Jack

Great post!!! You've identified a number of key issues all Bandster must find a way to overcome. Sometimes I feel like I'm riding a Bandster Unicycle....easier and fun to ride once you get your balance but way easy to fall off.. My eating havits have become more cautious and I strive to eliminate those Soft Calories. Great concept by the way. I've never quit come to the understanding of just HOW the Band 'becomes too tight' or 'loosens up' over the day. I'm satisfied if must be the soft tissue of the Os being involved, but the effect is certainly "as if" more or less fill were the cause. At times in the slow process of eating hard Proteins, I come to a temporary 'stop and wait' point....where in a few minutes I can actually sense that bolus moving down thru the Os. It's sort of eery yet satisfying as it identifies Band at Work. Most often by that point I also notice 'satiety' is close at hand.

re: "During all those years, have you had any complications? Or had days where you thought there was a possible complication?" I'm not sure what the standard notinn of "complication" actually includes, in the genearal Bandster population. Given it's late, I'm tired, and the 'what-ifs' don't play much in my part of the realm. More later if interested in 'complications'.

Excellent observations melandoll!!! I recognize that very zone you described. I too was shocked SHOCKED I tell you, to discover how effectively eating/OVEReating had become my own Journey to Morbid Obisity. Identifiying and recognizeing those very points helps tremendously in preparing for the next phase into the 'Days of our Desires' in a non-food way. Somehow along the way I discoverd LBT and learned to find other activies. ONE thing that really helped, was to list a new discovery every time I made one, such as "I can walk to the mail box without my knee exploding".....a form of NSV --Non scale Victories....which after a few bouts of "WHAT have I done to myself ", suddenly all sorts of NSVs began multiplying. Another sudden activity, was to start the boxing up of clothing no longer SMALL ENOUGH to fit!! What excitement! Suddenly, in stead of boxes of stuff that was too small or too tight, there was some of my old favorites that in themselves I had put away to wear a some glorious future time where I could somehow slip back into them....but I was disappointed, as now they too was JUST TOO LARGE!!!! Discovering each week my size crept closer to the ultimate shock (WARNING---this is TOUGH).....there were entire stores out there, that didn't even have the XXXXL sizes....and I was being sent to them by my old fat-boy clerks....the pain of rejection somehow bumped me out of some of my preoccupaiton with food choices. Along the way I discovered I was more preoccupied with not 'hunger' but instead the FEAR of becomeing 'hungry'... Then I discovered 'satiety' was REAL....and that the approach of 'hunger' was enjoyable in the way s pleasant summer swale that cooled the heat of the day and restored the comfort of just admiring the approaching 'hunger' ...which I could easily modify with a few bites instead of laboring under entire bread loaves and bags-o-burgers. etc. So YOU can DO IT TOO!!! Cheers in your journey.

...wa...wait......you're on THIS side.... welcome and cheers in the next step in your journey..

My google-fu shows there is considerable material to review. Scanning random links produces a wide variety of opinions. Here's one study; http://thinforlife.med.nyu.edu/news/2013/new-lap-band-data-shows-long-term-success For myself, now in year 10, the Band so far has saved my life, has improved my quality of life, and has taken me from being "Morbidly Obese' to being merely "Obese". I Celebrate each day postOp.

A few years ago on LBT there was someone who said they were in the original USA 'test group' circa early 1990s with a silicon band. I lost track of who it was, but after the then-record AFAIK sucessful Band placement, they sounded satisfied. I'll do a bit of minor research to see what I can find on the subject & report back.

I too take Metformin for blood sugar issues, not 'weight loss' as such.

....join the throng.....'forgot' isn't quite the word I use for myself.....'willfuly ignore important details' is more accurate despite my not quite having 'forgot'...[sound of one hand smacking forehead]..... good luck and Cheers on your journey

I abandoned any kind of soda decades ago as there is absolutely nothing of benefit in any of them. They are all proucts fabricated to cultivate the desire to consume more of whatever it is. I did miss the carbonated mineral waters for a few years postBand . Eventually I found enjoyment in occasional can of LaCroix. While I spent decades as beer and soda drinker, by 1988 I had to leave that out of my life due to a variety of health issues.

Nicely put......my post was perhaps somewhat more clumbsy than I had intended, yet has the point so it seems. Cheers on yorr journey.

That's just backwards from the way I think of my own Bad Habits.... generally the Belly Beast is trying to take over the its irrational control of what's left of my little grey cells.... We all have ways of dealing with what we recognize is not a good thing though.

well now, it sounds like I'm in the right group......similar story with different details.... went back on insulin 20 months ago due to A1c issues. Had been fighting the 'vicious upchuck slimes' daily for 18 months..... After tons of consult/exam/images/consult/etc/repeat, all complaint was relieved by dropping from 1.6/4cc (antique) Band, to 1.2, all symptoms went away. Mostly. Now my hard-won Size 42/44s are slipping into 46/48 territory, I've vowed to get that extra 20# back off. Maybe I'll get back off insulin too. So with Nutrition in mind, Happy New Year!!!

Congratulations on the NSV and the N$V as well!!!

My personal adaption period to fills has been somewhat erratic. Since I've got an antique 4cc Band, as little as .1 or .2cc makes a huge difference between "TOO much/ TOO little". Typically my balance point is between 1.5 to 1.7 over the past 5 years. The indicators of 'green zone' vs something else can be subtle at first and require a learning process IMHO. Also, I think is works better to go slowly on changes as we near that mysterious 'sweet spot'. I live far enough from my fill center it consumes most of the day traveling, not to mention cost, not to mention discomfort etc. We are in this for the long term and nothng I've done hurredly has proven to be advantageous. I've suffered through being TOO full a number of times requiring trips back to get an adjustment. Largely I've come to rely on that little sensation of 'satiety' and how long that lasts, vs what my head seems to think I want. Learning the difference between my 'belly beast' and my 'taste/chewing/swallowing monster' has helped to recognize some of the emotional nature of my Old Bad Habits of Overeating.

Been a while since I've visited; here I am again. Had to go in for very minor fill (.2cc) as my liife has changed a bit. 20 months ago I had to return to daily insulin injection along with oral meds. In 20 months I've gain 20# as well. 24 months ago I was having issues (not GERD) with throwing back up. Daily. Not that big a deal but annoying nonetheless. After many studies/x-rays/consults with specialists, we settled on the easiest most obvious. I had .2 ccs removed, after months in increasing symptoms. That helped dramatically. So now it's you & me Babe. The Band, I mean. My buddy. My little "Symbiant". Cheers to Bandster everywhere!!!!

Thank you Lady VS.....it's actually "only" NINE years, starting the 10th! The worst day postOp has been better than the best day the last 5 years preOp. I known it sounds silly, but "Morbid Obesity" was killing me!!!!

...yes.....we do come to new understanding and acceptance of our new selves....

I really don't have any 'social component' that drives me to eat one way or another. That is one of the graceful aspects of being a retired curmudgeon. We are no longer who we thought we were....or never were. Since "we" have to go home with ourselves regardless of some social event, it is far easier to keep track of what *my Band* suggests. Comporting myself sensibly in postOp eating has almost always proven to be the most benefitical. Yes I have made "mistakes in Eating Behavior" and paid for it via a range of unpleasant consequences. Mostly, "social eating" is like "social dancing".....nobody else really cares how you do it, so feeling on the spot isn'te necessarily the reality....only the way we think we feel about it at the time.

....I tend to think of this as "Head Habit" as it sometimes strikes me way too soon after eating.... One effective way I've discovered to help, is to get busy/stay busy doing SOMETHING/ANYTHING other than eating. As a lifelong serial snacker, that's an old habi just waiting to be altered by a New Good Habbit. Another behavior that has helped me quantify and control that impulse, is to actually have solid eating TIMES, which help some part of my behavioural drives, to be redirected. Sitting down and drinking a can of sparkling Water works wonders for me too. There was a time a couple years postOp I couldn't tolerate the bubbles. Having given up carbonated liquids for a couple decades, it was a welcome reurn of LaCroix lemon water to serve as another joyful intake.

"Yes". Measured in a variety of ways: 1) no longer being the biggest person in the room; 2) no longer being invisible to sales clerks; 3) no longer limited to shopping only at "Large and Fat Guy Store"; 4) no longer having my knees/ankle/eyeballs explode if I have to tie my shoe; There's a huge number of daily activities that I just couldn't do when I was 373/345/325 etc. Just 'feeling good' now really is plenty to keep me happier than in my preOp days.

That is good example of our collective Old Band Habits.....which instead of Just Holiday Season was all year around. This reminds of how closely we Bandsters have held so much of our lives related not to "eating' but to "OVER eating---repeatedly". I have to keep a close watch too....but it isn't the struggle so much as mere continuation of New Good Habits. As a diabetic I abolutely must keep a Close Watch on this Belly of Mine.....A1c valudes, kidneys/eyeballs/etc....all complications are NOT 'ineveitable' and LBT and the Band have helped tremendously.

"is anyone diabetic? i am wondering if the hunger comes from that at times. especially when the hunger is almost painful. any ideas?" Yes, I am, was and continue to be diabetic. Long story related to morbid obesity and my journey with the Band. I don't have 'head hunger' these past few years now, What remains of that is the 'urge to Sport Eat'..... I've gained a sort of quiet enjoyment in a way never present before, where actually eating the Good Stuff relieves the anxiety and old bad habits along with 'head hunger'. I've actually come to the point I can distinguish between 'hunger' and 'satiety'. This simplifies my life for sure....but as a diabetic it is especially cruicial to control that old blood glucose curve. I've returned to once daily injection of Lantus, a far less strident modifier of all those other hunger-driven behaviors I've long wrassled.....

One of the most pleasant 'life style' changes I've noted over my BandDecade is very much on the matter of "how much to eat?" etc. I pretty much never find any kind of episodic gross humongous sack-o-bugers style SportEating. I think I have mostly found a reliable "eat your meal" amount & that has been a huge relief. I did get to the point where (for instance) a home made sandwich using 2 (!!!) slices of bread were possible.....IF I cut it in quarters and made 2 meals out of it, nibbling slowly and not talking/phoning/ect while eating. The good old bad old Habit was "buy 2 loaves of bread so one would be left by the time I got home". Madness, yes. Eating and overeating has a fine line. Where I spent 18 months carefully listing everything I stuck in my mouth with one of the diet log sites, at the time I remained below target 1800 calories and didn't lose a pound....but DID get a great feel for what "normal' meal size should be. I've finally come to a comfort zone of actually having "3 meals plus 2 snacks" as a regular predictable thing. It was a hard journey as simple as the concept may seem.

Thanks to all. Looks like there's changes to catch up on. And it's nice to be back...although I don't feel like an antique.....

My personal impression is, that as a Formerly Morbidly Obese person, much of my anxieties surrounded a wide range of Life Issues were based on 'SOME kind of paranoia'.....about things that never actually happened. Yes, I've had a number of exams/xrays based on those anxieties. Now in my 10th year PostBand, I don't have those feelings of dread and impending disaster. Good luck on your exam findings.