Frederic

You shouldn't be scared but you should be prepared. As miserable as it feels getting stuck you do survive and... A) you learn to be more careful next time And you know your done eating at that meal.

The need for willpower can be eliminated through proper training. All cravings come from a real need but we aren't always good at recognizing what the need is. When you're hungry real hunger goes away with relatively small amounts of food if eaten slowly. We may still want to eat and many of us have developed empty plate syndrome where we feel compelled to clean our plate regardless of how full we feel but that isn't real hunger and it can be fought by applying new (sometimes silly seeming) behaviors into our routines. Using smaller plates, setting down utensils, using smaller utensils, these strategies help us reprogram ourselves and if we stick with them for 28 days straight they have a shot at becoming habits. Often when people try to find willpower what they need to do is look for a strategy that will allow them consistency. It's slow but the results are much more likely to stick.

I also struggled with liquids initially but I just kept water within arms length and tried to drink whenever I saw the cup. Then one day it was suddenly easy I could drink normally (which was my cue to start avoiding liquid calories). Some people always need to sip after the band but it's too early for you to worry about anything your experiencing as being "how it will be forever".

I really do understand why you feel so negative about the band; and your discomfort and pain are very real but as cognitive creatures we need to temper ourselves to remember our experiences are singular and no one person's experience (positive or negative) is representative of a universal experience that will be shared by all of our fellow members of humanity.

It works by creating an artificial pouch at the top of your stomach that triggers your satiation response more easily. How quickly and easily food leaves the pouch is adjusted by modifying the size of the opening between the pouch and the rest of your stomach. The surgery itself is generally less risky than other weight loss surgeries since it is less invasive but there are risks of complications since an artificial device is being implanted and there is a chance of malfunction. Like all bariatric surgery options the key to success is modified behavior along with the surgery. My research has indicated that all weightloss surgeries have approx the same success rate 3yrs post op. some have rapid loss followed by weight gain until they stabilize but Lap band usually has slower consistent loss and then stabilizes.

The hard part about the symptom your describing is that hunger is a personal feeling interpreted by our brain using a lot of internal stimuli. It isn't like hot r cold or sweet or salty where we can point to a single receptor and neural pathway. We can map the sense of feeling full to a limited degree but hunger is more of a mystery which is why head hunger is such a complex issue. Feeling hunger that can't be satisfied by food may not be unique to you but it definitely seems uncommon. It could be a unique complication or it could be a psychological issue and your brain is trying to send your conscious self a message. In my opinion the important thing is to see a physician if you feel your quality of life is being impacted. Try to collect as much objective information as possible and stick to a routine so that you can slowly narrow down possible causes. I was referring to the strategies for eating more slowly. Smaller utensils and timed pauses between bites for instance. Also do you track your food intake? It doesn't sound as if your getting anywhere near enough protien. How well do you tolerate eggs?

It looks like a hematoma which is just blood beneath the skin. I get them frequently during blood draws with inexperienced nurses. If the area is tender or warm to the touch see your dr immediately but if the only strange thing is bruised like coloration I wouldn't worry too much. You probably just had a capillary open up near the incision site.

If eating never helps it go away then Occam's razor would dictate it probably isn't hunger; it just feels like hunger pain. You didn't mention the other eating strategies. Have you already tried them or do you find the idea of using them repellant?

Stomach growling does not mean your hungry it just means fluids and gasses are shifting in your digestive tract. I'm purely hypothesizing here but if your stomach is as loud as you say I suspect you are taking in too much air with your food and the viscosity (thickness) of your liquids may also be an issue. I would also suggest asking about a small unfill and going back to your post op diet and giving your entire digestive tract a chance to reset. Focus on only eating and drinking things with Protein until you get at least 60g in. I would also encourage you to drink more Water but drink it in sips never use a straw and never drink anything a half hour before or after eating anything solid. If you aren't already doing so; start using cocktail or "baby" utensils and set them down between each bite to slow your eating and give your stomachs more time to digest each smaller bite.

I agree with Terry the issue isn't pointing out a concern it's using emotional language and opinion disguised as science and objective facts. 1% of the US population is convinced the world's governments are controlled by Lizard people. That is a fact; but that doesn't make their opinion actually true. As for the cited expert I'd pointbout that the physician who developed the Hiemlich Maneuver and several other life saving devices also promoted several very dangerous life threatening procedures. Experts are still human and their opinions may have weight but that doesn't make them always right.

If you've kept off 30lbs for at least a year please consider visiting the NATIONAL WEIGHT CONTROL REGISTRY at www.nwcrs.ws the more people who participate the more valuable the data this project will provide for future obesity sufferers.

The average bandster loses 15pts off their BMI. That is an average though so for each bandster who loses more than that another loses less. I believe it's important to be in the right headspace before you decide on WLS. Try to follow the different post op diets and see if you can tolerate them for at least 2 months without cheating.

For me it feels like my esophagus is trying to chew something. My mouth starts producing huge amounts of saliva and it feels like the top of my stomach just keeps repeatedly contracting and releasing until the mass gets pulverized. It's a bit like being punched repeatedly in the sternum for me. Definitely stops any hunger at the time. For me the first time was a piece of turkey breat lunchmeat I ate too quickly and the second time it was some chicken breast that was too dry.

While I agree with your second point I would point out that the difference between overweight and morbid obesity is a large enough step (unlike "obesity") they're difference in data would preclude them from statistical anomalies based on gender and genetic profile. I agree BMI is overused but it's not worthless when comparing norms to extremes. I would agree with your first point as well except I increasingly see people posting about considering WLS with BMIs of 35 or below. These people would fall into the statistical grey area you point out and since a quick search of "BMI chart" on the internet often brings up charts that don't even include "morbid obesity" I thought it was worth pointing out.

I don't believe that's true. Many people are obese their entire life without becoming morbidly obese. Just like there are people who are overweight who never become obese. Over generalizing the details of the Obesity epidemic contributes to the social misconception of lumping people who just need to exercise in with people who have actual metabolic disorders. If we imply that WLS will help anyone who needs to lose weight we just open up the entire community to criticism for every failure as well as criticism for every person who manages to lose weight without WLS. I really believe that the best thing for the WLS community; is for members to always try and speak as honestly and specifically about how and why WLS surgery works whenever possible.

Yes while traveling it's still good to try and keep your exercise time in your routine if if it is just a walk around the hotel to start with. The first step to building a habit is incorporating it in your routine as consistently as possible.

My only criticism of this essay is that it doesn't delineate morbid obesity from obesity. Personally i think that is an important distinction when it comes to WLS.

Having a gym buddy made a huge difference for me. I went twice a week like clockwork until my friend and I changed our schedules. I still had the same amount of free time but just because he couldn't come at the same time suddenly all kinds of other things started filling up that time because I'm more willing to modify my own schedule than not honor a commitment to a friend.

I usually listen to podcasts while just walking and music while "running". I'll make playlists designed for me to alternate running and walking each time the song changes. I increase the length of running songs and have shorter songs for the recovery intervals. Tracking my progress on fitocracy and Nike+ also help me stay motivated.

I can totally relate. I'm often shocked at how angry I feel when someone says they're considering WLS to lose 20 or 30 lbs. As a person whose weighed over 400lbs and been obese since childhood that amount of weight seems trivial to me. Mentally I know that isn't fair of me but that doesn't stop the emotional trigger from tripping.

Normally i weigh every morning some days it goes up but most days it goes down. When the battery wore out in my scale I procrastinated replacing it for 30 days and gained 30 lbs in the process even though I was still tracking my calories. I have sworn to never let that happen again. I'll admit I do get a little edgy now whenever I travel since I can't bring my scale.