is hard...I failed every-time, and I have been on every diet there is over the last 30 years....including drugs, acupuncture, and hypnosis.... But THIS...THIS worked, and it is the band doing it, not me...otherwise I would have followed the same oath of failure as before.... I also know everyone here is different, ....everyone chooses their own path....everyone has their own story of success to share...and I enjoy reading all the different ways people have been successful with their weight loss.... That is why the band is adjustable...to suit your individual choices.....and your individual path of success..... So keep your stories coming...and I will share mine also...after all, isn't this what this forum is about??? A open and honest exchange???

I know a successful bandster, been banded and at goal for over 5 years now....and all she does is Graze all day, or another eway is to say she has 5-6 small snack meals a day... you have to look at the TOTAL food eaten within a day...not always the traditional 3 meals a day.... I tend to graze now and then...especially weekends stuck in the house on cold days.....but when I do, I do not have any meals either...so it all evens out, if not coming out ahead...

So who cares if it is the easy way out??? As long as you have found a way out at all is what matters....You got to look after yourself...these people will not be there when your in the hospital suffering from all the associated illnesses the comes with obesity..... And is is not all easy...the first 4-6 months for me was hard and frustrating as hell....and many people back out at that point and never get to that "easy" place.....but I did and I do not regret it one bit...how can anyone feel guilty by being 100% healthy, thin, and physically fit...... Do people judge you for being that? Or are they more prone to judge you when you are morbidly obese...... Who are people trying to please by remaining the way they are.... Obesity is a major health epidemic, talked about everyday now as a health crisis that is going to get worse because it effects so many more at such a young age....and we feel guilty about taking the easy way out? At least we took SOME way out...... I read similar posts all the time...about PEER PRESSURE to stay fat......TRUST ME....when you get to your goal and are successful, people will look and accept you in a whole different way...there is nor rumor mill then....

First off....get the clearance from your Dr...I was cleared after 1 week, 1 or 2 more before any heavy lifting.... I'm with your friends...you can never be too active...with the band loosing weight is easy,.(once you get passed the initial adjustment stages)......but you need to exercise to BURN FAT...MUSCLE TONE...and TIGHTEN SKIN....if you want to complete the total picture....

Agree....But for me I can't say I have ever really felt full in the classic way........it is something else....I know many people here talk about being "Full" but it is really something different....

Same here...love the sound.... Like Water circling a slow drain......happens even as I drink just water or my coffee....but mostly in the morning when I am the tightest...

Never heard that before...knew about the dieting technique, but never that the band takes 20 minutes to communicate with the brain..... I guess I'm the weird one....my band is always telling my brain I'm not hungry....or not interested in food is more accurate....I can completely forget to eat if I'm not careful.... Learn something new from other people's experiences everyday...that's why I come here...

"Does it take twenty minutes to eat your meal? At that point you need to stop because even in slim people that is the time it takes for the nerves in your stomach opening and your brain to communicate to say you're no longer hungry." Agree with everything you say, but this statement...did your Dr. tell you that? Never heard that this is why we should stop eating in 20 minutes.... I get confused by many people's belief.... If the band is ALWAYS there, why is it people believe it sends signals to the brain only sometimes? Between meals for instance.....As though we can turn it on or off?? Or it goes on break 3 times a day during breakfast, lunch and dinner.... I for one, know my hunger is satisfied 24/7....but I eat because I know I need to eat, and 3 meals is a lifetime habit everyone has been taught, tradition from somewhere.........some people take very small snacks 5-6 times a day and do just as well....total daily calories count is what matters.... I was taught the 20 minute rule means, if we eat very slow, take our time between bites and swallows, chew very well, etc, etc, letting the food pass through the band adequately, we could eat for 5 hours straight! Graze all day...( I know, I've done it and sometimes still do) Graze all day, but NO meals....total calories still the same....(if i counted them). So we need to learn to stop at 20 minutes....otherwise....

Happens to me all the time....I am most tight in the morning and cannot eat at all until later towards lunch.....even my morning protein smoothies has to go down slow.... People, including me, say the Band gets tighter and looser...but in reality the band remains constant.... I believe it is our pouch that gets larger and smaller....just as the stomach can do from eating and not eating.....stretch and contract...it's natural and expected...... The more we eat, quantity and frequency....the more the pouch dilates, making it easier to accept food.....it is the hardest to take food after we have not eaten for quite some time, and the pouch is given a chance to rest and return to normal...which we say we feel tight.... That is why I am the tightest in the morning,,,i have not eaten anything in 12 hours, plus slept for a good rest..... I can also experience this if I do not eat all day until late dinner...I KNOW the first few bites are going to be painful..... In reverse, people who cannot stop eating, or ignore their band...run the risk of dilating their pouch and never giving it a chance to relax and return to normal size....like a "beer belly" but on a smaller scale.... What does the Dr, prescribe? ALL liquids for a few days to let the pouch relax and return to normal.....IF the Dr. feels the patient will not comply and keep on eating, then he/she will have to do a complete un-fill, therefore giving the pouch a chance to rest....even if patient eats solid food..... For general maintenance, I go all liquids for 2-3 days, usually pick one weekend every 4-6 weeks...this keeps my pouch in good health....(Tight band) I can also tell when I need to do this based upon how easy it is for me to eat, or the band starts to allow my portions increase in size...... Some people refer to this as the "5 day pouch test" which really is not a rest...it is a protocol to let the pouch rest and return to normal.....hopefully....

No offense, but your post could have been taken right off a Weight Watcher's website.... You say nothing about the band, and whether it made any difference or was it mostly on your self discipline dieting techniques, following the standard dieting rules.... People fail at diets everyday, sooner or later they fall back into the old habits and gain the weight back.....I know, I've done it 100's of times.... So, how did the Band fail you??? Did the band ever work? Did you ever feel you had adequate restriction from a series of fills? (adjustments) I ask this because I am always interested in hearing other peoples stories when they say they have gained the weight back....always trying to determine if it was the band or the patient..... I know I am at a good place with the band....so I really do want to hear what can possibly go wrong....a medical situation I can understand, those are not unusual, where the patient needed to get a complete unfil, etc...and never quite get back on track....

Cardiologist released me today....kind of nervous about that, but he said I'm as good as anyone else.... look after myself like any 61 year old male should....call if there are complaints like chest pain, etc, and make an appointment in a year for a stress test...again same as anyone my age needs to do....

To be honest....IMO...it is too early to worry about that...in my case...MONTHS Right now, you need to heal...get back to normal....as to where you were before the surgery...and listen to your Dr.'s post op instructions...he/she will have more for you as you move forward.... This "Stuffy" feeling in your chest, and other possible feelings are related to post surgical healing.....

Talked the Endo into releasing me.....can't my PCP monitor my Bloodwork? Do I really need to see a specialist? She agreed....Now I'm off to see the Wizard..my cardiologist...