lellow

I miss chatting with you too, but I will be back once they've sorted out the chat room properly. I can't work with it the way it is now!

They stop feeling like bolt on boobs after a while, I promise! They do soften and feel far more natural after just a month, and in 3 months they'll feel like part of you. Mine feel completely like me now, and I sometimes forget that I wasn't born with this freakin' awesome rack

Eating more solid foods isn't what makes you lose weight, what helps you lose weight is the fact that solid food SHOULD keep your hunger away for relatively long periods of time. Which means on solid food you should not feel hungry for 3 - 5 hours. If you do feel hungry within 3 hours despite eating solid lean Protein, then you need more fill. If you've transitioned to solids, but are eating frequently and/ or eating solids that are high in calorie content it will mean you will gain weight. It will make anyone gain weight. Solid lean protein, eat ONLY when you're really hungry, don't eat high calorie foods. If you're actually hungry despite eating solids within 3 hours or so then yes get another fill.

Not really following the goings on of this thread but Australia has universal healthcare and I can categorically say that if our government tried to dismantle it, there would be riots in the streets. Any politician that even BREATHES that they are looking at reducing Medicare coverage is crucified. No idea what Obamacare is, but I can say that there are in fact countries that have universal healthcare where the people are happy with it. I sit in an income category which requires me to have insurance or I am penalised financially for it, but I had my time where I didn't earn as much and never once had to worry about getting medical care because I couldn't afford it. And my kids, who aren't insured, all hold Medicare cards (same as every other Australian) which provides them essential medical care as soon as they need it. I hope that never changes.

Ok, the best way I can explain it is this, at the RIGHT fill level, the band works like this: You can still eat most foods, and should be eating solid food, mainly proteins, as these work best with the band. If you're eating solid food, and your band is at the right fill level, you will feel a 'soft stop' once you're had not a lot of food, and the soft stop can take the form of discomfort, or a runny nose, or hiccups, though there are others, you will start to recognise your own. You should stop eating at this point. This small amount of food should keep you from being hungry again for 3 - 4 hours. And by hunger I mean REAL hunger, not 'I feel like eating' hunger. If you follow the rationale above, and eat solid, mainly protein, foods 3 meals a day, you will be eating about 1/2 to 1 cup of lean protein plus veg and maybe carbs (if you do that) and sustaining yourself ALL day pretty much. So you could be on 1.5 to 3 cups of food all day without feeling geniune hunger.

^^ exactly, I agree. And I guess I wanted to point that out in particular because I see many MANY posts where an unbanded person sees 'it won't stop you eating' as translated to 'it won't help'. The band definitely helps. In fact without the band, I would not be at, or be maintaining, the weight I am now. As a tool, it can be incredibly effective, if the band is filled and maintained in the green zone, the bandster is mindful of what they eat (there are plenty of posts about eating the 'bandster way' so I won't bother going into it) and do some exercise. It CAN be miraculous, it was for me. But understanding how it work is very important, so as to give the patient the best chance of success. And that's what I see as missing, the understanding. I don't think the language is the problem.

Yayyyyy! I'm so excited for you!! Do you feel good? I had my body lift and I cried when I looked in the mirror on the 2nd day and my 'overhang' was gone. I can't wait to see pics!

I use the word 'restriction' in the same way that hazel does. That someone doesn't understand what I mean when I'm using it in the correct context is, to me, more their failure to understand than my failure to be contextual. Though I do get where you're coming from, sometimes disputing the contextual use of the word 'restriction' causes more confusion than not, imo. I absolutely agree with almost everything you've posted MIs but I also disagree that the band doesn't tell me when to stop eating. The signals are there, and VERY clear signals too. They can be ignored, sure, if you really are determined, but they're there. I certainly don't push past those signals - I know that stopping is a good idea, will avoid discomfort and in 10 mins I won't be hungry anymore. So I think it's important for anyone not yet banded to understand that, because sometimes I read these posts, and I walk away thinking, if I were new, that the band did nothing for me, so why bother getting one? It's not like that, it's a very very handy tool to assist you in managing your hunger, and it DOES tell you when to stop, often quite clearly too.

I loved it so much I did it twice. Once where I lost all my excess weight and kept it off fro 3 years, and then again when my band started leaking. Got a new one and am back in maintenance.

Catfish, you are an inspiration and proof that believing in yourself and your band is what you need to be successful, even if results don't happen immediately. I am amazed by your success, but also knowing your commitment, am not surprised by it. Congratulations to someone I consider to be one of the more inspirational people on this board.

They're actually right. Eating soft foods because you can't eat solids means you definitely aren't ready to be even tighter. The band works best if you can eat solid Protein because that's what's going to keep the hunger away for 3 - 4 hours. If you're eating soft food, you're eating 'around the band'. If you can't eat anything BUT soft foods, you're showing signs of being too restricted and another fill is the last thing you need right now. The band isn't supposed to be so tight that all you can ingest are things that 'pass' through the band. Being at that point is actually counter-productive to weight loss. If you can't eat solid food, you need to communicate this with your medical team and discuss options.

It's interesting this view about aftercare. It's one I know I share. I have had conversations with fellow Australian banders and I think we universally believe that one of the reasons Australian patients are generally successful with the band is because our aftercare is subsidised by the government as part of our Medicare scheme. I pay about $20 out of pocket every time I see my surgeon, Medicare pays the rest. It gives banders no excuse to NOT seek out and receive aftercare, as often as they need to. I get in to see my doctor within a week or two of calling. If I need to see him urgently, I get in the same day. Yes, the band can be high maintenance, and therefore having good aftercare is absolutely critical. I can go back and forth as often as I need to in order to get the right level of restriction for me. That's absolutely priceless, imo.

Yeah, see that concerns me because the red zone is too tight, and can often cause complications such as dilation. So the fact that he thinks being in the red is a good idea, to me, means you're probably not getting the right sort of advice from him on what will work best with the band. I can eat 1 cup of solid protein relatively easily, i.e. I chew well and it is all gone in about 10 mins. And despite not trying to lose, I'm still losing, so I know I'm probably at a good level of restriction, even though anecdoctally I would say I'm probably in the 'lime' zone. I can eat bread, pasta and most carbs easily too. So I still personally think you may be too tight. I dunno, just my opinion. :/

It's crazy isn't it that we think if we're tight enough to not be able to eat, it must mean we will lose. It honestly doesn't work that way, from my experience. You should be able to eat hard Protein easily, these are the things that will keep you from being hungry for hours. When at the right fill level, I eat one meal of a cup of chicken and I don't even feel like eating again for 5 hours. That's when it works best, when you're at that perfect spot, and you can eat good food that will provide satisfaction! This is a chart that explains the green zone. I actually think you're in the red zone and it's hard to lose in the red zone!

Heya sunny, I'm not as long term banded as you (5 years now) but due to a leak that hung around for 15 months, I put on weight as well. I've now gotten a replacement band and am learning from scratch the 'bandster lifestyle' of formal exercise, band portions and finding a good fill level for me. Happy to chat anytime about 'getting back into it' and the challenges the 2nd time around.

I aimed big. I wanted to lose 10lbs a months. I didn't to start with but as I got more fills I started to. To do that, I exercised, I ate well, I focussed and I worked at it. Once I got to my green zone, I was actually already almost to goal weight. Losing weight was never a problem for me, it was keeping it off, so I went in with the mindset to lose, band or no band, but with the band helping me maintain once I got there. It helped me to focus when it took quite a lot longer than normal to get to the green zone (8.5cc in a 10cc band) So it's possible. What you put in is what you get out, I believe. I lost 70lbs in just over 7 months. And I continued to lose even after hitting goal because I'd adopted this whole new lifestyle plus I was now in the green zone. I believe in being realistic but I also believe in setting goals. I've lived my whole life that way so I treated weight loss the same way.

I just read your post again and I wonder if you might be in the red zone, PhatKat. Are you having trouble eating? And you say that Water makes you belch? I know your doctor is no help but if it's possible you're too tight and you can figure out that that's what's wrong, asking him to give you a small unfill might actually help. I often talk about a banded friend of mine who only lost 20lbs all up in 3 years of being banded. I complained that she ate very little solids and instead pigged out on chocolates and ice cream. 3 weeks ago I spoke to her at a party and it dawned on me that she was too tight. She went in the next day to get 0.5cc out and immediately lost all pain, discomfort, and has since lost 3lbs. But in being too tight, she also might have potentially dilated her pouch, so I wish she'd talked to me about it all sooner.

I'm glad you found something that works for you! I think that's the main thing people need to look for. WLS is not a one-size-fits-all. You look at all the pros and cons and make the best decision for you. For me, the band works. Easily. In fact it works so well I got another when my old one was leaking (not port, but band). I fixed a band complication by getting another band, that's what I actually love about my gastric banding and why I chose it again. With my luck, I would have gotten a complication with the sleeve and would have had no recourse! I accept that it's a rare occurrence but so is a leak, and I managed to get that anyway. So while I accept that the band doesn't work for everyone, and the sleeve might be a better option for them, the band worked really well for me and a lot of people here on these forums. Isn't it great that we all have choices with this weight loss surgery caper?

Lol Ad, you're fiery today. *smooches*

I drink a LOT of coffee. My doctor said don't drink your calories, nothing specific about coffee, but I can't live without the stuff. I have 3 cups a day on average at work, flat whites, no sugar. If I didn't, they'd get cranky lellow, and no one wants cranky lellow. So I figure I'm doing the world a community service really by making sure I get my caffeine.

So to summarise for those who are skipping through the bickering posts like I am: Vomitting all the time = bad Night-time reflux/coughing = usually bad Too tight = bad Intolerance to some foods = common and does not always indicate that you are too tight Intolerance to anything that resembles solid food = bad, indicates you are too tight Ignoring "too tight" signs may lead to a slip/erosion/pneumonia etc. Not to be trifled with, should be taken care of asap. Those are the cliff notes for anyone who is actually here looking for an answer to the original question.