FDATrialGuineaPig

Hey if anyone is in Sonoma County, check in here!

It probably was at some point Karla LOL. I'm still banded and doing great. Keep looking for you on Facebook. Drop me a line! Robin

Judy I'm almost 8 years out.

Okay, I'm sorry but this one had me rolling with laughter (not at you, at the absurdity of the concept?). I had no idea diet and exercise was cheating. I really has been true all along...I am the perfect Lapband patient. Sitting on my ass on the computer and drinking Starbucks is finally defined the way I have always prayed it would be. :ranger: Wait a minute--she came from OH? Never mind. I'm screwed. *sigh*

Well..maybe I'm not privy to that history and made a snap judgment. Because that sounds flat out pathetic that anyone would bash someone else out of jealousy for their success. Although I can see it happening. Human nature is tricky and all. We're just animals. I'm hungry. :hungry:

Depends on the child. But even if you disagree with the approach it shouldn't be ILLEGAL. I think that's the main point. Whether you think it's right or wrong is it right to legislate it? What is more damaging to a child? Being swatted on the behind or removed from their mother and father at a young age for a year or more while the parents pay fines and get to take "parenting classes". I was spanked as a child and I vowed I would never do that to my children. At a family reunion my father joked to one of my kids, "be careful or you'll get a spanking" and all 3 of my kids in unison said, "what is a spanking?". I thought my father was going to stroke out LOL. It's not the end of the world. Is it ideal? Not always. But there are about 20 other ideals that can be judged/weighed when it comes to parenting as well. No one is going to always do the right thing. It doesn't mean we don't love our children or that we deserve to have them taken away. There is true violence and neglect out there. There are babies and children dying in hot cars by the hundreds every year. These nanny laws just seem to set case law for the next tier of losing our rights. It's practically illegal to smoke in Northern California right now. Not in businesses, around businesses, in parks, in your car if you have a minor, and now in apartment buildings--INSIDE your own apartment--your home. This is the kind of crap that ends up going down once these politicians get going. Oh and I don't smoke either--but I don't think it should be illegal.

Hey, sumtimz i knuwlegible. And judgmental.

That's the best feeling ever! Congrats, it's quite an accomplishment!

By private I meant--all inside jokes and personal banter. After clicking past like 10 pages I figured the thread had been hijacked and the plane was going down. :help:

Of course--that comment was meant in good humor--I LIKED that movie! LOL I'd be the Mean Girl who gets walked all over and secretly feels sorry for all the victims. It's a curse, I can't help it. And I'd wear lots of mascara.

They're coming out of our public education system that tells them they're amazing and gifted just for breathing. They can't handle having to put forth effort and have real expectations. I returned to college after having gone 15 years earlier and I was SHOCKED at the difference. No more cumulative finals, minimal major assignments, extra credit, extreme forgiveness of poor grammar and spelling...the list goes on and on. And these kids will cry and/or have their parents call the professors if they don't like their grades! OMG, I don't envy you!

I'm on the side of crying in the fetal position. Wait. Is that the wrong side? Seriously, I didn't see any response to me at all--I saw a sea (a sea) of private conversation that I just wasn't privy to and it went on and on--no matter how far back I clicked. So I just didn't see your post and I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to ignore you. I've never, ever had 50 PMs at one time ever. And if I did I'd probably pretend I'd died or something. So I have no doubt you are incredibly supportive and informative to many people who enjoy conversing with you. Carry on.

We had a similar law attempt to be passed in CA by a female politician who didn't even have children and people went crazy with anger. With good reason. There are ALREADY laws in place to protect children against excessive physical punishment. Yet every day children are beat, murdered and tortured at the hands of their own parents. There are not enough tax dollars and social workers to protect the most severe of cases. The idea of wasting valuable resources going after good parents who believe in an occasional spanking or two is absolutely, mind numbingly illogical. Physical contact is as valid a form of communication as verbal. When you have a young child who can't be reasoned with and is putting him or herself in harms way, sometimes a swat is the only way to communicate danger or a fear of repeating a behavior. I have 3 children and I have never spanked them. My oldest is almost 10. I'm not a huge fan of the practice, but the idea of making it ILLEGAL is just absurd.

The Mean Girls are upset that people are acting like high schoolers?? Uh oh, time to break out the glitter phrases girls!!! LOLOL (that always shows them!)

Yet no one is telling the folks on RnR not to post (at least not on this thread so it' s not a relevant comment). The folks on RnR however, are making fun of and trying to intimidate people with lots of questions, anxiety and eagerness into thinking they're morons and shouldn't post. If you're that burnt out on newbies then stick to RnR only or step away from the boards for awhile. Getting a life is really underrated.

Over 7 years out. Still love my band despite a prolonged unfill period that lasted off and on almost two years and ended up in some regain. Losing again and well aware of the value of my tool and SO grateful that it's there! The Lapband changed my life and really taught me a lot about myself. It's not perfect and I knew that going in, but I would run to the hospital again to have it done. Back when Carnie Wilson was going through her RNY I was on a generic WLS board where no one had ever heard of the Lapband. As a result I became friends with a LOT of people who've had the RNY, DS and now the sleeve. Past five years you really can't tell us apart. Honestly. When I was 30 I was diagnosed with cervical cancer--the rare kind that isn't a result of HPV. I was very grateful to be able to adjust my band as needed for the multiple surgeries I had to have, the medications, etc. It was nice to know that I didn't have to worry about malabsorption and any issues with that. I was very appreciative I had control like that. I had a rough beginning with my band emotionally and behaviorally. But I found my way. In a strange way the band taught me patience and the value of small goals. I still love my band . PS I marked 7-9 years on the poll but it didn't register for some reason.

I think that people who think they are above all these "stupid" questions should just ignore them. I'd have to wonder if your arms get sore from patting yourselves on the back so voraciously though. Maybe you just end up with really toned arms? People come to banding with all different issues and all different reasons for getting so fat in the first place. Some are truly food addicts that are like the smokers trying to get a drag through the hole that's been cut in their throat. You don't know what it's like to be them or to struggle with whatever is they're dealing with. Congrats if losing the weight was so effortless for you. Congrats that you don't throw up daily. Congrats that you don't like being so tight that you can barely swallow. You are such a huge inspiration! To yourself. Get over yourselves. I ate a chicken sandwich at Chilis two weeks after I was banded. Was I supposed to? No. I was starving. I had issues. I was going crazy not eating. When I was 3 months postop and went in for my first fill I had actually GAINED 6 pounds. I thought my doctor was going to cloroform me and rip out my band right there in the office. I struggled then and I continue to struggle NOW with my ginormous appetite. In my case its 75% physical and I refuse to beat myself up about it any longer. You know what? I LOVED being super tight. I never felt more in control of my hunger, cravings and appetite than when I was so tight that it took me 4 hours to drink a cup of coffee in the morning. By the PM I could eat a fairly normal sized meal, but really, I LOVED the feeling of being tight. There is a huge difference in regurgitation methods. At once point all I had to was lean over a toilet and kind of "clench" and it would all come out. No noise, no violent gagging, nothing like that. I happen to know the Bandster, who was banded in 1999 and coined the term "pb". I didn't like it even then but it's served it's purpose. I've also eaten to the point of a few hard gags, some watery eyes and sniffling and gone on with my day. The real hard core vomiting is a completely different animal--it HURTS. And yeah, there is nothing wise about eating after something like that. Pbing can lead to vomiting to, but not usually. In all fairness I very rarely vomit OR pb. But in my experience the ones who *couldn't* had a very high incidence of dilitation and reflux. I actually pb'd pretty hard the other morning and forgot how awful it could be. I was really upset and had slammed down some breakfast. I guess my band still works when old eating habits rear their ugly head. I'm a bit sensitive to this post because I was the annoying bandster early in my days. I got kind of crazy. My loss started in the negative. I hated myself. But people supported me, they encouraged me (well except for Jessie LOL) and finally, I did find my way. It's presumptuous to state that people who are engaging in some of these "stupid" behaviors don't care about their health. They've been banded. They're posting. They're trying. Get over yourselves.

I began researching the band when I was 26. Scheduled surgery when I was 27 and had it shortly after I'd turned 28. I'm 35 now. I'd run back to the hospital right now to do it again!

Okay, I have to admit I never really considered myself having a sweet tooth, however looking back on my habits, I did eat a LOT of sugar. As a preop dessert was a foregone conclusion to EVERY meal. Every time I stopped at a gas station, grocery store, etc I always grabbed some candy. Those habits were so unconscious, that looking back I realize I wouldn't have even considered them part of my daily food intake! I would have just blocked it out as part of the rigamarole of my day. I've been banded over 7 years and have slowly cut out sugar, not really on purpose, just through trying to eat less highly caloric food. Anyhow, Desserts were one of the first to go instinctually just because they go down so easily. First let me get philosophical on you though. I believe as chronic dieters that we've come to almost intolerate what we perceive to be deprivation. During times when my eating was starting to spiral really out of control I found it was better to not focus on the negative...instead focus on being more proactive all around. In pure behavioral terms this is know as "setting the situation up for success". So desserts aside---begin your day proactively. Are you taking Vitamins? Are you drinking Water? Are you exercising?? If you crowd out the things you don't want to be doing with the things you SHOULD be doing the rest will very easily fall into place and it won't feel like you're punishing yourself, but more that you're taking care of your body. Why? When you take vitamins your body doesn't get wacky with cravings. I used to supplement with cinnamon (yes, pure cinnamon capsules) when I had bad sugar cravings because cinnamon is a natural insulin stabilizer--and it really does work! (And gives you very pleasant burps LOL). Water helps cleanse out your body and helps you crave healthier stuff. Honestly, I am not a big drinker of anything period (except coffee) so my goals with water have to be realistic. I have found that even drinking one 16oz glass in the AM, one at lunchtime and one in the evening made me feel 100% better than my usual none at all. I stopped pretending that I was going to shoot for 100oz or hell even 64oz. Be realistic but make SOME effort. And lastly try to exercise. Even if it's just 10 situps a day or making the effort to park at the very back of the parking lot to get in extra walking every day. Be realistic, but make an effort. It will pay off. Okay, once you've set up that structure here are some suggestions to help sublimate your sweet cravings into healthier activities: 1. Protein bars instead of candy bars. Buy those sickeningly sweet Protein Bars that taste like you're eating Snickers. You can use these are Meal Replacements, Snacks, etc and they taste like candy bars. Even Slimfast sells a snack version that is low calorie and sickeningly sweet. There are SO many protein/diet bars that are sickeningly sweet that I have grown pretty sick of sugar. 2. Do not put easy to ingest dessert in your house (ice cream, chocolate bars, cookies). If you're so weak that you cannot resist in the store, then shop for your food online and have it delivered. But it's not hard to purchase other sweets that are going to clog you up. Brownies, donuts cinnamon rolls, etc are super sweet but with a Lapband you won't be able to eat much of them. And if you CAN then I contend you aren't tight enough. 3. Never, ever EVER drink your calories. This is just stupid. Drink Diet Soda or Crystal Lite or whatever if you absolutely need to drink something sweet, but really--do not drink down anything with sugar. I DO confess to one tall mocha in the morning, but I budget it in (if that makes sense). Any other coffee I use sweetnlow. Again, if you're not a fan of water, try water with lemon slices cut up in it. It's not too bad. 4. At night if you have the sweet munchies really bad, realize that a lot of this is anxiety motivated. It may be how you unwind. I am a big time night snacker and I found that drinking Hot drinks really helped sublimate this urge. It seems that I just needed to be doing that hand to mouth soothing thing to calm down at night and you can drink things like sugar free hot cocoa, hot teas, etc. The hotter the better because you'll take smaller sips and it will last longer. 5. Try to substitute the fruit component to what you're craving. If you're craving, for example, an apple fritter, eat an apple first and then just see if you still want it. If you're craving chocolate go for quality. Make yourself homemade chocolate desserts that aren't full of sodium and preservatives. 6. Lastly, don't take money with you. This includes credit cards. If you don't have the means, you can't buy food while you're out . People managed to live just fine without atms and credit cards by managing their day and not relying on spur of the moment purchasing. Fill your gas tank, buy your groceries and only take your $$/credit cards when you are specifically shopping for something. It will drive you CRAZY at first, but it's amazing how you adapt and then you can start re-introducing them back in when you're more under control. You have the strength to do this, just take a different approach. Take an honest inventory of what DOESN'T work for you and be sensitive to yourself emotionally about both your method of trying to elicit change and your own expectations of perfection. I try to incorporate the flylady's cleaning philosophy into my body care--hers is even housework done badly blesses your family. Mine is that even days when I'm imperfect but tried and did SOMETHING blesses my body. I have had to learn to live almost no restriction because of reflux and I have learned the hard way that the band is just one tool in an arsenol of many. Good luck!

Huh well, here are some complications from morbid obesity: heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, blood clots in the legs, female organs, colon cancer and sleep apnea... Oh and the best one: "Sudden unexplained death have 40% more chances in patient of morbid obesity." At least the band can just be removed.

Sometimes it helps to take appetite suppressants during this time. Hey--why suffer?

I heard legend of someone in Australia who made it to goal with no fill, but guess what--it's because she had restriction from the get-go. Her stomach may have just been thicker or whatever, but she pretty much had instantly what some of us achieve in 2 or 3 fills. The obvious answer is--the band is designed to leave you with a fairly "normal" stomach when emptied, therefore it would be kind of defeating the adjustable nature of the band to hope to lose all your weight without a fill. So it's not IMpossible, but then, people lose weight without Lapbands all the time. Are you afraid of fills?

I loved it when people challenged my decision!!! It just reinforced me and made me all the more determined. Especially after I wore them down...

I NEVER lost any hair. For me, it has to do with fats. I've lost hair 2 times in my life--during the time I did Herbalife and then when I had gallstones and had to wait until I had my baby to get my gall bladder taken out. They had me on a zero fat diet and my hair was falling out in droves. Sometimes when my hair starts feeling dry I notice that I start craving avocados like crazy so I'll eat a bunch of them. My hair always regains it's luster after I do that, as do my fingernails. I know that everyone's body is different, but for bandsters it has more to do with some sort of food we aren't eating as we don't have malabsorption.

This is bandster reflux and it is almost impossible to self treat. It is very different than acid reflux. This is aspiration and can lead to making you quite sick (fever, chills, etc as your body tries to expel the crap from your lungs). If you get to the point where eating earlier is not helping then you NEED to get Fluid taken out--it's just not a good sign or something to let go long term. Sometimes it comes out of nowhere and it's nothing that you did wrong--your esophagus just weakens. But do NOT ignore it.