Chickie

People who knew us at our highest weight will say we look too thin. Why? Because they are so used to seeing us as big people, anything less than we are at our highest weight will look thin. People said the same thing to me when I got to 150-ish lbs. But when I stood next to women of my height who were thin, I looked like a overweight still (and at that weight I was still overweight). Just wait till the buzz around your kid's school is you have Anorexia, and that is how you lost weight. That is great for a laugh. Pretty soul crushing, but good gossip.

I am sorry if I offended you. I am more talking about the people who whine about not losing weight, but when you ask how much exercise they are doing maybe an hour or less of good exercise a week (good exercise is when you sweat, pant, and feel like you can't go any further). I have found that a lot of people tend to think that super restriction and a low carb / high Protein diet alone will shift the weight. It won't. Even "skinny" people need to exercise. Not just to stay thin, but for cardiovascular health, mental well being, and to keep bones strong. There is so much more to it than just exercising enough to get skinny. I guess it may be time for me to leave the board. I am getting to the point where the whining about lack of restriction (when they can only eat three teaspoons of food at a time) and the constant talk of super high protein diets (that have not been found to be safe as yet - don't go finding links to sites on the net to "back it up", or sway me, all my doctors agree there simply is not enough long term studies to say either way if it is safe or not) all the Protein Drink talk (isn't the idea of the band to stay away from liquid calories?) Its all just getting to me. And I shouldn't let it. And for the record, I am not "hardcore". I just know what I have to do to lose / maintain my weight, and I do it. No whining, bitching or excuses.

Exercise. Exercise. Exercise, and oh yeah, exercise!

Some doctors don't subscribe to the 30 minutes before thing. But the theory behind it is that you will have water in the upper pouch, and it will turn your solid food to mush, leaving you hungry. I can drink a 750ml bottle of water in about 2 minutes.

Life will still be life. Just a little different, if you want it to be. I have found that my general lifestyle is so much better now, than it ever was when I "enjoyed" pizza, coke, chips, and other junk foods. No, you may not be able to eat all the foods you do now. But If those foods got you to the point in your life where you need weight loss surgery, are they really all that good for you? Is it worth it in the long run to give those things up if need be? To answer your question on drinking when you eat, the reason we are told to wait is that the liquid can turn the food in to mushy sludge, and it goes through the band a lot quicker than solid foods.

I exercise daily. I move daily. No excuses. I run at least 5 days a week (usually Monday to Friday) and walk with the boy-child on the weekend. I also try to get in 3 days of weight training during any 7 day period. I think whoever told you that Bandsters who exercise are in the minority might be right. From what I see exercise among Bandsters is more along the lines of a yoga DVD, a quick stroll, or 30 minutes on the elliptical if they are really "hard core" I know that those who *do* exercise daily, and fairly vigoursly tend to be thought of as extreme around these parts. But then again, they are usually the same people who think pizza is part of a healthful, balanced diet! LOL

I am Ok at 49kg. It's on the low end of a healthy weight for my height (I am only 164cm) I just don't want to lose any more than I have. I haven't run more than 3 days this week, walked on the off days, and I am taking in around 7500 KJ, and my weight is still going down. So, I don't know if an unfill really is the answer, or maybe there is a bigger problem. I am thinking my thyroid. Every test I have ever had done on it came back "borderline", so maybe it just went kaput on me finally? I don't know. I do know that I need to see my GP and banding surgeon.

Hi and welcome to LBT! Congratulations on being banded, and the 15lb weight loss! Sam.

Just stopping in to say "Hi" and let you all know I haven't faded into nothing (although I am getting darn close... I am down to 49.5-50kg Eeek! Time for an unfill I think) Hi Kylie! Some people do still drink wine and non carbonated drinks after banding. Yeah, the calories are a bit of a problem if you drink regularly, but I really see no harm in the occasional drink. No soft drinks forever? Well. Some say yes, some say no. It depends on you really. My doc says no, never.. But if you must make sure it's flat. The idea of flat coke never appealed to me, so I gave coke and anything fizzy the flick a few months before banding. I did have a sip of my DS's fizzy drink one day within the first year of my banding, and boy did I feel bloated! Never again. So I have been close on 3 years without coke of fizzy crap (apart from that sip). And I can honestly say I don't miss it. Sam.

I wouldn's say I am happy. I would say I am thrilled.

There is a 9.75cm band that holds 4cc / ml of Fluid, and a 10cm band that also hold 4cc/ml. My guess is that you have the 10cm 4cc/ml band. Yes, the VG band (it's not called the Vanguard any more for a legal reason, I think) holds 10cc / ml of fluid.

I was 24 when I got banded.

My husband and I laugh our asses off at the assholes who try to pick me up now that I am skinny. These same losers wouldn't have spat in my direction when I was at my highest weight. I don't take it to heart. Some people are just shallow.

As a bandster transitions to solids from liquids and mush, they may regain a couple of pounds. This is actually pretty normal. Not losing weight for 6 days is not all that drastic, and again is pretty normal. How long have you been banded? Are you on solid food yet?

It is standard now. It's called the Pars Flacida. Any surgeon who places using the Peri Gastric technique is begging for a slip.

I think the turning point for me was when I realised that being thin was not going to change my life in any profound way. When I got that, I started making changes in my life. Doing things I always wanted to do, and really enjoying myself. That was (and is) pretty cool. It give me a sense of contentment to know that if I try hard enough, just about anything in this life is possible. Don't get me wrong, I love picking a size 6 off the rack (A US 2 or 0 I think?) and what losing weight has done for my health is incredible. But my life was good before, and it's good now. Only now, it's going to last longer, and be of a better quality.

I am in no way disputing that there is a higher percentage of regain with bypassers (this is one of the reasons I did not opt for a bypass of any type for myself) I am simply stating, that like all surgeries, shit does go wrong. Pouches stretch, bands slip or erode, and we end up in the same boat as the "failed" bypasers. I have been lucky enough not to have had anything bad happen (touch wood) and in some cases of erosion, or catastrophic slips, it is just that. Luck. Surgeons are all trained in much the same way, and do much the same thing when we go under the knife for this surgery. So really it's just luck of the draw as to who ends up slipped / eroded ect. Sure, band abuse might play a part in losing one's band, but I know a couple of bandsters who are dammed lucky to not have lost their bands. They puke, pouch pack, drink fizzy crap, and take medications we are supposed to avoid. But there they are 5 or 6 years later, still banded (still fat, but that is another matter entirely) And then I have another friend who was banded less than 6 months. She lost her band when it slipped. She ended up having the VSG rather than another band. She was so good with her band, never PB'd, never ate too much, never drank any fizzy crap, and still lost her band. Its just luck. Nothing is perfect, and nothing is forever. Bandsters can regain weight just like bypassers. Maybe for different reasons, but they do regain.

Be aware, that if your pouch does stretch (and it will to an extent) no amount of fills / unfills will fix it. The band being adjustable will not fix a stretched pouch, erosion, dilated esophagus, and most slips. Don't get me wrong, the band is fantastic, and I would not be without mine, but every surgery has it's downsides. Nothing is perfect.

Diet (or in our case a band) alone will not lose the weight for us. It takes a lifestyle change to get the weight off, and keep it off. We need to exercise. Even naturally skinny people need to exercise and not eat junky food to stay healthy. Exercise is one thing I see is sadly lacking in the LBT community. We talk a lot about what we eat, how much we eat, and when we eat it, but not so much about exercise. Exercise is vital. Someone above said that after 6 months diet alone wasn't shifting the weight, that they needed to exercise. That is my whole point. Diet without daily cardio exercise will only get you so far. And it is actually at that point that most people start to put weight back on.

At almost 2.5 years out, I eat anywhere between 3/4ths of a cup to a whole cup of food (it could be more, I am really just guessing). I don't focus on how much I am eating, I just eat until I am full.

I have been banded almost 2 and a half years.

Yup, some people never need fills. Some people can, with only the restriction of the band being in place, lose weight. It come down to lifestyle (I sound like a broken record! lol) If a person can change their lifestyle to include daily exercise, and a good healthy diet of Protein, veggies and (gasp!) carbs, it is entirely possible to lose weight with only the restriction the band provides unfilled. If a bandster is losing even 0.5lbs a week, while eating a small meal of protein, veggies and carbs and exercising... They do not need a fill. Extended periods (4 weeks plus) of no weight loss at all, despite daily exercise and a balanced diet is when a bandster should be looking at a fill. And honestly, doctor shopping for a fill is not really a great idea. Doctors get pissy about other surgeons or fill tech's touching "their" bands. And if a problem ever comes up, they may be unwilling to help you out if you have been seeing other doctors for fills. But yeah, a broken record, lol.

I did nothing at all to my scars, and 2.4 years later, I really have to look to find them.

I can feel my port. But I am at my goal weight (under it actually) and I have had a tummy tuck, so the skin is stretched over it, and there is little in the way of fat on top of it. Before getting to goal, the only way I could feel my port was to lay down, and poke my belly. And I was quite sore after the fact. Perhaps your surgeon placed your port closer to the skin for easy access for fills?

Wowzers! Even with a low profile port, I cannot imagine having my port placed on my ribs! Maybe the Aussies place their ports differently to the docs in the US, but my port is between my belly button and ribs.