Jack

For the first couple years postOp, I couldn't stand the thought of popcorn. Eventually I was able to try a little with no problem. Now I can eat a cup or 2, and do so every few months. While one of my preOp favorites, like many such 'sports food' I just really don't have the desire for it very often.

for those I don't choose to tell personal details, "Clean living and righteous thoughts" remains VERY effective.

I was Banded at age 59, now in 10th year postOp. Yes it works. Yes it's a difficult journey. Yes I'd do it again. and Yes, I am STILL not at 'goal'. Yes, quality of my life is MARKEDLY improved no longer being 'Morbidly Obese'....merely 'Obese'. Still, a remarkable improvement considering a variety of factors I do not share on line.

Pardon me, as I'm sure you meant this phrase in a positive way, and you certainly have achieved incredible success. And I don't disagree with your observations as I too am one who shares similar notions....yet the very words strike me very similar to "I'm almost not as broke as I used to be". Being of Scandinavian/Russian ancestry, I am very familiar with our family-clan methods of suppressing the expression of JOY and happiness. I'm even willing to allow that possibly our DNA strands have crushed by the polar winters & months of darkness, such that laughter and dancing are simply incompatible with my normal behavior. Still, the closely phrased conditional kind of JOY I'd actually like to express would require something like painting myself fluorescent blue and dancing about the village square in my thong, given the results you quote. Celebrating VICTORY by such cautious words is part of my own preOp Old Life that continues to motivate me. Cheers on your journey!!!!

I've far more often had the sensation of 'hunger' then drinking Water & resulting in being not hungry again for maybe 20-30 minutes. No idea what your situation might represent. Hope you find out & tell us all.

IMHO you're in Bandster HEAVEN!!! No where do you mention the Dragon of Hunger overwhelming your Bandster Senses that tell you you AREN'T hungry, and your new Bandster Life Style is reminding that you don't need to 'keep eating just because it ain't all gone'. That wonderful spot where 'not-full' and 'not- hungry' are beginning to merge into making actual sense in way it never did preOp.... I don't remember in all my decades as Morbidly Obese, where that little discovery ever was observed. Sometimes I fail to explain my comment very well.....I grew up with the notion that if I wasn't FULL I should keep eating and that 'hunger' had nothing to do with the meal.....if there was any left I wasn't doing my share of keeping the poor children of China from starving....that if there were another spoonful or 2 or 6 of something, if I didn't stuff it down I would waste it. It sounds like you have transcended that very nicely.

I'm always confused by terms people use. When I attempt to follow the 'feeling full/feeling restricted' range of thought, I never seem to find any behavioral control or meal satisfaction. What has worked well for me, is the notion of "hunger" means 'eat' and 'not hunger' means 'NO eat'. Whether one bite or 10, when I'm under 'good control' and 'being Bandlike' in my meals, the absolute most meaningful management tool I could rely on, was my newly learned skill of recognizing when I was actually 'hungry'. In the bad old preOp days, I NEVER knew what 'hunger' and 'not hunger' were....cause I was always eating so I wouldn't become a dreadful 'hungry' person.

Earlier in my postOp active loss phase, I embarked on a strenuous and faithful log of calories/activities and kept meticulous record for 18 months. I was in constant sub-1800 calorie days with many in the 1500-1600 range, sometimes less. Very few days over 1800. Lots of as-vigorous-exercise as I could manage in walking, outdoor chores, gardening, wood splitting, etc. I didn't lose a pound in that period. My pants size did come down 2 sizes, and my shirt went from XL to 'some' merely "L" size. I was still 20 # from goal. Haven't got there. Yet. I'm not sure just how realistic my goal was. Just had my 50th High School reunion. Even at present size, I was less weight than 50 years ago. So I can really answer your question, but I'm glad to see there's company on the journey which seems so worthy yet continues to stymie others as well as myself. On a related note, my A1c reading for the last 3 months went from 7.0 down to 6.4!!! My weight was a mere 3# less. So I continue to trudge toward my elusive goal. Years ago I was told by one of my docs that "Some of us are built like Greek gods.....while others more like goddam Greeks"..... I've often wondered what he meant.

The success of our journey consists of taking one step at a time.....one after the other....in the direction of our goal. By focus on just that one step, each day we move closer to our goal. We can do this one thing for ourselves today. Take that one step and move closer to our goal. Yes the journey is difficult. Being non-obese feels better than any distraction tastes. During those moments of distraction, I was surprised to find that yes, a drink of Water can be a valuable ally.

This happens when I don't keep busy enough doing something better with my time. And when I actually eat a proper meal at meal time I don't get the compulsive 'sport eating' habit....which is all too easy to fall back into.... Stay busy, keep food off the counters, take yourself 'for walkies' or do some outdoor chores. STAY BUSY. You can do this.

....ok, ok,,,maybe only 'good news' rather than 'GOOD NEWS'.... I've managed to lose 3 # since last weigh in. Hey.....it's a START!!!

'slows down' is a kind way to put it.... as my Dr said, "I WANT to see LESS of you here next time"....*kaff*kaff*..... With the changing season I can actually get outside for a bit of home chores involving dirt/debris/firewood/berry tending, etc. After the preliminary groans & grunts & stiffness I'm beginning to recover from the winter activity lull.... Somehow I do far better a few hours at chores than focus on 'exercise'....

I don't think that's the case in the typical run-of-the-mill cold/flu etc scenario. While we don't feel like doing exercise, and promoting strenuous breathing while clogged up/dripping/sneezy/etc isn't something I personally believe is necessary, there is considerable argument regarding 'immune system' response to nearly anything we do. I was taught that activity that stimulates freer circulation of the white-blood-cell containing fluids (notably spleen) actually increases the immune response. Of course there is a host of modern research demonstrating the complexities of our immune system, yet what I observed over my practice career can not be totally ignored. A simplistic yet accurate-enough explanation at http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_body/body_basics/spleen.html If you google enough you will find ample support for AND against any particular question you may want to study. For my own response to various petty illnesses, I find that while I don't follow a 'vigorous' exercise routine, walking and moving about tends to hasten my recovery from any of the 'achy-what's THIS coming on' moments. As a geezer with other bodily impairments, home chores & gardening on my little rural acre o'heaven, gives me considerable activity without the excesses of gym programs. I did plenty of those 50 years ago, and don't consider them indicated for my current phase. I do consider 'keeping busy' essential as part of my own 'wellness plan'. There are some very opinionated positions on nearly every aspect of health and the absence thereof. I've noted in the virtual decade since my Band installation, I actually haven't been 'sick'....but I've always had an excellent immune response system.

re: "I'm an emotional eater and can't help but eat all day." That's a familiar tune, are you watching over my shoulder? When I do find the bear minimum part of what's important to me, that too becomes an emotional event. With daily attention, I find I can 'eat emotionally' but not have to eat all day long. I can become 'emotional' about just eating when I'm hungry...and it somehow gives me a sort of heady elated sensation, I feel like actual physical activity, and go outside to do some chores...which during our winter monsoons has been a different kind of emotion.... Another help for me is to find that when I ~dont't~ overeat I get emotional then too, and even feel better.... I've managed to wean away~mostly~ from 'sport eating' to actual 'meal time'....yet still I can look at a picture of something and somehow feel I've gained a pound. I like to focus on my 'eating behavior' as I find THAT is far more controllable by my rational Brain. The little kid/emotional eater part of me is so much = Belly Beasts that I may as well revert to any number of other childhood diversions that don't serve my needs. Keeping a food list helps me. I've got to start one. Again. You can do this.

This is a personal variable that is unpredictable from the other side of a keyboard. My own recovery was fine; by Day 3 postOp I was gingerly carrying a couple pieces of fire wood. I did a few 1/2 day light duty things at the office. It's nice to pamper yourself & not feel too hurried to return. I went out on an extended road trip alone by about the second week IIRC. Learning how to and what to eat, how to keep hydrated, etc, takes a LOT of research. Use some of your postOp time hunting up those issues.\\ Cheers on your Journey.

Yes I've been thru times when small calorie intake has more than satisfied my appetite. And I prefer the sensation of 'not full' to 'too full'. We change and go through different phases each stop of the Band process IMHO. On occasion I went for several days without ANY form of hunger. I've come to realize there is advantage for *me* to eat regular meals though. What was especially pleasing was learning that AT TIMES even "one" bite really WAS 'enough' to satisfy for hours & hours.

"eat less, eat healthy....all things in moderation? I am not on any diet, do not care about calories, carbs, etc....I simply cannot overeat!" and "Your band is not making those choices you are. You're making the decisions with your brain on what to eat. Your band maybe limiting your intake but your choices are all on you." Standing applause!!!!.....

so much of this entire Journey is interdependent on many aspects of our lives..... The very co-morbidities that made a complex and fragile daily life have served to motivate me. One of the inescapable issues many of We of the Tribe of the Morbidly Obese face, are such as diabetes and the very cascade of related such as high blood pressure, eye disease and kidney function, amoung others. Without boring anyone, the factors that make sweets and the close relative of alcohol, so devestating to various body systems, require understanding and control every day. My own "6-pack and a loaf of bread" snack routine symbolized the direction my rational mind didn't want to go, yet the Bad Habits and Belly Beasts were effectively taking over my entire life style. I was given the choice between kidney function and eyesight, vs a 400# lifestyle and a beer. Lap Band saved my Life nearly 10 years ago. The bit of daily discipline it takes to remain on the Path to Life is a joy.

impressive performance especially given the goldfish bowl environement he frequents I've seen considerable number of criticisms of him based on nothing other than the political differences between him & the critic....which of course isn't material to the LWS issues. If he can do well given the obstacles he faces on a daily basis....it gives *me* more encouragement too.

I've never been able to 'gulp' the barium down.....sip sip sip I can get almost 1/2 the gigantico cup they give me....but never 'gulp'....water either. Normal swallow is not impossible with my Band, but it takes time to get 'a whole glass' down.

'Adrenal fatigue' comes not from 'stress' but from chronic DISstress. The capacity for the body to maintain a homeostatic balance with all the challenges of the environment is a condition of 'health'. There are huge amounts of reading on the subject. Practicitioners of nutritional therapy are familiar with the term and how to deal with it. Whether a registered dietician or a licensed naturopath, or other specialist, this kind of issue is fairly common, often unrecognized and benefits tremendously from nutrtional al life style adjustments. Adrenal regulate a wide variety of bodily functions. Guyten's Physiology texts describe at length the mechanisms of such. Check out your local resources & you'll probably find qualified professionals to help.

Not everybody WILL be 'supportive'....some will be opposed because they are concerned & truly want 'the best' for you....others because they are losing control of YOUR life and they didn't give you permission to do WLS....while others are either just ignorant or evil, take your pick. Some can be converted with deep & earnest discussion. Some can be converted by observing the positive that arises from your actions. Some are hell-bent to make the absolute worst by invention or outright lies. Some lack the emotional capacity while others lack the intellectual facilities to understand exactly what you have actually done. In any case, not one of them actually gets a vote, so what they think isn't all that important. I made a few conversions in my own group, of a few who really were ill advised about what "Lap Band" was 10 years ago. And a few chose to remain convinced they had all the answers. Reletively few will be unsupportive unless they or a someone close to them had bad experience with some procedure they confuse with the Band. If that person is important enough to you, sit down in private and have a personal discussion.

re: "Can I just say I feel like I fit in this world better at this size??".....yes.....it's so NICE not being 'the biggest person in the room'.....

I grew fond of a small spoon of PB in a 1/2 yogurt as additional calories during mushie phase. Adams is the most natural style I could find, nothing added....and it really does taste better.

The postOp newfound ability to actually recognize 'stress' apart from simply 'responding' to something stressful by automatic overeating, continues to delight and amaze me. Having a satisfying hobby, home chores & ability to just walk away relieves my own stress. We are built to respond to 'stress'. The problem arises when those stressful periods become intermingled, overexpanded, intertwined and seemingly unescapable, they become 'DISstress'.....there's where the physical components start becoming measurable. The last real research I did on the subject I settled on the notion that 'depression' was related to the concept of not being able to affect one's status or had too-limited an opportunity to respond satisfactorily to those events in our lives that over stressed us. Rendering down the mounds of academic excess, I discoverd for myself that actually taking a step in the direction I wanted to go, at LEAST once a day, reduced my stress considerably. Sometimes something as simple as taking a walk, meditating, digging a post hole, chopping firewood, or driving along some short scenic route was all it took. Obviously there are tons of possibilities.