Jachut

When I lay down, my stomach goes crazy! DH is banded too and we listen to the "opera" every night before we got to sleep, lol. My stomach was doing that gurgling at a funeral recently, that was embarrassing. They sound really like burps!

Yes, stop taking everything except prescription meds you are cleared to take. Fish oil supplements can also markedly increase bleeding.

It was scaremongering and little more. It was not a realistic view of the risks of the lapband. Prof O'Brien is a lovely man, I attend his clinic (although he wasnt my surgeon) and have met him a couple of times when I've spoken at info evenings. Like anyone, this is his living and of COURSE he is making a buck from it. He presents the professional face of the clinic, as he is one of Australia's lapband pioneers, but the clinic is run completely realistically, I was not duped, I was told the risks and the questions I asked about long term issues were answered as honestly as they could becuase lets face it, we dont KNOW what the result of having a lapband inside us for 20 years may be. I can also tell you they use all different bands in the clinic depending on the needs of the patient. He isnt pissing in anyone's pocket. I love how they always present general surgical risks as if they're lapband specific, when they could happen in any surgery. Lapband is not a particularly dangerous surgery, there's way less risk of something going wrong than there is in other weight loss surgeries. I think people need to know the downsides, but the REAL downsides, not trumped up rubbish like this. However, I definitely DO struggle with fruits and vegetables more than anything else and I'd say the major disadvantage of the band for me is that it makes it harder to eat a healthy diet, i have to constantly stay on top of my desire to just eat biscuits and crap becuase its easy. We've been doing Lite n Easy this past fortnight to try to get back ontrack (have been very busy) and I am REALLY struggling with eating that much healthy food. Makes me think I should have fill OUT, and eat more like that than stay at current restriction and have constantly fight the lack of appetite for good foods. But that is ALL in restriction levels. I'd say 99.9% of bandsters are really tighter than they should be and should eat greater volumes of fruit and vegies to fill up. Trouble is, when we can do that, we are also loose enough to eat pizza, McDonalds etc.

Yes, that's exactly what I mean Riley, people hope that all those feelings will go away with the right restriction and there IS no restriction that will banish them. Greytz, I dont really mean that people want to do "no work" and I'm not saying that in a judgemental or moralistic sense at all, but I do think that people are given the impression that a magic level of restriction exists where suddenly it all becomes much easier and you dont have those cravings an inappropriate urges to eat anymore. Sorry to say, they just dont disappear magically. No matter what level of restriction you have, you have to battle those things.

I do the snacking binge thing too - again, not necessarily bad foods, just grazing constantly and never eating meals. I find the lapband has actually WORSENED this habit in me. I just dont fancy the effort and difficult foods a meal entails and will just graze on easy stuff constantly. I have to constantly stop myself doing this. It was always my problem pre band as well, whenever i *forced* myself to eat bigger meals, I would eat less and better overall. Bands arent supposed to be good for people like me - sweet toothed grazers. But its worked brilliantly and even when i fall back into these bad habits, I dont gain weight.

There's two things - so so many people say that they could have done this without the band becuase they dont feel any restriction. Dont underestimate it. You may not "feel" restriction but it is there even if not optimal. Take it all out and see what happens! Even a tiny unfill can result in weight gain for some people. The other is no, i dont believe there's such a thing as an absolute sweet spot in that there's optimal fill for the band to work. Without exception, and after four years on this forum, when people talk about the 'sweet spot' they really mean a level of restriction in which the band does more work than they do amd weight loss becomes much easier. I also agree that a sweet spot is a restriction level that really sticks with you, it doesnt wane quickly. However, sweet spots are different for everyone. Becuase I was a lower BMI and still entirely mobile and pretty fit for a fat person, I was able to commence running very early in my journey so I was always able to lose on pretty high calories (1500+). I found restriction waned less and less quickly after the fill the more fills I had, but i certainly had optimal restriction from EVERY fill right from the very first, I would lose steadily. I just needed more as I lost. I certainly didnt have to wait until restriction kicked in six months later. So for me, there never was a 'sweet spot' but there certainly was a restriction level which I never needed to go past and which didnt need topping up. So to rephrase, the sweet spot does exist but it absolutely isnt necessary to find it for your band to work. No matter where you are restriction wise, the band wont make good food choices for you and it wont exercise for you. And if you dont do those things you can be at your sweet spot but never get to goal. The band, is quite simply, pretty hard work but its hard work you can do. Not fruitless hard work like losing weight pre band.

when I feel I need to - havent had any in about 9 months, still feel pretty snug - in fact I have been thinking about getting a little out becuase whilst I maintain effortlessly, with all the exercise I do, I tend to eat junk to get the calories in - I cannot eat quite enough healthy food but need the energy from a bit of this or that that is easy to eat. I should be eating a couple of pieces of fruit instead, but I just cant cope with too much of it. I'd probably plan on a once a year visit, that's what my doc advises.

definitely the same foods as before surgery - biscuits (well, we call them biscuits, you call them cookies), cakes, muffins, slices - any sweet carb like that. dont often eat muffins or donuts anymore, they hurt and are not that pleasant. Cake too. But ordinary supermarket bought biscuits - plain sweet ones, not overly fond of chocolte bikkies - I can stil scarf down an ENTIRE packet with coffee. I just dont start on those foods. I dont do low carb but I try to stay far away from processed carbs like those. I'm also a bit bad with salted nuts - peanuts, cashews and macadamias, mmmmm. But ice cream, chips and those stupid confectionary coffee type drinks full of whipped cream, milk shakes etc I dont have any interest in those and never did. Nor do I tend to overeat "meal" foods like rice, Pasta, steak etc. I dont get tempted by things like kFC and McDonalds either unless I've got a particular craving. Whilst I ate more of them before surgery than I do now, they werent real problem foods for me.

Well, theoretically anything that increases intrabdominal pressure *could* cause damage - coughing, sneezing, holding your breath and even doing number twos. its very unlikely, particularly since if you choke, the item you choke on is in your throat not your stomach. But them again, the heimlich isnt that safe anyway - you break ribs, puncture a lung, etc. I'd think if you were choking badly enough, its more important to save your life. But they recommend a good hard upward directed blow to the back these days, not the heimlich.

I dont have any trouble with bread or Pasta. At the most, I would say bread is a very filling food, but I'd be way more likely to get stuck and pb on something like apple or raw carrot. Pasta and risotto are my 'safe' foods when I go out to eat if I really dont want to risk any sort of pb. I regularly eat fruit and vegies - in fact I prioritise them over Protein but they are by far the most difficult food for me. We dont really get told to do protein first here and I do believe you need wholegrains in your diet. But I try to eat more things like oatmeal and lot less bread and pasta - I might only have one or two slices of bread in a week.

Lol, that's me too. I have visible ab definition on the sides and then a pocket of flabby skin in the upper middle, which actually looks worse becuase the rest of my stomach if flat and toned. I can only surmise its from pregnancy. I always carried high, not low and dont have that dreaded lower belly flubber most women get. I got it up top. You know how you stand in the mirror and pull your skin imagining how much better you'd look after major cosmetic surgery, lol. Well pull my skin up from bottom around the sides and back and i have the thighs of my dreams. but my stomach needs to be pulled UP from the top, not down from the bottom as in a tummy tuck. That does nothing. I need to tuck it under my boobs, lol.

I couldnt agree with this more. Its completely accurate. However, in the post op phase, it is most important to stick to your DOCTOR's orders, primarily becuase the reason behind the diet is MEDICAL not nutritional. Its to heal the stomach and whether or not you go into "starvation mode" (if it even exists)or lose weight is completely irrelevant right now. You're not supposed to be focussed on losing, you're supposed to be healing and he didnt give you a "spiel" he gave you responsible advice. the weight loss will come later, when you get restriction. Youv'e just lost a very large amount pre op, you've already exhausted your easy run of quick Water weight loss, and your body will now settle into slow and steady fat loss. This happens very often, and its just fact that the human body cant drop pounds and pounds of fat per week. Fat loss is slow and initial fast loss is water, muscle and fat and doesnt go on forever. You'd be muscleless, flabby and unhealthy if that kind of loss continued. Stick with your instructions and it will pay off. Also, dont forget that anybody can hang out a shingle and call themselves a nutritionist, not like a dietician. So if you find a nutritionist who will contravene your doctor's orders, you'd best be extremely suspicious about their knowledge. The industry is very much like the personal training one, there's extremely knowledgeable people out there, but its also very easy to get into back of the cornflakes box qualification type stuff, so there's really no substitute for being knowledgeable yourself.

At 4 years out, I've recently really recommitted and started up boot camp and circuit training as well as my regular running. I've certainly lost the last pounds. Everyone loses faster and easier in the first year but its not true that there's a window. You can lose whenever you're motivated to make the necessary effort. BUT -in my boot camp we were weighed first session of the series. Others have lost way more weight than me. I no longer really have an "excess" to lose, I just like to be skinny, lol, and I certainly dont drop 2 or 3 lb in a week even with mammoth levels of exercise. I'd be glad to lose 2lb in a month these days. But again - I have a BMI of 21 so that's hardly a problem!

The sad fact is you are most probably going to have a whole lot of excess skin no matter which way you go and no matter how slowly you lose it. It is a complete myth that the band results in less excess skin. The factors that affect the skin are primarily genetics, but also how overweight you are and how long you have been that way. The damage that is done to the skin occurs when you GAIN weight, not when you lose it, what's done is done and absolutely nothing you do now is going to undo it or affect it in any way. Its very disheartening but really, you should try to only focus on your health goals first and worry about the cosmetic side of it as and when you go. You'll feel more and more positive as you lose weight and will probably cope with skin issues much better than you imagine and tackle solutions to them much better than you imagine. As long as you're willing and able to work with a band, its a great choice for you.

Well, that's sad Erin. Its a big thing to go through surgery with such hopes, particularly at your young age, and to have it not work out for you. I'm sorry it hasnt been a roaring success, but I'm glad that you're looking at it positively in regard to achieving one of your goals. well done. It really does sound like something's not right in there. Bands shouldnt hurt and they shouldnt make you sick.

You know, every photo I've seen of you (lots of work bathroom photos, lol) you've looked entirely lovely AND appropriate for work. The flip flops issue, I cam understand although there's rubber thongs and them there's mule type shoes - in most worplaces you could were any sort of backless shoe with a low heel, just not rubber or beachy ones. This is a strange issue. I think with work, if you love the job, them there's not much to be done but comply, but really the only things that are inappropriate are very short items, loads of cleavage showing, sleeveless singlet type tops and denim in many workplaces. the trouble is sweetheart, you're so darn HOT now that everything you wear looks sexy. I also think your email is well worded and appropriate and hopefully you'll get to have a chat about the issue. But you're entirely right, its not fair to be expected to dress like someone's grandma now that the shape under your clothes is sexy. I've lost out on two jobs recently where I knew staff members at the school - I'm looking for graduate teachiing positions for next year. Both times, it was my look - it was intimidating - I look fit, thin and I guess I do look like what I am, upper middle class, privately educated. These schools were both in fairly low socioeconomic areas and both times it got back to me through friends that I looked like a rich bitch. It really gets my goat that you make the most of yourself and in so doing you end up facing WAY more discrimination than when you were fat. I chime in on those whiney threads on here about how people feel they're treated badly when they're fat - my experience is when I was I was no threat to anyone, now suddenly everyone's scared I'm going to lose their husband to me becuase I'm the only 40 something around that still looks 30. And I'd love to say darling, I lost weight not my mind. Your beer bellied low income earning uncouth husband is safe from me, safe as he ever was (lol, only kidding).

In Australia, the band is really promoted as tool to help you live a normal life. therefore, there is the standard post op diet, liquids to mushies to solids and that is strict, and we have the pre op thing too. but long term, we dont have anything like the rules you guys have. Half a cup as a portion is mentioned, but only as a sort of guide, not gospel and we are encouraged to eat healthily, from all food groups, but also to be normal people who share celebtration meals, eat on the run, sometimes eat fast food or enjoy some chocolate with an evening movie. Its everything in moderation, and most defnitely not a diet with rules like Protein first, counting grams of carbs etc.

Just goes to show that doctors are academically clever and can learn from books and get into good universities. Also goes to show that like most of the general public, some of them are idiots. those *are* the stats. But anyone with half a brain can understand that statistics are not givens. Why do people only lose that much? any reason at all from the fact that some obese people are sick and immobile and cant put in the sort of effort that another can, some are fat due to metabolic and disease issues, some are completely noncompliant and had surgery in the deluded belief that it would be a miracle fix, then throw their hands up in the air in horror that they actually have to WORK at this, some are suffering from things like PCOS and struggle mightily for every pound they lose, some are diabetic, or have lost a limb, or are actually genuinely elated with their 60% loss and dont really wish to lose more. THAT'S what your doctor should have said - the statistics are a bit offputting for these reasons, but remember, what you can do and what you DO do is well within your control and its entirely possible to lose 100% or MORE of your excess weight. The band is a tool, etc etc. To simply say that you'll probably only lose 60% of your excess weight, well, that's pretty stupid, inaccurate and wouldnt give me great confidence that the doctor really gave a stuff about his patient (or that he was deliberately steering you towards another surgery). Unfortunately there's a lot of doctors out there who are on a great money spinner but really have zero understanding or care about the other role a weight loss surgeon should play - mentor, supporter and carer.

I ate a cup of food all the way through, right to goal anmd 2 years into goal. I would never have survived on 1/4 cup of food. I didnt find it in any way necessary to eat that little. There's no magic in a measurment, you want ot eat the most food you can whilst still losing so that you remain well nourished and dont slow your metabolism unecessarily. At your stage though, you're healing and you will loosen over time.So its nothing particularly to worry about.

If you're going to stay with cardio machines, interval training will burn more calories for you - well more correctly, it will set your body up to burn more FAT. Calorie burn might only increase slightly due to doing a slightly greater distance, but your metabolism will skyrocket. that means, if you can only run for a few minutes on the treadmill, then spread your run out - walk very fast for five minutes, run flat out for two, recover with a minutes slower walk, walk very fast for another four, run flat out for two. www.cardiocoach.com is an excellent MP3 interval training program (there's about 8 volumes) that will take the guesswork out of that for you. But if at all possible try some circuit training. So instead of a whole hour of cardio break it up with heavy duty squats, lunges, pushups etc. Much more strength work done hard and fast, with work on the cardio machines in between will give you a better result. Cardio does get the fat off, for sure, and is never a waste of time, but you can get better faster results. I didnt really come to believe this myself until AFTER I'd lost all my weight just running, but what things like bootcamp and circuit have done for my body since is quite amazing. And I can eat and eat and eat and never gain. Dont go by what machines say you've burned, and ellipticals in particular are notoriously inaccurate becuase they base the calculation on a running movement, when in actual fact you dont actually leave the ground like you do with running. Go by your perceived exertion, set distance goals ad challenge those. Unfortunately to burn a lot of calories in an hour, it has to hurt, if you know what I mean.

Dont panic yet - its simply a matter of getting restriction. I must say, the older 4cc bands seem to have people at their sweet spot much much quicker, I found with mine, I had the right restriction for me at that particular time each and every fill. But i know from four years on here that its very very normal to take even up to a year to get good restriction and start losing. till then, well you DO have to summon up some willpower. Dont underestimate yourself - you do have it. Maybe not enough to have 2lb coming off every week, but to start making healthy changes. The band has NOTHING to do with your exercise habits, for example, there's absolutely nothing to stop you going at that really hard and with dedication and that will prevent weight gain, if not see weight coming off. Its a shame its such a drawn out process, but you dont have a "window" in which you have to lose weight or the opportunity is lost, when you get good restriction, it will start happening.

You arent giving your band a chance to heal. Just because you dont vomit, doenst mean you're not doing damage. The stomach needs to be given the chance to form scar tissue around the band so that its solidly held in place - the reason for the liquid diet to mushies diet. The first you might know of how detrimental your actions are is when your band slips in say, six months or a year's time.

This will be a challenge because you wont have figured out what you can and cant eat yet. personally, I'd stay FAR away from steaks and bread in any form. I was still quite tight and swollen with a lot of restriction at your stage. any sort of food that is gravy covered should be OK - indian and italian will be easy, Pasta MIGHT be a good bet for you now - I find risotto is my standard "safe" meal - undesireable carbs of course, but when you rmain focus is to eat in public and enjoy the experience without event, then I think that's a fair trade. Salads should be OK too - caesar or chargrilled vegie salads. Fritattas sound like a good plan. Basic eggs or cereals for Breakfast and take the soup option for lunch if you can.

That's a sign of being ever so mildy too tight in my experience. Its the one thing I noticed - not sliming, not pbing, just markedly reduced food intake (which i thought was good) but after a few weeks i noticed I was clearing my throat rather a lot. This made me notice how much saliva I had. I had a teeny 0.1 ml removed and it fixed the problem.