B-52

I certainly cannot Dx over the web, but I know many people who have gone through this.....not saying this is you, just some general info.... It is a FINE LINE between being too tight and not eating properly to get along with the band....many people complain about eating too much, get a fill but do not modify their eating behavior, get stuck, go back and get a un-fill, and find themselves back where they started..... If I had any way to see what I eat during a normal 24 hr period BEFORE I had this surgery...I would not believe it to be possible.....but over 6 months, one fill at a time, behavior changes all the way (sometimes the hard way) I did get there... THAT was probably the hardest thing about this WLS...that learning curve, Bandster Hell, Bandster Bootcamp......whatever you call it....after that...easy-peasy....all coasting from then on.....but getting there....another story. I know a person who after her 3-4th fill...every fill after that, she gets an un-fill...11 TIMES! All she needs to do is stop trying to eat the way she did when she was living the fat life....can't do it!

Yes I can...it is the band "talking to me" telling me to do a few things...chew better, eat slower, or stop eating that particular food altogether.... Sometimes the band whispers...some times it Shouts at me...when it shouts I better pay attention..... I'm having a coffee right now and don't feel a thing....early this morning I felt every swallow, although just a whisper...when I had my morning smoothie...it got a little louder..shouted one time when i took a gulp..so I listened and stayed with smaller swallows, almost a sip.... My Dr. kept telling me from day one the secret is to learn to "Listen to Your Band" and I have gotten pretty good at it....it will tell you how big of bites and teach you if you are chewing properly....and when to stop.... Some people will read this and not have a clue....all I would say is your band has to reach a certain level of restriction before it begins speaking....and the band is adjustable so some people will not know the experience...others do...

I was cleared at my one week post-op follow up appointment....including soaking in the hot tub also....but told NOT to do any heavy lifting for another 2 weeks.....

After all is said and done after surgery....was about 6 months for me....it took me that long to figure out what I was doing, learned to "Listen" to my band, and felt securely in the Green Zone.... THEN I started to drink alcohol, including Beer....but I know what I'm doing....I do not think it would have been a good Idea when I was first starting out and learning my lessons, developing my new Lifestyle....and I was on a good, steady consistent weight loss journey.... Also, there is very little I can eat that is co-operative with my band in the way of fast food.....Wendy's Chili is a favorite, but not much else jumps out at me....

Steak, and any similar red meat is a no-no for me.....matter of fact, thanks to the band and the delight of ALL my Dr,'s , friends and peers, I have not had red meat in over 2 years now..... But I have much more in my band than 4cc's .....that was the amount of my first fill followed by 2 others.... In convalescent centers, long term care facilities, you will find there is rarely red meat on the menu...it's is just to hard on the digestive system.... Anyway, I'll take a guess and say that eating steak as easily as you do, it is possible you are still irritating the band.....causing minor inflammation....making the next thing you eat a little more difficult.... BTW, cake, or any bread - flour, doughy items are just as difficult for me and also on my NO list along with red meat...cupcakes are by no means a slider food for me but a show stopper...same as dough-nuts, pie crust, Pasta, etc.... But I don't mind...none of those things are healthy for me....a Diabetic with Cardiac conditions....

The last % of weight to loose is always the toughest.....for me, exercise was the key....getting into a new "Active" routine.... It is still about burning more calories than consumed, being sure you do not ignore your daily Protein requirements along with essential Vitamins and Water intake... When I was fat, I remember talking to my Dr. about exercising and asking him if he felt what I was doing was adequate....he stopped me, said we can round and round discussing what activities I was doing for how long time periods, etc,....then said all he wanted to know, when I work out, "Am I Sweating"??? If I am not building up a good sweat, then I am not doing anything adequate....I am ot really burning any meaningful FAT...sure burning calories is better than not burning any calories, but we are talking about that "Finishing" touches to this WLS program.... ANYTHING is Good....walking, etc, ....but after you have lost 80-90% of your excess weight, have gotten your health back, it's time to step it up with the exercise to finish off that body.....

My first fill was 4 cc's, and I gained weight afterwards.....before my 2nd fill.... I'm a littler surprised he only gave you 1/2cc...although I know a few ther people whose Dr.s led them on that way.....

It's not only about losing weight...it has a lot to do whith skin and muscle tone.... I am 100 lbs down and I do not have the excess skin hanging as some people talk about.... Also, even though I stopped loosing weight over a year ago, I still dropped 2 more clothing sizes...... It does shape-tone your body.....putting on those finishing touches..... I also believe you need to burn more calories ( more the better) than you consume to burn fat and loose weight.

I have been gaining and losing the same 5 lbs for 18 months now...got used to the fluctuations....perfectly normal and expected, I no longer try to guess why....I only know it will be different the next day.... Sometimes it will hold steady for 2-5 days then suddenly jump 3-5 lbs....next day drop..... I weigh myself twice a day out of habit....first thing in the morning when I wake up, and later at the gym on the high- tech machine.....always the same fluctuation....

I can no longer tolerate the rice..... Nothing to do with calories.....(I don't count calories). It is just not band- friendly for me......besides, what's the nutritional value in rice?

I had a short conversation with Kevin Bacon as we were standing in front of the urinals next to each other in NYC..... Strange as it sounds we had each other laughing.....

There is very little I like in the way of regular shows on TV.....I like to rent movies on demand....and purchase the better ones on Apple TV........also sports events, like..MARCH Madness.....! Big fan of HBO and Showtime Series......Treme, Boardwalk Empire, Homeland, Pacific, Band of Brothers....starting watching " Nurse Jackie". Jury is still out on that one.... Have all 5 (?) seasons of "the Wire" on Apple TV...love that show....will go back and watch from time to time..... And DVR Saturday Night Live......also like "House" But all this other crap.....forget it.....NEVER saw a single episode of these so called top shows......

In my experience, I have been stuck many times...in the beginning that is when I was just leaning....I did not run and complain to the Dr.....I took it as a lesson I needed to learn to adjust my eating, what and how I was eating..... Yes, I would take it easy...then continue with some behavior modification on my part...if I did not, I would get stuck again....no reason to complain to the Dr. if it was I who was the cause of the problem...it was I who needed to change, not the band..... In other words, I always looked at this as something I was doing wrong, and blamed myself...NOT the band...I'm glad I did it this way, I don't think I would ever have reached the place I am at now if I kept blaming the band, getting unfilled....and not adapting to the band and changing my life style...for good!!! The band is not for everybody....or at least, it is adjustable and you do have the choice to "Use It" as little or as much as you want....just don't become one of those who say the band does not work.....it does work...it is us who don't comply.... I have had friends/relatives that I have told that I am not sure the band is for them...I know them and how the are...WHIMPS...and they would not last the first 6 months and become a constant complainer.....never being able to change.... Yes, there can be a point where the band is too tight, and you start to drift into the red zone...but I did not believe that was the case so early on ...now, with 7cc;s in my band, and being i the Green Zone for so long, I can recognize exactly when and IF I were to go into the Red.... For me, the band IS NOT a TOOL.....a tool is something I can use...or choose not to use if I so desire....I my case, the Band s totally in charge, I do not have the choice to eat wrong, I do not have the choice to over eat....I do not see how it is possible for me to "Fall off the wagon" and "Need to get back on Track" as though I was on some self discipline diet... If the band were a tool, then I can do with it as I wish...but for me it is the other way around.....the band is in charge of Me! I do not have the options of doing bad things with it.... But getting there is/was not easy...and I have told may it is not for everybody....when I was still learning, I got stuck as many as 2-4 times a day on occasion...because I did not want to, or had a hard time changing what and how I ate.... But I am so glad I finally got through it and came out the other side a changed person, with a new lifestyle.....if I had gotten in-filled, I do not think I ever would have learned those lessons....I would have stuck with my old ways, beaten down the band and putting myself and my bad habits in charge of the "tool"

You were banded when, how many fills and how much is in your band??? What size band? Have you ever experienced getting stuck..sliming..etc??? I have absolutely no will power either.....None..nada..Zip!!

Vomiting comes from below the band...from the stomach and is not related to the band although it has to pass the band on the way up.... Regurgitation is band related....BIG difference........ In the years I have been banded, I have yet to vomit....but it does scare me...especially since I travel out of the country and have gotten food poisoning and other strange viruses on occasion....If I have restriction on the way down, I can only imagine the force of a violent vomit coming up from below........that is why for extreme emergencies I carry a syringe when I travel.......

How bad do you want to loose weight and be a normal size person.....how bad do you want to have most, if not all, of your medical situations either reveresed or under control.....how much are you willing to sacrifice to have that? Once I got my head around that, NOTHING was going to get in my way....and that also included my attitude AFTER I was banded..... Many people whine about giving up certain foods for good.....complaining about side effects such as getting stuck, regurgitations, simply refuse to let go of their old lige and bad habits..etc......PLEAAAASSE! Would have agreed to bread and Water for 6 months, with the promise i will mot feel hunger, if that is what it took to get my life back.... And I did achieve just that, in one year! You can be a victim all your life, or you can take charge! It's everyone's choice, and this band is adjustable to match your level of commitment....

I know I am in the Green Zone because: I am never hungry...don't mean between meals, I mean all the time (the band is there all the time, so......) I can eat so much..the band will tell me when to stop...I simply cannot eat anymore....Portion Control I do not need anymore fills...it's been at least 18 months, and been in the Green ever since... I steadily and effortlessly continued to loose weight, until there was nothing left to loose....15% BFI By the chart below, those are the things you can expect IF you are there..... \ \

Everyone is listing their do's and don'ts....My Dr. never told me NOT to eat or drink anything in particular.... What did happen is that there was a learning phase for me....within the first 6 months or so that corresponded with my adjustment period (fills) as I moved closer and closer to the Green Zone...I discovered for myself what foods I needed to avoid. AND I learned the hard way...school of hard knocks... When I would tell my Dr. I was having problems with a certain food, like red meat, he would nod and simply tell me that is not uncommon....in other words he let me discover it all on my own...I quess he knows that everyone is different..... One day we were talking about a Yankee game I went to, and I casually told him I did not eat a thing all day, but I did have at least 3 beers.....he asked me a few questions, then said he did not condone it but he could see I understood what I was doing and if I was going to drink a beer here or there, keep following the steps I was taking...he also asked me not to share this with his other patients when I speak at the support groups.... So yes....I do have a LONG list of foods I no longer eat...but it was only because I do better without them.....I will also say that during that "Learning Phase", I sometimes got stuck 2-3 times a day because I am a slow learner and hard headed..... but I can say now that I have changed my ways to suit the band, and I have not gotten stuck in over a year now.... and I mean band friendly foods, NOT foods by calorie content...that's different....that's important for dieting...I mean foods that I can tolerate with the band yet remain in the green Zone without any problems or complaints.... Also, it is interesting that the foods I avoid, that are not cooperative with my band, are not that good for me in the first place...

I've been going to Wall stadium since the 60's...my friends father owned a modified....I'm into dirt racks now....New Egypt...every Saturday...

My last Meal was the Chinese Buffet on 36 in Eatontown,..I knew I would NEVER set foot in there again..... Forget kelly's around st. Patrick's day.....anyway there is not much there I can eat......burgers, sandwiches are no more....have not been there in years... I've been banded over 2 years...don't get around to the restaurants they way we used to because I no longer eat the foods I used to...became very picky .....Asbury park for my Birthday.... Used to love surf taco..but cannot handle the rice now....have not been to the Circus in over 2 years.... What town do you live in? we are in Wall, just south of Belmar

HEY HEY NOW.......Do you have any idea how many T-shirts I have for eating the x-large pizza's all by myself? I use to put people to shame...little did I know I was the one looking foolish.... Pete and Elda's is the only pizza that I can still eat, although only one slice...super thin like a cracker....I cannot handle anything doughy.... There is another place on Ocean that has pizza like that..... In a few months the "Bennies" will be back and you won't be able to find a place to park there...let alone get a table.... But I'm not big on Italian food anymore either....pasta....

I'm the opposite.....when I am busy, occupied doing some event, like right now at work...the last thing on my mind is food.... As a matter of fact, aside from my Protein smoothie for Breakfast at 5 am, I have not eaten anything yet today....and best of all, I'm not hungry or missing it.....( I think I did have a few Girl Scout cookies) I will eat a good meal when I get home, not because I want to but because I know I need to.....but I won't be starving and the band won't let me be a pig...... Weekends are a different story...at least in the winter, a lot of sitting around and grazing...but when I graze I don't have meals so it all evens out... warm weather will be different, plenty to do outside......

Those dreams will turn to nightmares as soon as you experience the consequences of actually eating those things....you will learn to run from them.

Stretched pouch.....hapens to me regularly.....I can tell when my portion sizes increase...... This is why I go all liquids for a few days, to give it a rest and chance to contract to normal before something more serios develops..... Some people call this the "5 Day Pouch Test" but it des not have to be that strict..... Early on, I used to get sharp pains around my port....Dr. Explained it was stitched to the Ab muscles, and the more I loose and the tighter my Abs get, those pains are to be expected.....have not experienced them in quite some time......

Peanut Butter in my blender, along with a banana and chocolate.....plus 100% whey.....What a breakfast! Just thinking about it....now that is Head Hunger in the making.....