leo

this weirdest thing happened to my account, There are users on my buddy list which I never put on and users on my ignore list that I also never put on there. Anyone having the same problem??

Hiya, I just wanted to post a chart of my weightloss progress. I've been banded for about 6 months now and I notice a pattern developing in my weightloss. It's a loss of a couple of pounds in a few days time followed by a plateau. Sometimes they last 2 + weeks. I guess what I am trying to say is that when you are on a plateau , eventually you will break it and continue loosing!!

It does grow back, I think taking Vitamin b12 also helps.

Sorry for going off topic a bit. But talking about portions, the other day a co worker (slender female) was eating lunch with me and was telling me to "eat more". I had this little bowl of Soup and a small portion of mash potatoes, which for me seemed a lot, but there is this skinny little girl telling me to eat more Never thought something like this would ever happen to me.....

I used them, personally I think they are the best. But thats because they are my doctors The facility is headed my Dr verboonen and Dr Ponce de leon. Both are great doctors and are good at what they do. But as others might point out, Dr Verboonen has been involved with insurance fraud and he has done his time for it. But if you are looking for a doctor that is good at what he does, just look at me, I am a perfect example of his work. click on the link below to see my before and after http://www.lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=4130&highlight=leo+pic

My Bad, I retract my previous comment, sorry for ticking you off maam I'll try to stop making any more general blanket statements from now on. Actually, the comment was just posted in haste I should have spend a little more time to make it politically correct. And also, the posting I made was in no way supposed to be negative, I am banded in Mexico also, I have nothing but praise....

"The Benefits of H20" By Donald S. Robertson, M.D., M. Sc. Water suppresses the appetite naturally and helps the body metabolize stored fat. Studies have shown that a decrease in water intake will cause fat deposits to increase, while an increase in water intake can actually reduce fat deposits. Here's why: The kidneys can't function properly without enough water. When they don't work to capacity, some of their workload is dumped onto the liver. One of the liver's primary functions is to metabolize stored fat into usable energy for the body. But, if the liver has to do some of the kidney's work, it can't operate at full throttle. As a result, it metabolizes less fat, more fat remains stored in the body and weight loss stops. Drinking enough water is the best treatment for Fluid retention. When the body gets less water, it perceives this as a threat to survival and begins to hold on to every drop. Water is stored in extra cellular spaces (outside of the cells). This shows up as swollen feet, legs, and hands. Diuretics offer a temporary solution at best. They force out stored water along with some essential nutrients. Again, the body perceives a threat and will replace the lost water at the first opportunity. Thus, the condition quickly returns. The best way to over come the problem of water retention is to give your body what it needs---plenty of water. Only then will stored water be released. If you have a constant problem with water retention, excess salt may be to blame. Your body will tolerate sodium only in a certain concentration. The more salt you eat, the more water you system retains to dilute it. But getting rid of un-needed salt is easy---just drink more water. As it's forced through the kidneys, it takes away excess sodium. The overweight person needs more water then the thin one. Larger people have larger metabolic loads. Since we know that water is the key to fat metabolism, it follows that the overweight person needs more water. Water helps maintain proper muscle tone by giving muscles their natural contract and by preventing dehydration. It also helps to prevent the sagging skin that usually follows weight loss--- shrinking cells are buoyed by water, which plumps the skin and leaves it clear and resilient. Water helps rid the body of waste. During weight loss, the body has a lot more waste to get rid of---all the metabolized fat must be shed. Again, adequate water helps flush out the waste. Water can help relieve constipation. When the body gets too little water, it siphons what it needs from internal sources. The colon is one primary source. Result? Constipation. But, when a person drinks enough water, normal bowel function usually returns. So far, we've discovered some remarkable truths about water and weight loss: - The body will not function properly without enough water and can't metabolize stored fat efficiently. - Retained water shows up as excess weight. - To get rid of excess water you must drink more water. - Drinking water is essential to weight loss. How much water is enough? On the average, a person should drink eight 8-ounce glasses every day. That's about 2 quarts. However, the overweight person needs one additional glass for every 25 pounds of excess weight. The amount you drink also should be increased if you exercise briskly or if the weather is hot and dry. Water should preferably be cold. It's absorbed into the system more quickly than warm water. And some evidence suggests that drinking cold water can actually help burn calories. When the body gets the water it needs to function optimally, it's fluids are perfectly balanced. When this happens, you have reached the "breakthrough point." What does this mean? - Endocrine-gland function improves. - Fluid retention is alleviated, as stored water is lost. - More fat is used as fuel because the liver is free to metabolize stored fat. - Natural thirst returns. - There is a loss of hunger almost overnight. If you stop drinking enough water, your body fluids will be thrown out of balance again, and you may experience fluid retention, unexplained weight gain, and loss of natural thirst. To remedy the situation you'll have to go back and force another "breakthrough."

Fear of losing the Weight Loss Battle You won't lose the battle if you are willing to work with the band and do Your part:) But I can almost guarantee: ·You will have plateaus when you first switch to solids until your body gets used to being fed instead of starved (most likely 1-2 weeks but could be 3 like mine was) ·During many plateaus you will lose inches not lbs and finally a larger loss. ·Your loss in the first 30-40 days is a never to be repeated experience so enjoy it Then you begin the long slow journey downward (not upward) ·You will learn the fine art of PB's and what causes them for you is it swallowing air when you eat. Eating too fast.. Not chewing well or too big a bite.. Eating the wrong food for you...and not recognizing the no longer hungry after 1/2 cup (satiation) versus I want to eat more cause I can or it tastes good or I crave (head hunger). ·You will watch your body shrink and will walk a bit taller literally and figuratively... Start slipping into booths in restaurants. Sit in chairs with arms .. Stop worrying about how strong the chairs are...Not having to ask for an extender belt on airlines.. Finding it is easier to and you have more energy to walk / go up stairs/ Clean house and do a million other day to day activities ... Slip in and out of bath tubs where the Water goes all the way around you instead of damming up and it doesn’t kill you to stand up from sitting on the floor ...Wipe yourself easily in the bathroom.. Watch the years fall off your face and drivers license picture .. Go to a restaurant and order an appetizer and still end up with leftovers to take home.. ·Go through doubts and several fills/defills until you hit the sweet spot fill level for you. ·Will have to stop several times along the way to reassess your eating habits (I could eat certain foods and get away with some cheating a bit quantity wise at 359 and still lose .. That had to go at 250) ·I have also found that I have to keep reminding myself 1/2 cup of solids 3 times a day only and drink my water (1 hour after meals until the next meal but not with meals) ·Eat Protein first ..Fruit and veggies second and non-complex carbs last. (Keep the fats, sugars and non-complex carbs low ..Still have them but keep em low). And believe it or not a plateau that indicates that you need a fill is 1.No weight loss for 4 weeks. 2.You are following all the band rules (8 times out of 10 we want to be able to break the rules and still lose.figuring if we get a fill it will miraculously start us losing without us having to do our part). 3.You are eating foods that are hard and stick in your band for the 3-4 hours not drinking your calories- You are hungry an hour after eating (really hungry not cravings) and the 1/2 cup doesn't stay in the band for 2 1/2 to 4 hours. 4.You are drinking your 60+ Fl oz water a day and not drinking with your meal or for at least an hour after. 5.Once you move from mushies to solids.. As much as possible get your nourishment from food that is solid. If you have problems with it sticking in your stoma.try it again chewing it well..Cutting it up finer or chewing it with other foods to keep it from recombining in your pouch and forming a plug (e.g. potatoes).. 6.Try to avoid Soups and or Protein drinks if possible (if you are able to eat your protein you will be full longer - some people have tight bands in the morning and cant eat so have a protein drink) 7.Whenever you hit a plateau.. Keep a food diary and log everything, including water, which goes in and measure the 1/2-cup of solids. Mine grew twice from 1/2 to almost a cup without my noticing lol. 8.Try weighing in once a week to begin with not daily. Later move to once every 2 weeks or once a month. When you are losing slowly weight fluctuates daily with hydration levels etc. At least this way you normally will see a loss and not a fluctuate on or gain. Yes the loses are smaller but they are down not up. 9.Measure yourself monthly ..Often you lose inches before you lose lbs. 10.Don’t compare yourself to others.. We all lose at different rates based on age/metabolism/food choices/ activity level.. But we can all lose Hope that helps

Mexican bandsters get larger fills, because Mexican doctor don't abide by any Fill schedules. While people banded in the USA normally get smaller fills because doctors are more cautious. (lawsuits maybe?? ) For me personally, I always felt the restriction right after my fill.

sorry, i meant erosion , but then I did some further research and it seems slippage and erosion are a bit different. Band erosion - the Band can erode through the wall of the stomach. This results in loss of restriction to eating, or Band infection caused by leakage of stomach juices onto the Band. It is reported that such erosion rarely results in a sudden life-threatening situation for the patient. Erosion of the Band almost always requires removal of the Band, with plans for a later conversion to a different weight loss procedure. Erosion seems to be worse the slippage...

Hope you have a speedy recovery!!! btw this is called "corosion" in the lapband community.

actually the midband is from a french company( http://www.midband.fr/mid_anglais/present.htm) , the johnson and johnson is the swedish band (http://www.ethiconendo.com/morbid.jsp)

I am not taking sides either, all I can say is what I always say, I don't know this doctor personally so no comment. But for the newbies considering lapband surgery, there are lots of resources on the net, like the yahoo groups for example. And lapband surgery is different for everyone. It's like the stock market, past performance and does not guarantee future results and vice versa.

It actually looks quite similiar to the infection I had. Same location , mine was just a bit smaller. I think mine took close to 2 months to totally close up. I remember wondering if it would ever heal..... But in the end it did. I think if I had used neosporin from the start, I could have prevented the infection.. Good luck and hopefully everything will heal up fast!!

Hope everything is fine with you Kelly! When I am super tight, I always have a milkshake from mcd's. Or anything liquid with a high sugar content. Seems to open up the band a bit.

and all the people that got invites will be able to out invites of their own pretty soon :cool:

Great pose alex!!

Hi, I also wanted to post some before and after pics. I put a couple of each in seperate post. for all more pics you can visit my site in my auto signature

leatha totally hit it on the nail with the post i qouted below: Also imagine this situation. You have only a small opening between the upper and lower stomach. if food settles in the small pouch , and you suddenly take a big gulp of water by mistake. Everything could come up thru your mouth :eek

Hi here are 2 pics of me before and after.

Right now my band is kinda loose, so it's time for a fill also. Hopefully I will be able to start loosing again after my planned fill in january.

I am glad your brother is ok

I still eat all the same food i used to love, just less. But I can't eat much bread, rice, and other carbs because they tend to get stuck and make me PB.

your look wonderfull. I love your smile

I used a cashiers check. I didn't have to talk to customs directly because I had a driver from the doctors office pick and drop me off from the San diego airport.