bambam31

Use that band to only control the hunger. If you're hungry - get a fill. Use your exercise to burn the fat off. Expecting to get anywhere near goal without intense exercise is probably Wizard of Oz stuff. And I'm a firm believer that exercise isn't always sufficient exercise. Your body, over time, will learn to become more efficient and stronger - you'll have to push harder and find new ways to challenge yourself to get the same results consistently. Just walking, in time, isn't going to cut it. And remember that less food is not always better. You need fuel to keep the metabolism fire burning. Keep your meals spread out and get sufficient Protein. I eat at or above 2000 calories a day, well spread out, and all containing sufficient protein. I'm intensly exercising 5+ days a week. I know this stuff comes easier for guys, but the same principle applies to women. Water intake is also a HUGE factor. When my metabolism is cranking it's hard to drink enough water to keep the pee running clear. I can drink near or above a whole gallon of pure water a day (aside from coffee/tea) and still have a yellowish tinge. (TMI I know)....... You have to keep flushing yourself out, not to mention your burning calories as your body is processing the water. Good luck and keep up the fight! Brad

You work so hard to get the band that once the surgery is done you think "alright I've got the band so now I can sit back, watch what I eat, and let it do it's magic." Well long term - that don't happen... I remember the day of surgery it took me all day to get down one of those little Jello cups... LOL... Then, five days out - the lion showed back up. The surgery swelling was gone and I was HUNGRY. Not only that, I was physically ABLE. The band and fills can be fickle. I didn't have any restriction until my second fill - and then it only lasted a short time. It wasn't until my 3rd fill that I got some meaningful restriction - and 4th before I felt satisfied with the restriction. The bad thing is that was four months post op - and many have to wait longer than that. Just be patient, do your best to make good food choices, and stay on your doctor about making fills agressive enough to control the hunger. Then, get exercising - intense exercise - the kind that keeps your heart in the target zone for a good period of time. Use the band to control your hunger - and exercise to burn the fat. Good luck and stay focused! Brad

gentylwind... my goodness... I feel for you and the adversity you've have to endure. You're tough and that will make you a successful bandster! Now, you want to talk about people commenting about your weight... imagine being a police officer who's more than 100 pounds overweight! :laugh: Many of you right now are thinking of donut jokes... :biggrin: Donuts... yummm.... :biggrin: LOL... Anyway, I was at the point I dreaded going to work because a police uniform is not fat friendly. In fact, it can be down right painful. Imagine getting a fat roll pinched between a body armor vest and a gun belt... :scared2: Damn that hurts! Not to mention, that much weight, and lack of range of motion, makes it much more difficult to defend yourself - so it's also a huge safety issue. On top of that, I have cardiac issues in my family. I want to be in the best health I can... For me, my wife, and my kids... I'm 5'6" and started out at 266 in July 2008, my highest weight ever. I was 254 on my surgery day (August 4, 2008). As of this morning I'm 211 and am over the hump (have lost more than I have left to lose.) I hit the gym most days of the week and am very motivated to keep my metabolism torch lit. Brad

The best way I fight off the mental hunger is to remember that the scale will tell on me. I enjoy getting on the scale and seeing progress (who the hell doesn't...) but it only takes 1 good binge to screw up a weeks worth of work. Keeps me from the mental eating. Now sneaking an off limit snack here or there - that's a different story. It would be unrealistic to believe we can forever eat nothing but 100% healthy foods. Falling off the wagon happens - just learn to tuck and roll and jump right back on. Brad

Wow Beth! That description was very accurate - gross - but very accurate! :biggrin: Yep sistasassy, our bands remind us quickly when we make a significant mistake. It's all part of the learning process though. Brad

Those scales are the devil. They're renowned for causing us grief. Keep up the good work! Brad

If it was an eating issue I would think it would have hit you much sooner. Five hours later would lead me to rule that out. It's worth a call to your surgeon. Your certain to not be the first to experience this. Maybe someone else will respond who's experienced this or knows someone who has. At any rate, good luck and keep us posted. Brad

Spot on Lellow! I hate cliche's... but... the band IS a tool - not a miracle. I count on my band to control my hunger and nothing more. If I'm making good food choices - in appropriate proportions - and am still hungry - then it's time for a fill. But losing weight is not the responsibility of the band - it's the responsibility of ME. And to do that requires exercise. And for most of us, not just casual exercise - but intense exercise. The form that gets your heart rate up and keeps it there for a period of time. The band controls the hunger while the exercise burns the fat off - plain and simple. For almost all of us it's not negotiable. That's just the painful truth. There may be a few people who achieve outstanding weight loss with little or no exercise. They are an anomoly. Don't expect to be one of them. The band is truly a learning experience. We all struggle at some point or another. Lellow mentions "jachut" in her post. Like Lellow, I have learned so much from reading Jacqui's posts. She is a true inspiration. And her signature is always worth repeating, "Shut your GOB and move your A$$" It's what got me through my plateau and posting big losses again. Brad

I've seen that show, and it is quite interesting. I believe it was on the Discovery Channel or Discovery Health (or both). Brad

Have you recently had a fill? What were you doing at the onset of pain? How long after you'd eaten something was the onset of pain? Brad

Doctors' theories are so humorous. I think you could take 1 patient, 1 band, and 10 doctors and come up with 12 theories... :sad_smile: *You can't have coffee... You can have coffee... *You can have coffee but no cream/sugar... You can only have 2 cups... *You can have coffee, but only decaf... *You can have coffee, but only on the second Tuesday of the month, during a half moon, while jumping on one foot... :tongue: I'm a coffee-aholic... I still laugh that while I was in recovery the nurse asked if I wanted anything and I said, "COFFEE!" She said I could have ice chips and I scoffed. Then my surgeon walked by and she asked him when/if I could have coffee again. He made certain I wasn't nauseated and said, "go ahead and let him have it." So I was sipping coffee in the recovery room and did so many times throughout the rest of that day... Brad

Gilta, Thanks for the kind words. I ditto what Kristen said! You're doing the right thing by taking the bull by the horns so to speak. Stay focused and you'll do fine until you can get that fill. Brad

Finding the sweet spot with the band takes time and maintaining that spot even more. It sounds to me that your hunger is not under control. If this is the case - I would go for the fill as soon as possible. It's easier to make good food choices when your hunger is controlled - and hunger control is the purpose of the band. Along with the fill, try some intense cardio - seriously challenge yourself. This recipe broke through my recent plateau in a big way. In fact, I've already passed my New Year's Challenge weight. Give it a shot. Brad

Lisa, If you're cutting your foods into very small pieces and chewing thoroughly before swallowing - and still getting stuck - your band is probably too tight. That will cause you to migrate to liquid foods which tend to be higher in calories. You might want to discuss this with your surgeon. Brad

Dang! Look at you go! Keep up the good work. Brad

John, are you hungry or are you satisfied after eating a reasonable amount of food? If you are fighting through hunger I'd be screaming in that doc's ear. The whole point of the band is minimize hunger after eating a reasonable amount of food. I don't understand docs that make fill decisions based on what the scale says. It's how you feel after eating a reasonable meal that matters. Brad

A syringe and a bottle of saline? Brad

The period after surgery swelling subsides and getting good restriction from the fills is a very very tough period. It takes a lot of will power because most people still have the ability to eat about anything they want. It took me until my 4th fill to get good consistent restriction. One thing I've noticed on these boards is that some doctors make fill decisions based on the scale rather than the patients' hunger. I'm glad they are not my doctor. Mine is more aggressive with fills and I got my first one just 3 weeks post op. I would find it quite demoralizing if I was asserting myself with will power and exercise and then have the doc make me suffer through the hunger. Taking a bite out of the hunger is the whole point of the band. Mike has the main key to success IMO. Exercise. Exercise. Exercise. I'm convinced that success rests upon 1) using the band to control the hunger and 2) use exercise to burn the fat off. One without the other is pointless. Brad

I hope your baby is doing better. It sure is stressful when the little ones are ill... I think you are very close to getting the restriction you desire. I remember having brief restriction which faded quickly after the 2nd fill... The period between the surgery swelling subsiding and obtaining desired restriction is really tough for us. I think you're almost through it. Good luck and keep us posted. Brad

Great advice Gary! Happy Thanksgiving! Brad

I totally agree with Jessenia. These boards are to share experiences - not to compare ourselves to one another or see who's winning a race. Rule #1... There is no race.... Rule #2... There is no true comparison - even though we all share many things in common - no 2 of us is completely the same or in the same situation. You'll know good restriction when you get it - there's no mistaking it. Just eat slowly so you have a chance to recognize it before you overstuff yourself and puke. My surgeon is aggressive with fills. I got my first fill three weeks post op. His philosophy is to control the hunger. Many other surgeon's don't think this way and treat the patient by looking at their scale performance. Fortunatley, they're not my doctor. On my third fill I began getting some restriction but it was inconsistent. One day it was great and the next day it stunk - while eating the exact same food. I was leaning against a 4th fill because I didn't want it to be too tight on those days that the restriction was already good. Surgeon insisted I needed a fill anyway. I followed his advice and now I am consistently well restricted. It feels great! Before the 4th fill my weight loss had slowed drastically. I started exercising at home - doing what I thought to be moderate to heavy exercise for an hour or more - most days of the week. I still was not getting very good results. Then, in combination with the 4th fill, I became a gym rat. That's when I learned that my idea of intense exercise was not their idea of intense exercise. Now the metabolism is BURNING and the weight is melting off faster than it ever has. I'm doing a fair amount of strength training to maintain muscle and not end up looking like a flab monster. Keep fighting the good fight. Do the best you can until you get good restriction - and pour on the exercise - and make sure it's intense. You shouldn't exercise to the point of pain, but it should be quite uncomfortable. If you stop at the point it first becomes uncomfortable you're defeating your purpose. Each time you push yourself beyond uncomfortable, you increase your fitness level. Then the next time you exercise you will advance further before it becomes uncomfortable again. And trust me, that process builds confidence and motivation. For me, exercise promotes your mental well being just as much as your physical well being. Fight... fight... fight... sweat... sweat... sweat.... You will be successful. Period. Brad

Diane that has been the same case for me two. My weight loss slowed and I kept losing and gaining the same few pounds and then I went to the gym and learned what intense exercise really means. Now the weight is melting off faster than I could have imagined. "Jachut"s signature says it all: "Shut your GOB and move your A$$" Brad

First off it's good that you recognize the need to continue and are not going to give up. You only fail when you quit. You must admit at 27.5 pounds in 3 months, you've had meaningful weight loss! I just had my fourth fill last week and I noticed a huge difference. In fact, I never had any meaningful restriction until the third fill. Hopefully this approaching fill will make it easier for you. Explain what you are experiencing to your doctor. And now for the bold fact - Just because you can eat and eat and eat doesn't mean you should allow yourself to do so. :laugh: The band is just a tool it's not magic. Only put what you should be eating on your plate and eat slowly. When it's gone - your'e done. The band still takes will power. Are you exercising? That really helps me a lot. Not only does it burn calories, but it is a natural appetite suppressant. I've also found it builds a lot of confidence. When you've completed your workout you accomplished something. And to see your fitness level increase each time you exercise is very motivating. Exercise will also cause you to back away from bad food choices because you won't want to jeapordize your hard work. Good luck and stay with it! You have already been successful - you've just got to navigate the bumps in the road. :laugh: Brad

My doc said they may or may not have to do a catheter. I remember them waking me up still in the op room and asking me how I felt. I told them I had to piss and they said, "go ahead - you have a catheter in." That ticked me off because I'd hoped to have been able to avoid that. When I drifted back out they removed the catheter prior to going to the recovery room. But I have to say that the pain from the catheter was the worst part of the whole event for me. Every time I had to piss it felt like I was ON FIRE! :laugh: I finally learned that if you wait to piss until you REALLY REALLY have to go, it's not as bad once the flow gets going. If I went to the restroom everytime I got the urge I would start to go, then stop due to the pain, then start and stop etc. The pain was much less the second day and gone by the third. My doc also required an overnight stay and I was up and walking around with hours of the end of the surgery. I felt good enough to go home. Good luck! Brad

Damn Jacqui! You're making me hungry. Now I'm going to have to swim over to your continent for lunch... Brad