silvers320

Welcome Been around the banded block here - 3 Lap Band surgeries - 2 plastic surgeries - oh and a gay guy.

Ran shirtless for the 1st time ever this summer - such a NSV for a former fat guy

It's true that taking it off slowly helps BUT the longer you were over weight the less like things are going to look good after you drop 100+ pounds. after dropping the weight it's as much a mental as it is working out and eating right. Plastics have helped greatly with the mental part of the loss.

Wear elastic waist pants! I went back to work at 2 weeks to a desk job - nothing really fit but I dont see anyone so it was ok. You will need someone the 1st 2 days at least. This is much worse than the lap band surgery but so worth it. Good Luck!

Should have written healing not feeling. I hear you - I battled my weight for 20+ years before the band. But take it slow, it works - just: 1. When it doubt - talk to your surgeron thats what you pay him for - adjustments are part of the process. 2. However dont rely solely on adjustments to drop the weight - the band is a tool put without a committment from you - you can work around it. 3. You dont need to be 100% perfect 100% of the time ( once you are fully recouped) - strive for 95% and accept 90%! Good luck

You're still on the mushies phase - which is about your body feeling and learning to eat - SLOWLY. Focus on that and not on the weigh loss - this is a long term lifestyle change not a diet where you should be worried about fast results.

Well - congrats to the both of you for considering making this huge life change! To answer your questions - 1. I think after my lapband, I was out of my desk job for a few days but bending was really rough - so I would think you should plan on being out (or on the desk for 3- 4 weeks for full healing) 2. Hydration - in the 4 years or so that I have been banded - I was de-hydrated twice. Once I didnt know what it was - and passed out. And once I saw the warning signs - but since these days I have not had any issues. Last week - I met with my health specialist, who told me that when he met me 10 years ago- I was dieing very quickly. Now I have turned my life around - it really hit me! So good luck and feel free to ask any questions.

Guys, I am looking for a weight training book (or app) to get me started. I have worked out with a trainer but feel its more of a “follow me – then teach me” so without their knowledge, I feel like a deer in the headlights. Much like I did for nutrition and cardio – I really want to reeducation myself so I am comfortable in my workout. Anyone have any suggestions? Thanks

In the hopes of getting some "action" going in the room - Anyone have any interesting travel plans for the summer?

I had a circumferential tummy tuck in September of 2011. At the time the doctor had suggested a fluer de lis tummy tuck but I was opposed to it give the potential scarring. Five months latter I am considering have the circumferential revised to a fluer de lis to deal with the sagging middle stomach, as I am still unhappy with the results. Anyone have one? What are your scars like? Are you happy with the results? Thanks

Hi Billy - I am going to try and be helpful, but some of it might be a little painful to hear - BUT please bear with me... Can the band work- sure. Can it work the way you are currently working it - doubtful. I am not going to jump on the "your doctor should be increasing your restriction" band wagon, I don't think he should be at this point. Why??? You haven't shown him that you are following the "rules" to be long term successful with the band. A full band can be cheated on just like one that is only 1/2 full. Is restriction important - without a doubt. BUT just as important is what we eat, portion size, Water intake, exercise. We don't like to focus on these things. Remember you shouldn't be viewing the band as a DIET - it is a long term lifestyle change. Just because you can drink while you eat doesn't mean you should be doing it - but you already know that. Now that the tough love portion is complete I would go back to square one - do your liquid diet for a few days - even a week. I found this really helped me lose my CARB cravings. Then measure your food for a week or so - I had no idea what a serving of anything was suppose to look like - so this really helped. Also during this period, I learned HOW to eat. What I mean by that was - I was an animal - i shoved food in as fast as possible. I took this time to really slow down, taste what I was eating - enjoy the actual taste not just the act of eating. There was a thread on here "What did you eat today" (or something like that" - I dont know if its still around but I found that really helpful all. It taught me some great food ideas. I am a realist - you can't be perfect 100% of the time - but 90% of the time make the right food choices - there is a time and a place for a good burger. Well these days I can only really eat 80% of a good burger but still! You don't say anything about exercise - but find something you enjoy doing and stick with it. Lastly - the mental part of this VERY hard and mostly over looked (just my 2cents) - you might think about seeing someone to discuss why you continue to self sabotage. Change is hard - but you can do this!!! And the rewards an amazing!!

Andy - before you hit the SamS club - check your local cvs and gas stations - many sell them as single serve so you taste test before you end up with a case of something that tastes nasty!

Andy - before you hit the SamS club - check your local cvs and gas stations - many sell them as single serve so you taste test before you end up with a case of something that tastes nasty!

I spent about a year planning and interviewing plastic surgeons. The cheapest I found was about 9,000 for a base tummy tuck to several that charged 22,000 for an extended tummy tuck. I ended picking a surgeon who charges 12,500 based on his skills, approach and the recommendation of another lap band talk guy. Scheduled for September 22!

Went through the same thing here - my port infection happened about 3 months and 65 or 70 lbs into the first year. And you are right, the pain (and grossness) of that open wound is worst then the original surgery. My replacement port is going on almost 3 years and still going strong!! Good Luck

Frank Foodie here banded almost 3 years ago same height and weight as you at the start of this. Here is the thing with me - my relationship with food has only improvhed with the band, if that makes sense. I eat what I want - just not in huge volumes. With the added benefit of actually eating slow enough to taste what I am eating. Any therefore enjoy it And without any remorse It's a mindset change buut you can be a band foodie! Dennis

I call BS on the nurse. If you are having real pain and it hurts - demand to see the doctor. I didnt - figured I was being a baby. It turns out my pain was an infection that resulted in me having to have to port replaced. Not trying to scare you - but you paid for a service, now get it! If you took your car into the shop and it made a strange noise on the way home - wouldn't you ask the mechanic to look at it again? Why are we afraid to hold Doctors to the same standard.

I agree - skip the idea of a diet. Learn what eating well means (IE: no fast food- the corners of the supermarket), and do it 95% of the time. Learn what a portion looks like so you can "adjust your eyes" . Good luck and remember its diets that helped get us all overweight to begin with!

Welcome and good luck. A couple of ideas/ thoughts: 1. Don't be too hung up on the 100lbs by October. It sounds far away but really its only 20 weeks That a lot of weight to lose with the band in that short of time period. 1-2 lbs per week seems to be the avg on here. 2. Having a goal of "X lbs by X date" is really the wrong thinking. This is a lifestyle change not a diet. Start changing your thinking to more along the lines of "I am going to make the best/healthiest choice X meals out of X" or something like that. As much as you want to look great at the wedding you want to change 20 years of habits, and change them for good. And that isnt going to happen overnight. 3. Small plastic ware ( glad, tupperware etc). Very helpful for measuring you're food early on. 4. Measure you're food. We are used to eating for 300+lbs and need to train our eyes on what a portion should look like. You dont have to do this for ever but I think early on its a key. 5. Water. Its more important that you think. 6. Move. Find something you like doing - and make time for it. Again good luck

Your weight loss works out to around 2.5/3 pounds a week - more then the expected average as claimed by the band! So that's good. Maybe it feels like a diet and you are feeling guilty because you see yourself repeating old habits (Read OVEREATING)??? Are you measuring your food? I think its really important early on to actually learn what a serving size actually should look like. You won't have to do it forever, but I think it was one of the keys to getting me to drop 130lbs. The resistance is going to change over time- and sometimes afterwards - for instance on days when I dont get in enough Water I am much tighter. PLEASE DONT COUNT ON RESISTANCE TO DO IT ALL!! You are also undoing years of learned behaviors and feelings - Rome wasnt built in a day! Good Luck.

I'll second the - are you journaling statement. Because it can't hurt. Couple of the thoughts: For me - my first bite was really caused by my taking too big of a bite and not chewing it nearly enough. Part of it was I on was on the 3 meals no snacks plan and I was just plain starving by meal time. A discussion with the doctor added snacks, which allowed me to take smaller bites and eat more slowly. If you are having restriction problems, and are PBing a lot - please consider having more taken out of the band. 7.5cc after only 6 months with a lot of PB sounds really aggressive. Excessive PB can cause damage. I know its a pain, but you want this to work long term - and it can. But take it slow, it always us to re-train out heads as well as our stomachs. Good luck!

It all depends ... early on, I wasn't hungry for the 1st 3 or 4 months and really had to force food on myself ( there is a line I never thought I would have to type). But these days, I eat very much like a normal sized, non banded person - some days a little less, some days more based on what my activity level is for the day. Even in a meal where I pig out and eat awful food - wings covered with blue cheese for instance, I can only eat 8 or so- where pre band I was working thru 24 + 6 cheese sticks!!! Does it make me upset on the rare day when I can't eat the volume I used too - HELL NO!

Tracey - Its 3 pounds and a learning experience - cut yourself some slack. I know that when I kept a journal early on, I forgot an important step - to go back and see if you can see patterns develop. I know for me on days that I eat a less Protein rich breakfast - I tend to pick more during the day. Check you journal for patterns.

Find things you enjoy and do them regularly. Here's the other thing - In the past when I would make the same statement you made - my fit friends would say " no one cares but you" and "people are just there to work out". I always thought it was a line of crap to make me feel better. 18 months, 130 pounds and more gym trips then i can count - you know, they were right!!! I couldn't tell you what anyone at my gym looks like- what they wear or whatever. I put on my headphones and sweat.