WASaBubbleButt

I'm 45, female, and I've lost 83 lbs since December 06. Your band surgeon is WRONG.

Keep in mind, once you break the cycle you don't have to do NO carbs, just good carbs. And when you do eat carbs go run them off within an hour or two of consuming them. Veggie carbs are great. It's the bread, Pasta, sugar that most of us have a problem with. But if you run them off right away you'll continue losing weight.

Hmmm.. that's interesting. I want to learn more about this. I *thought* (and was obviously wrong) that flipped ports were due to weight loss and anatomy changes. (crossing fingers) I haven't had any problems with mine yet. I do know that my port isn't in the same place it used to be. It used to be farther away from my port scar. Now it's right under it. I assumed it was from more condensing and less fat.

You are a brave soul. I am not.

This is called bandster hell for a reason. The time between getting a band and getting to your sweet spot is hard. Hang in there, give it time. Get another fill, life will be good!

Wouldn't the natural forming scar tissue around the port do the same thing?

Just my own personal experience but I think about 20% of it is realizing you are really serious about doing something, 20% is food choices, and 60% is dealing with the head stuff that you discover after being banded. For me the hardest part of all this is undoing old thinking, not justifying more food, learning facts vs. myths, admitting what I know to be true but pretending the myths are true anyway, and overall, changing how I think. Some of the myths being: Starvation mode, increase calories and you'll lose weight. Science shows us that isn't true. Needing more food when ill. Not true, your body has plenty of Vitamin and Protein stores. If you don't eat non stop while ill, you will survive the virus/infection/whatever. Or the justification... I had a bad day today, a REALLY bad day. I deserve to eat an entire package of Cookies. Someone really made me angry and I deserve a cake. I saved a life today, I deserve to eat a pie. Best yet, I'll just eat two cakes today and tomorrow I'll start again while finishing out the day with a non stop binge. I had to change my thinking and realize that I'm starting now, this minute.

I completely understand your concern. I wonder if what my friend is going through isn't similar to what you are going through. She has a HUGE sugar addiction. This is a gal that eats sugar to an extreme. She eats her 800 calories a day in food (as my doc suggests) and then tops that off with 2000 calories daily in sugar. In her case she just couldn't break the sugar cycle. It's easy to make big plans and say no more sugar after she just had her fix, but when the cravings and blood sugar spikes kicked in she couldn't stop herself. She had to have it. We went away for a three day weekend and there was literally no sugar in the house. (She has a weekend home in another city) We were out in the middle of nowhere, with nothing around. No restaurants, the only market was a cheesy, creepy little dirty place that she wouldn't buy anything there anyway. After three days and not a grain of sugar passing her lips she broke the cycle. She also lost two pounds that weekend vs. the one pound she's lost in the last five months. Now that the cycle is broken she can do it on her own. I suspect that she'll go back to sugar soon and we'll have to do the 3 day weekend again but that's okay, next time it will be a little easier because she'll know what to expect. I really do think (from watching her) that each time she does this she'll be closer to the goal. The goal being, to realize she can do this. I relate to this on a personal level. For me it isn't sugar but white carbs. Bread, potatoes, rice, Pasta, anything with flour/yeast. But not candy. Sweets I can take it or leave it. For me I was kinda lucky because the things I love and the things that got me fat to begin with are foods I *can't* eat anymore. My band is pretty clear about that. I can't eat bread, potatoes, rice, pasta, or anything with a flour/yeast combo. I was about to climb the walls when I was first banded. But after a few days I was fine. It was a matter of breaking the cycle. What if... now just think about this. What if you were to forget calories for a week. Don't worry about the number of calories you are consuming. Just get rid of the sugar. When you have head hunger... feed it. But not with sugar. No more Cookies dipped in milk. No more anything that is preventing you from realizing you can do this. If you have the munchies find a Protein. Nuts, meat, whatever. But NO sugar. I'm not saying go crazy and eat non stop but don't worry about how much you are eating, just what you are eating. Then you will have broken the hard part of the cycle and you can get moving with watching all of it, portion size, calories, the works. Even if you have to leave town for a few days with a friend that won't let you fail for a few days. If my own experience proves true, you'll absolutely hate the person you are with, you'll want to scratch their eyes out when you want a cookie and they won't let you have one. But after all is done and over, I think you might find it will pay off.

I can relate to that, I think we all can. This is all the more reason to hang out here. If it helps keep the motivation up, stick around!

I've heard about this band as well. I don't think I'd be getting this particular band until it's been out in the US for a few years and the bugs are worked out. I wouldn't have a fill anymore without fluoro and one of the ideas behind this band are that you can call your doc and he can adjust it over the phone. It's bad enough when the doc isn't using fluoro let alone not even in the room. I can see it for a more experienced bandster but not a newbie type person. Also, if it malfuctions... how is it fixed? Wouldn't every malfunction have to be repaired surgically? That would be a concern. I don't know a lot of details about the band so I'm just throwing out thoughts more than anything.

Mmmmm yummm!

I am a person with NO imagination!!! I need help, please. I'm begging on bended knee! A very dear and sweet banded friend has a birthday tomorrow. Well, since it is 1:20AM that would be TODAY! Being the idiot friend I am, I didn't realize her birthday is tomorrow. Her hubby is NOT into holidays including birthdays. She will not be receiving a birthday cake or anything traditional. She is a MEGA sugar addict, I need to get something that has NO sugar. None, whatsoever. I have looked at FTD, they have crappy flowers. Nothing of interest. I need to have something delivered to her in several hours. Something pretty, feminine, sweet, caring, and FAST! If not something like FTD, something non-sugar, NON-chocolate, and non...full 'o calories. But special. Please, please please please... tell me what to do? I need help in a big mega way. I want something special, something that will make her smile. Something band friendly, something birthday sensitive. What the heck should I do??? If anyone here happens to have a business that would cater to a person in Mesa, Arizona QUICKLY, please PM me fast.

Yep, everything areellady wrote.

Green... Because my father was an atheist Jew Pardon my ignorance, but what is an atheist Jew?

Denise... Did you see the August exercise challenge in the Dec '06 section? I'm just guessing that you will be up for this. When will you be in Phoenix?

HEY DENISE! Where are you? Are you reading this thread? I'm betting you'll join as well, no?

Ohhhhhhhh, thank you! I need motivation as well. If I am not doing this by myself and if someone else is doing it as well then I can do it. I have to get a ticker with the appropriate minutes, that keeps me honest. But I realize not everyone needs something to keep them honest. Thanks!

This is what I ended up doing. Flowers. I found a fragrant bouquet of flowers and had them sent to her office. At least that way others will see the flowers and surely ask about them. Then everyone will know she had a birthday. She sent me an email, she was a bit miffed about the calories and exercise over the weekend but after the flowers and a 2lb weight loss, she got over it. She doesn't hate me anymore. HA!

I would have done something like this but I have no clue what size she wears. Not a clue. However, I saved the link... this could be fun in the future! Thx!

Ohhhh, you have no idea the truth you write. He uses her weight against her on a regular basis. He even refers to how HE and their 21 month old daughter have had to "suffer" due to her banding. The dude doesn't have a clue. I realize she has not done well with banding thus far, but she'll get it eventually. We went on Bubble's forest boot camp this weekend. Cutting out ALL sugar, not a single grain of sugar passed her lips last weekend. A 2 mile hike up hill meant a 2lb weight loss this week. Considering she's lost 1lb in the last five months, 2 lbs over the weekend was GREAT! She worked hard, she deserves a great deal of credit thus... I wanted to do something special for her birthday. After a GREAT weekend with lots of advancements I know she's going home to a hubby that doesn't see the progress. This gal cut out 6000 calories of her usual diet over the three day weekend. She typically eats 800 calories in food and 2000+ calories in chocolate DAILY. This weekend she broke the sugar cycle, exercised a LOT, and I just know she's going home to a hubby that doesn't see the value in this. Some things are just wrong.

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f109/passing-thin-support-thread-those-approaching-goal-37513/

I have actually considered the bowling ball phase. But you know, I just don't have the ovaries for that.

The hell you say!

Green... I always just love your posts. I agree with what you write and also, I fully agree with what you write to NurseKathy.

Sorry but your nutritionist is wrong. 70% of people having surgery of any type experience hair loss. Not a thing in the world to do with nutrition in this case. A lack of protein can do it but we also have about a 2 month store of protein already before we ever go into surgery. I was always told that hair loss was for bypass folks only, that's just not true. There are a gazillion threads on the topic, might want to do a search and see for yourself.