4crazyboys

Just bumping this post. I am serious about my previous question. Rockbandster, you have obvious opinions about the Realize band, but you have also been sucessful with your band. I would love to hear some tips from you since you have lost your weight. Lets focus on the positives now, give those of us who have some more weight to lose some inspiration!

Rockbandster, since you have reached goal, I would love to hear your tips and tricks that have gotten you there!! How often are you exercising, what are you eating and how much? Do you struggle with inconsistant restriction? Has it been a breeze. Your opinion about the Realize band is obvious, so now, lets change the subject. I would like you to share your other knowledge with me and the others, helping those of us that already have a band be as successful as you are.

Yep, I am having the same troubles. For me it is Pringles. Got to get them out of the house. Seems like these cravings started at Christmas, probably because I got lax about my eating plan. I really need to get back in the swing of things, but it has been a struggle.

My doc said no juice, or drinks with calories in them. Juice really is just sugar water, a few nutrients, but not enough to counterbalance the sugar content.

You know, I have a Realize band. It is in me, I don't plan on taking it out anytime soon. I look at this site for help and support, cause let's face it...every band, every procedure has it's ups and downs. I honestly and truthfully just want to have Realize discussions without it decending into this quarreling. I was excited that this thread was starting because I thought I would be able to share stories with others about my Realize experience but EVERY SINGLE thing I see with Realize mentioned, Rockbandster jumps in and quite frankly RUINS the whole thing. I don't even get on here much anymore because what is said is not helpful, comforting, or enjoyable. I am disappointed in the moderators for not controlling this better. Maybe a sticky should be made at the top that says "Rockbandster's controversial opinion about the Realize band." Then block her out from contributing anything about Realize since she/he has hijacked this. I, along with many others, want this to be useful. ROCKBANDSTER, I have a Realize already, it's not changing, please let me get something out of this, your comments and opinions ARE NOT helping me, they are discouraging, disheartening, and anger inducing. Am I to assume this is your intention, even though you repeatedly say you just want to help? You are doing harm.

Rockbandster wants to have someone post similarities between the two bands. OK here is one, they are both gastric bands that function basically the same way. Both are filled with fluid to cause restriction. I don't think I need to post research to back that up. I would say they are both extremely similar with only minor differences. And yes, I am a medical professional, my husband is a md, and most importantly, the surgeon who did my procedure knows all of the bands inside and out, works with different types and also does bypass, and is a laproscopic surgeon at one of the best hospitals in the country. I trust him when he says that the final results for all bands are essentially the same. And I trust him when he says that Realize is the best choice for me. There may be problems I encounter and another band may work better for other people, but I am ok with that. Everyone is different. I would request that rockbandster post more than one study that supports his theory that Realize performance, not the Swedish band, is worse than lapband and make sure they are from different sources, unconnected to each other. I would also like Rockbandster to give us research of an equal number of studies that show that they all work statistically the same. I wish he would be as open to our discussion as has demands us to be to his.

I have been having the same problem. I have been playing around with the same three pounds for about 8 weeks...very frustrating!! I am at 9cc of fill and have moderate restriction but am going in for a barium swallow to make sure all is ok. My surgereon starting using the Realize in March, I was his third one and has stated that a few others are having the same problem as I am. So we are just taking it step by step to try to solve the problem. But with all of that said, when I compare my results with averages of all bands, I am still ahead of average weight loss. Really the speed doesn't matter because it gives my skin a chance to catch up and this weight loss is very stressful on a body, better to do it slow. On another issue. Rockbandster seems to cause trouble on every thread he posts on. Whenever he shows up it seems as if the discussions spirals downward really quickly. Let's just ignore him and maybe he will go away. WHERE ARE THE MODERATORS TO BLOCK THIS PERSON OUT!!!!!!! We are here for support, so block posts from this person (it is possible but I can't remember how) and maybe we can have a productive chat on this Realize thread instead of everyone being afraid to contibute. I really would like it to become a worthwhile community of POSITIVE input. His last comment is stupid...how may of us are going to run to our doctors and beg to be cut open again? I guess the medical professional ROCKBANDSTER has forgotten that a second abdominal surgery is more complicated that the first and about three times harded to recover from.

It is hard to figure out how much exercise is too much. Usually your body will let you know. If you start having lots of aches, pains, injuries, fatigue, etc., then you know you are doing too much. Exercise is really a balancing act. You may be able to do cardio for a extended period of time, but you really need to pay attention to your heart rate to know if you are doing what you intend. What I mean is, if you aren't getting your heart rate up, you may be only 3-5 calories per minute, but if you really work up a sweat, you may be burning 10-12 calories per minute. A calorie burned is a calorie burned, we need to get rid of them however we can. But you can work harder for a shorter period of time and burn the same amount as you may be doing in 150 minutes. If you are trying to do your heart some good you really need to be somewhere between 60-75% of your max heart rate. You need to stress that heart muscle to make it stronger. You can find charts listing your heart rate everywhere in the gym and on the internet. I'm sure I have made this clear as mud and haven't helped much. I do have a degree in kinesiology (similar to exercise physiology ) so I have done alot of study of this and I don't think there is a simple answer to this question.

I lose in spurts, too. I am strange though, because I lose the week before TOM, then lose nothing for the following 3 weeks. I have heard that metabolism increases before, which makes sense since that week before I am always HUNGRY!! I usually lose about 4 pounds per month.

My nutritionist told me to avoid soup and chili at all cost, even if the chili is thick. She said it is just the same as drinking with your meal, a big no - no. Well, I was eating a lot of soup and chili so I took her advice and started eating only solid protein...chicken, beef, fish etc. Just that small change made a world of difference!! Now I fill up and stay filled up after only 4-6 ounces. As for chips, food without much nutritional value seems to go down like a charm. Just try to avoid them as much as humanly possible. I was really shocked at the soup/chili thing. Just dropping those from my diet got me off of my plateau.

I am close to the point where you are. I have lost about half of the weight I need to and now fight for every pound that I lose. I can relate to the tiredness. I just took a week to be nice to myself. I worked out but slowed the pace down from what I normally do. I didn't pig out but didn't journal every bite I put in my mouth and ate what I wanted when I was hungry. I went to Walmart and bought a pair of jeans that are pretty tight now, but will losen up in a few weeks. I also bought a 3/4 sleeve tshirt. None of the clothes are fancy and I spent about $25, but it feels good to wear something that fits, won't be falling off of me for a few months, and didn't break my savings account. Give yourself a mini vacation and treat yourself. You'll probably even lose a few pounds without noticing!!

Your post made me smile! I was banded on 3/28/2008, only a week or so before you, had the same start weight and weigh the same now. I have the same experience as you, I drop a few pounds then the scale bounces up a down a little until it settles in. I do get into the gym 5 days a week and spend about 1hr 20 minutes but could do much better with my food. I would probably do better if I could manage to stay strict but I think I have some restriction issues. I have the Realize band and am at 9cc, which is the max it can hold. While I have good restriction, I can still overeat, probably because I am not making the best choices. Anyway, way to go and keep up the good work.

I don't think we are close minded. I just think you seem so militant about hating the Realize band, that you show no one any grace if they disagree with you. We don't mind your input, but you seem to want us to listen to you but won't listen to anyone else. This site is to offer support and friendly discussion, not to tell people how wrong they are. Most of us listen to our doctor's who have had 9 years plus of education past medical school, and while they are not perfect they have much more experience than in judging what is best for us on an individual basis than some person on an internet site that hasn't seen our medical charts

At first, I really enjoyed the Realize web sight but after I started eating "real" food again I quit using it and started using the daily plate. Daily Plate's nutrition information is more complete and easier to use. I still use the Realize sight to track my weight loss. My opinion is to ignore the fact that Realize offers this web site when making decisions about which band to get.

New technology is not always better technology. There is a reason that the old technology has stayed around, which is that it produces results that are good with less risk. Shouldn't compliction rates be as important or more important than quick weight loss? After 2-3 years the weight loss is pretty much identical but realize does have less of a complication rate.

I guess I should add... I chose the Realize band at the urging of my physician who offers all bands and bypass, too. So far, I have been frustrated and concerned about this thing at times but overall, I've lost 50 pounds and it is getting easier because my eating and exercise habits are changing!!!:thumbup: I chose one of the best laproscopic surgeons in the country at one of the premire hospitals in the world. I couldn't be happier with my choice of medical care and think the band choice is secondary.

Here's my 2 cents for what it is worth on the question of which band to get (all based on my observations and experience). No matter which band you get, you will experience a lot of frustration. We are trying to break years of bad habits that NO devise will change. You can eat around any band you get. These are tools and people can tell you that over and over and you won't truely understand the tool thing until you live with a band for months or even years. It does work wonders, I think mainly because if you eat too much you feel TERRIBLE not because it magically makes you stop eating. Eating healthy will always be up to you. All of the doctors preach that the weight loss will be slow and we all get impatient, but the research shows that over the long haul all of the bands have basically the same final results. I wouldn't be basing your decision on HOW fast you lose but how SAFE you lose. Look at complication rates of the bands AND of your physician because "installation and mainatainance" is half of the battle. Slips and erosions are risky for your overall, life long health, not just in your weight battle. If you get any band, you will lose weight, if you follow the rules, plain and simple. To worry about percentages of weight lost over a short period of time is missing the point. We are doing this to improve the rest of our lives, which, for most of us, is barely half over if we get healthy. I think that is the point. Pick the band that you and your doctor agree will offer the lowest complication risk for you for the rest of your life. You may think that you are more concerned about weight loss now, but once you get this thing, you will worry that something is wrong, we all do. I think all of the bands offer about the same result, it is the band complication rates that SLIGHTLY vary, more often it is the physicians care that causes the higher complication rate. Basically, pick the BEST DOCTOR you can afford.

I was banded with my realize band on march 28th of this year. I was the third one my surgeon put in. So far I have lost just shy of 50 lbs which makes me extremely happy. Unfortunately, I am filled to 9cc which is the max so I don't have anywhere to go with my fills but down. It seems as if my weight loss is speeding up the further out from surgery I get... don't know why. I have good restriction and wouldn't want anymore.

I would be having a heart to heart wil your doctor!! If you are gaining weight because you are eating too much, you need a fill. In fact, weight gain is one of the indicators that you need a fill. Don't forget, you are a consumer that PAID for him to assist you in losing weight. You did not pay him to chastise you for eating too much. I think journaling what you eat is a great idea and you should do it so you are more aware of what you are putting in your mouth. Don't be afraid of disagreeing with your doc and questioning his decisions. ( I am married to one and disagree with him on a regular basis : ) ) If you are not pbing regularly, push for the fill. I felt no restriction at 6 cc, I now have 9 cc in a 10 cc band and really could use more!! Good luck!

I am very close to my parents also, and when I brought up to them that I was considering band surgery they were dead set against it. My husband has been supportive of the whole process. At first I considered not having the procedure because of my parents feelings but decided to go ahead with it and NOT tell them. I chose this, not to be deceptive, but because I know what is best for me. Their opinions were based on fear and emotion, not information and the reality of the future I faced living in my morbidly obese body. I don't know if I will ever tell them because I don't want them to worry. Every time I see them (about once a month) they say "See you didn't need that band, you are doing it on your own!" I tell them I am eating less and exercising, mostly the truth. Ultimately, it is making them happy that I am getting healthier. If they ever find out I have the band, I will just stress to them that I love them and value their feelings but I am an adult and make my own decisions! I am sure they don't clear everything with me before they do it! Only you should have the final say on this type of life changing decision.

I had these too, right after surgery and they did go away, although I don't remember how long I had them. I don't get them now except for, occasionally, after the first or second bite of food.

My doctor and nurse both told me my Realize band was a 10cc. I currently have 8cc in it and need more, which concerns me since there is not much more to add. After my last fill, I had great restriction for about 2 weeks then it loosened up. Going in for my 4th fill next Tuesday and I hope I get to my sweet spot. My weight loss seems slow, since I have been playing with the same 2 pounds for the past month. I was 252 when I started this process back in December, had surgury on 3/28/08 at 230 pounds and am at 212 now. That is 40 pounds gone so I guess I should be VERY HAPPY but I've only lost 5 pounds in the last 2 months and I wish it was more!

I have had 3 fills. The first one was TERRIBLE and I even had a local. NP had to dig around to find the port and I was left badly bruised. I was petrified for my second fill but after the local, I felt very little and had slight bruising. My third fill was over before I knew it, without local, and I have no bruising at all

I was banded March 28, 2008, and had my third fill on June 10th, one week ago. I now have 8cc in my Realize band. (First fill was 3cc, second fill 3cc. and third filll 2cc.) At first I felt too tight, but the past 2 days have been much better. I think I am close to my "sweet spot" but will reserve judgement for a while. Bread is hard to get down but it is possible if I take tiny bites and chew a lot. I also feel stuck if I eat too fast or have overcooked meat.

I was banded 3/28 at the University of Wisconsin and had my second fill this past Monday. I have the Realize band and now have 6 cc in it. Currently, I eat about 1500 calories per day and burn about 500 with exercise. I walk 2 miles each morning with the dog and later hit the gym or ride my bike. I am down 36 pounds from the start of this journey, which was mid-December when I went to the seminar. It hasn't been easy and I have gotten very frustrated because it takes more will power than I thought it would. My current fill isn't doing much so I am tracking my calories closely, trying to follow band rules, and reminding myself that future fills should make it easier. Good luck!