lellow

That was a seriously awesome comment! My boyfriend knows about this site, he knows I hang out here now and again, and that I use it to help keep me on track, but he stays away. I put up pics on here that he would probably prefer I not post (pics of before/after surgery where I'm in bikinis and stuff) but this is where I feel I can be most myself, with people who 'get' me. And I have done so long before he came along so I'm not about to stop now!

I am a smoker. The main thing about smoking is that it inhibits healing. I talked to my dr and asked if it was ok if I cut down, and he said yes, as long as I didn't smoke in the 3 days prior to surgery and 3 days after (I didn't feel like it for over a week post-op to be honest). So explore your options, it may seem all too hard for you right now because of the amount of things you seem to need to change all at one.

The only time I've ever forgotten to eat is when I'm at my green zone, and I'm not at that point yet with my new band, so imagine my surprise when I left work today and my hands were trembling because all I'd had all day was a cup of unsweetened coffee. The thing is, I went shopping at lunchtime, and while in a suit shop I got a call from work, so I talked on the phone while wandering back to the office. I was distracted, so forgot to pick something up to eat, and didn't remember until I realised I was trembling after work. No hunger to prompt me at all. As bad as that was, it's one of the big signs that after almost 18 months, I finally have a working band again! And it also means it's time to set my alarm again to remind me to have lunch, just in case....

I love it! Who knows, maybe in time, a love of shopping may even develop.

Great work Mark!

Can't help you with the Protein drinks (I hate them too) but in terms of being worried about the loss of certain foods, I guess my only advice to you is this: If your sense of loss is bigger than your desire to lose, then wait. I waited 18 months to get banded because I was just not ready to give food up. But once I was ready, I jumped in with both feet and nothing could deter me from losing weight. I think you need that sort of commitment with a band. But if you are committed, then it can change your life. Secondly, research the band (this is a good place to do it but not the only place). Each person needs different things to lose, each person needs to find their own way, but generally speaking, there are many banders who did not stop carbs to lose (I am one of those who ate carbs throughout). So right now, you don't even know what it will be that the band won't tolerate. It may tolerate everything, for that matter, that happens too. If you're like me, being well restricted eventually means that you don't have any real cravings for any one food. So you know how you can't imagine living without soda? Well I drank a full sugar soda a day for 5 years and since just before being banded, I haven't touched a drop and don't even miss it. With the band, you have to accept that things will probably change, but it may not be as hard as you think it is. Good luck whatever you decide. I know it's not an easy decision by any means.

To all the successful banders out there, what is the one thing you think made it all click into place for you? For me, it was deciding that failure was not an option. I got the band because my younger brother was diagnosed with diabetes and I was scared that if I waited any longer to do something about my weight, I wouldn't see my youngest son into adulthood. So the day I decided to get banded was the day I made the commitment that this time, I wasn't going to fail. I read the statistics about average weight loss etc etc but I always intended to lose all the excess weight and keep it off. I have said before the band will help you that 30%, but you have to put in the 70% if you want to succeed. I fell off the wagon when my band started to leak because I forgot for a while why I did this, and I was disillusioned about the band failing me, and then over Christmas I spent 3 weeks with my son and it made me remember again, and I recommitted to this. No food was more important than my son. I hope I never ever forget that ever again. If I do, I welcome any of you to kick my butt. So what was your a-ha moment that you credit your success to?

Lapbands of 20 years ago are not the same as the ones placed now. They have improved by leaps and bounds, and issues with earlier bands have been addressed to try to mitigate against some of those earlier complications. Comparing sleeve and lapband, to me is like comparing apples and oranges. The sleeve has a complication rate of 2% (to date) and the lapband over 5%, but complications from the sleeve tend to be more severe due to the inability to reverse the effects of the sleeve, whereas lapband complications, for the most part, can be corrected, either with an unfill or with further surgery. However, the sleeve is very much 'set and forget' whereas frequent aftercare is absolutely crucial with a band. Weight loss with a sleeve is much easier to achieve, but on average the weight loss of both is comparable 5 years out, you just have to work harder (imo) with a band. So the two aren't really easily compared. As for longevity, in Australia where the band has been in use (and I believe is still the most used WLS) for over 15 years, we actually have studies that show a good prognosis for long term use. But I think as with every surgery, you have to go in expecting that you might be one of the unlucky ones who will have a complication, and if you do, to weigh up the avenues that you have available to you to fix your issue. My first band wasn't for life, and was replaced after 5 years due to band failure (a leak) but I'm hoping my new band lasts a lot longer than that.

My band did give me a soft stop and if I continued to eat, it would have been at my peril, so yes it did fact become second nature for me once I was in the green zone to eat just enough to satisfy myself without overindulging. However, I was not really hungry either, so the urge to eat and eat and eat certainly wasn't there either. Now, even though I have restriction, I'm NOT at green zone and it's more difficult to stop eating. But as you know, it can be done.

And honestly, this forum is the best, if you want to learn about your band. Sure there are differences of opinion on how things are done, but for the most part, there are many people who willingly give up their time to help out someone who is just starting out, or even someone who's been around for a while, like me. Just read everything and make up your own mind on how to use the support people give you. But just a warning, sometimes we don't sugar coat things around here, so as long as you're willing to roll with the punches, you can make good friends and gather some keen supporters here who will help you every step of the way, if you just ask.

Your body is incredibly resilient and capable of feeding itself off your fat stores in order to provide itself with the energy it needs to heal itself. The post op diet is to give you the best chance to heal.

Mis I knew you'd lost a heap of weight but girl that's nothing short of astounding! You are living proof that if you work this, you can succeed. Congratulations on your truly inspirational achievement.

The first time I heard about want power, I think it was from Carolina Girl here on LBT. Want power means you want to lose weight MORE than you want bad food. There no one who's going to stop you from eating badly, only you can do it, but to do it, you have to WANT to lose weight. And then saying no becomes easier to do. Work on your want power if you want to lose. Or accept that if you're eating badly, that maybe you just don't want it enough. You are the only one who can decide.

mr hayward, did you get given any post-op instructions on how to eat in the weeks following your surgery? I only ask because most patients are put on a liquids, then mushies, then solids progression through food. Sure, you CAN eat solid food 2 days post op, but it doesn't mean you should.

I had arthritic change in my knee and had back issues that would require muscle relaxants and lots of rest. I've lost 100% of my weight and neither bother me much anymore. I can't tell you exactly when the pain in my knee stopped but probably as I approached a normal BMI. The back pain, I think, actually improved with exercise, as I strengthened the muscles in my back. I still can't run as much as I'd like because of my knee, and I still have back issues on occasion if I sit for hours at a time and dont' walk around much but it's NOTHING like it used to be.

Oh! Well one thing I will tell you then is that yes, there are some things that some banders can't eat when they're well restricted, but that's not true of everyone. You may well be able to eat anything, just in smaller servings. Also once you get to goal and are maintaining, MOST people eventually learn to eat most things again. Rice was the first thing I couldn't tolerate (I'm Asian, this was disastrous), but while maintaining, I found I could eat a little rice again. So don't mourn food yet!

I'm ok with mince actually. Burgers are pretty dry but I can still get some in! I don't do steaks so well but any red meat made into mince I can still do. Have you tried? Is it just something you don't tolerate?