MacMadame

Well it looks like we may have to start killing fat people.

However, what about skinny people who eat like hogs?
We are going to have to kill them too.
What about bulimics? They can appear skinny, but they are overeating. So we must kill them too.
What about people abusing laxatives? I heard Brittany is?
They are overeating, we are gonna have to kill them.
What about the fat people who barely eat? Do we kill them?
We have to hire police to detect how much individuals are consuming.


I suggest we set up a colony, like they did for lepers. That way we won't have to actually kill them. They can eat each other.

I have.
I think the point is that no one stops brushing their teeth *forever* if they forget one time. Yet how many times has someone you know said "I went on a binge last night so my diet is ruined so I might as well eat this cake today too" ?
Diets aren't like mirrors... if you break them they aren't broken forever.

No, what is silly is your inability to see another POV.

This is why I prefer the Realize band. I don't want a hard hunk of plastic around my organs. I think that would be more inclined to erode than something softer. This is a big reason why the Realize band out performed the prior Lap-band IMO.
Competition is awesome. :frown: Lap-band made their band better in response to the Realize band being set to be used in the US -- so everyone won on that one.
There are actual differences.
The Realize band is softer and the reservoir wider and is designed to be the only think touching the stomach, not the plastic. This is supposed to help with both erosion and slippage.
The port is a low-profile port and it has these claws that make it cling to the stomach muscle instead of having to be sutured in. (Though your surgeon can chose to suture it in if that's what they prefer.) This is supposed to help with port pain and with port flipping.
The Lap-band AP system has a smaller buckle and it is pre-formed into a round shape. Because the plastic is harder, some surgeons will put some fill in during surgery, which may give you a jump start on restriction. It also now goes all the way around, which the older Lap-band didn't do and which is important to avoid erosion IMO. It also has comes "pre-creased", which Allergen says helps with slippage.
The Realize study was against the Lap-band that was available at the time, not the AP system. I think it's clearly better than the older lap-band. There is a reason that Allergen changed their band to be more like the Realize Band and also more like the French Mid-band.
Whether the changes that Allergen made with the AP system have caused that band to just as good or better than the Realize band remains to be seen. Study data tends to lag so we probably won't see head-to-head comparisons right away and it may be that, by the time we do, both companies will have modified their bands again and made it all moot. :biggrin2:

1. People who have only been banded for 4 months and are calling themselves a failure because they've "only" lost 50lb!
HELLO, people!! We did not have the gastric bypass, what did you expect?? This surgery is not designed to have you drop 30lb a month - that's one of the main reasons, people choose it - because it is a far safer procedure and gives a safer and slower loss rate. 4 calendar months is only 17 weeks and a loss of 50lb is almost 3lb per week, which is WELL ABOVE the average and is a fantastic weight loss. If you've lost 50lb in 26 weeks (6 months), you are losing at 2lb per week and that is a GREAT loss rate. If you have lost 25lb in 6 months, you are STILL in the average of 1-2lb per week, which is a perfectly healthy and sustainable rate! Yes, some people lose faster but even if you've only lost 20lb in 6 months, I'd bet a week's wages that that's better than the six months you had BEFORE banding. Stop thinking negatively and calling yourselves failures! Those numbers are a great success and should be celebrated.
2. People who say "oh I have no restriction but I'm PB'ing and sliming every time I try to eat solid food".
HELLO!! You DO have restriction! What do you think is causing you to PB/slime?? If you are feeling hungry between meals, it is probably because you are drinking your food instead of eating it! Try eating solid foods very very slowly and well chewed - you'll feel much fuller for much longer. If the first meal of the day is troublesome, try having a hot drink (tea, coffee, ff chocolate, whatever you like) 30 minutes before the meal to prepare your stomach. If you're not hungry in the mornings and are starving at night - don't eat in the mornings!! Save your daily calorie allowance for when you ARE hungry and EAT it in solid food, not soft easy foods (unless of course, you are still in the post-op healing phase). If you can't eat solid food (slowly and well-chewed), you don't need another fill - you are too tight!
3. People who obsess about getting "enough protein" and drinking Protein shakes
HELLO AGAIN!! Let me repeat, we did NOT have the gastric bypass. Our bodies are still perfectly capable of absorbing all the nutrients that we eat and there is no need to increase protein intake to compensate. You should be able to get in all the protein you need by EATING, not by drinking supplements. Eat lean hard Proteins if you can, choose tuna or crab meat if you have trouble with hard protein and you will get all you need. Eat good fresh vegetables and you won't need Vitamin supplements. You will also feel much more full doing this and won't be complaining about being hungry all the time!
Whew!! That feels good to get that off my chest! I know my loss rate isn't the fastest out there. It is currently running at 1.7lb per week and that is the rate I'm aiming for. I could make it go faster if I exercised more, but I do an average of 30 mins x 4 days a week (sometimes more, sometimes less) and I am losing at the speed I had planned upon and I'm thrilled with the results so far. My fitness level is noticeably improving, I'm not hungry except at meal times, I'm satisfied after my meals, I only have problems with getting stuck or PB'ing when I stop paying attention when eating and don't chew well enough or eat too quickly (still working on that), and I AM NOT A FAILURE!

I have bought and read this book and others by Ellyn Satter and follow much of her advice. I think they are good books, they get my recommendation too.
Thank you all for your input. Just by way of follow up -- a few comments.
I do intend to share with people that I'm doing this. I've already shared with several my intent to do this (as I am in planning stages now). As I said in my original post, I wear my life on my sleeve pretty much. Having said that, I do believe I have to tell my daughters. So it's really more about HOW I tell them. I want ot do it in the best way possible so that I do no alienate my overweight daughter or make her think this is a substitute for healthy eating, etc.
And in case I wasn't clear, we already have made family-wide changes beginning 4 years ago... all skim milk, no sugared Cereal, whole wheat pastas and breads, etc. etc. We've made tons of changes. 8" salad plates for dinner. No more rolls/bread with meals. Lots of chicken and fish and less beef. No cookies/cakes/chips (except pretzels and baked tortillas occasionally). We don't do poptarts or any of that stuff - they have only low-sugar whole grain cereals. I mean, I think our diet stacks up pretty good against the typical American family. But none of this has yet shown to have an effect for my daughter. She (like me) has Portion Control issues and is always hungry.
She's 6, and yes I know she will be called fat and I know she will learn to hate that. I did too. But I hope I can help her navigate it to where this doesn't DEFINE who she is. Even though I have always been overweight, I am highly successful in my career, I have a wonderful husband, family, house, life. So I expect that my daughter will be able to rise above and probably be stronger for it. And someday if the band or some other approach is right for her, I'd support her in seeking it.
Right now, what is of utmost importance to me is to make sure she knows how much we love her and how we don't find her imperfect at all, she's gorgeous and smart and I just want all of us to be our best, the healthiest we can be, and that's why the doctor is helping me.

What nonsense. Atheists aren't "lovers of pleasures" any more than Christians are. Many atheists are people with a strong moral code who strive to do good in the world and live ethically.
God doesn't exist and the bible is just a book written by men (and probably a few women who didn't get the credit they deserved. :party: )

What is YOUR take on the topic? I mean without having to look to the bible to find your opinions.

Actually what I understand there are hormones produced in the stomach and small intestines that contribute to the feeling of hunger and this will be helped by the band also. Not just the constriction but an actual chemical reaction in the body. At least that is what I was led to believe yesterday in a very long all day behavior class I attended.

I think you have fallen into the Dieter Mentality. Certain food is Good and if you eat it, YOU are good. Certain food is bad and you eat it, YOU ARE BAD. It's the same thing with exercise. Exercise is something you do because you HAVE to. Again, if you do it, you are good, but when you don't, you are bad.
I believe that if you change your mindset, I think it will be less of a struggle and you'll find yourself making better choices because the emotion and the judgement will be gone. Feeling ashamed, beating yourself up for being a Bad Girl is not productive. It leads to a cycle of extremes -- being a model citizen followed by falling off the wagon and feeling despair and hopelessness.
First, there is no such thing as good or bad food. It's just food. There are good and bad choices, but they have to be evaluated in the context of your entire food intake. Did those oreos and pb cups put you over your calorie intake for the day? Then eat less today. If they didn't, then look at your overall nutrition. Did they make your diet have too much fat or sugar that day? Eat something with less fat and more Fiber today. You have nothing to beat yourself up for if you made one bad choice one day if your week was full of good choices and your overall intake is balanced and healthy.
Also look at what you define as treats. I don't want the fact that my kids have no weight problems today lead me to teach them habits and ways of thinking that will lead to weight problems tomorrow. Therefore, I try not teach my kids that only junk is a treat.
Why aren't strawberries treats? My kids go nuts when I buy strawberries. They are expensive and only in season for a short time, so they see them as a big treat. They feel the same about cantalope. We don't buy it that often so when we do, it's a big treat.
Sure, we buy ice cream and chips and other things too. But we don't act like junk is a treat and good food is something you have to eat because it's good for you and I think that's an important distinction. Anything you love is a treat.
Finally, we get to exercise. I never "exercise". Exercise is something you do because you have to. Instead, I have "active hobbies". These are things that I like to do because I like them, but they also involve moving my body. I never think of them as exercise and I never think of them as things I HAVE to do in order to be "good."
Your active hobby can be anything, too. It doesn't have to be going to the gym or taking up marathon running. It can be gardening. It can be bowling. It can be ballroom dancing. Ice skating. Joining a 'just for fun' softball league. Whatever you LIKE to do.
And don't worry about whether or not it's "good" exercise. People get so focused on doing things perfectly, that they won't do "good enough" stuff because it's not perfect. Sure training for a marathon burns way more calories than bowling. But bowling burns way more than sitting at home watching tv or typing on the computer or reading.
You say you haven't got a sedentary lifestyle so you probably already have active hobbies. Instead of beating yourself up for not going to the gym (or whatever you think of as "exercise"), congratulate yourself for not being a couch potato.

6% of overweight people will lose weight AND keep it off through diet and exercise. 6%. More people will quit smoking. More people will quit heroin. 6%. There is so much that is just being discovered about weight and eating responses and the chemical make-up of the overweight. Yes, the chemistry of an obese person is different than the chemistry of a non-compulsive eater. People who do not research this subject can't understand it. Heck, some of us can't.
Would your friend tell an alcoholic that not drinking is a quick fix? Would she tell a gambling addict that they can just play a few hands at a casino and then walk away? Would she tell a heroin user that avoiding the old neighborhood and druggy friends was a cop-out? Maybe SHE needs to do a little research on addiction before determining your needs. And I'm sorry but how are major surgery and drastic changes in eating habits a "quick fix" compared to downing barley grass juice?
I've been lucky. Only four people know I am planning this (three are thin) and they have all been incredibly supportive. But if they weren't, well I'm the only one who knows how hard I've tried, how many diets have failed, how much the unmoving scale torments me as I starve, and how many people have been cruel to me because of my weight. If they want to exchange bodies with me then they can have some say in making this choice. Otherwise we would have to agree not to discuss it or I would have to cut them out of my life. I'm at the point where this is a life or death decision and a true friend would not try to force their ignorance into sabotaging my life changing decision. And a part of me has to ask: Does she really want you to lose weight?

I have a 3 pronged approach. First, I have lost tons of weight in my life. So when they say if you just eat right and exercise, you'll lose weight, I say "oh, losing weight isn't the problem. It's keeping it off."
Then I blind them with science.... I tell them about the studies that show that yo-yo dieting changes your body so it fights to keep you fat by telling you that you're hungry all the time. I also tell them about the study where they measured the brain waves in the part of the brain that recognizes satiety and how morbidly obese people have weaker brain waves and so often don't feel "full". Then I explain how the lap band works to combat these things so that once you lose the weight, you have a fighting chance to keep it off.
If that doesn't work (and it works 99.9% of the time), I say "then I guess you still are driving a horse and buggy to work and cooking your dinner on a wood stove" ... doing things in an easier way is SMART, if you ask me. Doing it the "hard" way just to say you did seems pretty pointless.

It's easy to tell people they are stupid. But it's not very helpful.

I really truly do not believe all the hype about Water. Everythign you eat contains Water, as does everything you drink. As long as you get enough, it is NOT necessary to gulp 8 extra glasses a day and there's plenty of expert opinion that will back up my opinion. Water is like everything, Protein included, you need enough but any more than that is just wasting your effort, money and time.
Of course you need to stay hydrated but if you urinate regularly enough and its not dark then you're getting enough Fluid. It doesnt have to be plain water. You dont have to guzzle gallons of it as long as you're hydrated enough.
Of course I'm talking from the point of view of not eating high levels of Protein, you need extra when you do that becuase of the risk of kidney stones.

HH-I'm just curious here. I stayed out of your thread that has been moved twice concerning your health issues that have arisen (not sure that is proper grammar) from the lb. You state you want to warn those considering the lb to the possible side effects and complications so they are well informed.
You had numerous people attack you and your posts because they sound as if you are trying to sell something later on to us. Then, someone finds you on an internet marketing website stating that you were thinking about writing one or two e-books on your experiences and those of other bandsters you have "interviewed".
You came back with the stance that you have not written any e books or tried to sell anything.
I was willing to give you the benefit of the doubt even though I was catching a whiff of the bs the others were attacking you on. Now, I come on this thread and find you asking for stories on how people came to the decision to get the band. You even take the time to give your story as to how you came to the decision. Yet, you never take the time to write a complete history on your difficulties from the band in the other thread stating NUMEROUS times you don't have the time to do so.
I'm not attacking you, just wondering about the inconsistencies in your threads. Also, you make no mention of your difficulties you have had, just give your story on your decision.
To me, it just seems as if you are "interviewing" more bandsters to try and get their stories for one of your e-books. If this is not as it seems to me, and you are on the up and up, I apologize. However, I for one, will not be sharing my story with you. I don't want to inadvertently end up as a source for what I see coming down the line.

I'm still pre-op, but I have only told the five most supportive people in my life.
When I was low carbing and lost around 80 pounds (regained lots of that), people would ask how I was doing it. I was glad to say because I had such success, but some people would then want to debate the pros and cons of a low carb diet. I found myself defending my decisions at a birthday party and at a gathering of friends.
At this point, I really do only want support. I have done all of the research, educated myself, consulted with healthcare professionals. I know the risks and know that the benefits outweigh the risks for me.
So, for me, it's more a matter of privacy (at work) and not inviting negativity (from well-intentioned?) friends.
I also figure I can always tell more people -- but I can't untell someone who ends up being a goofball about it.

How about on the Wide World of Webs?
In fact, it's still the most common WLS.
There are definitely people who make WLS a big racket. It's discouraging to me because I hate feeling like if I don't pay attention every single second, I'm going to be taken advantage of. Plus when I started on this journey, I figure it would be like any other medical procedure ... now I've got insurance issues, am petrified I'll pick a surgeon with a high erosion or slippage stat and lots of other crap I wouldn't have to worry about if I were just getting my gallbladder out.
It wasn't that good. It was just "go listen to Tony Robins". I don't hate Tony Robins as much as I hate Dr. Phil, but I still hate him enough not to go listen to him. :wink2:
He never said his colon was perforated. He said the port had separated from the band and traveled to his colon.
I think it's likely he's telling the truth. Lap bands do erode and once they are in the stomach, they can travel. But I think there are lots of things he's leaving out. Like the port sticking out ... I bet that happened before the incision healed 100%, for example. And that stuff about how he's in danger of dying from the operations .... sure, taking a lap band out of the stomach isn't going to be a piece of cake, but I wonder if at least half of the 'I might die!" is because he has a really high BMI and any surgery would be dangerous.
If he had just come here, posted in Lap Band Complications a straightforward version of his story and left out all the drama and the condensing preaching, it probably would all be more believable. It sure as hell wouldn't have been half as annoying.
Ha. If he does that, we'll be all over him like ants on honey. There are several photographers on here who can spot a photoshop fake a mile away.