GuyMontag

Mine never do. Just a little pinch when the needle goes in.

Picking one that fits with your personal preferences I think is best. One that frequently works well for bandsters is atkins because we already tend to cut out bread, rice, and pasta. South Beach and Mediterranean diets are also good low carb ones to try. If you're not into low carb then there's calorie counting like weight watchers or some people just like journaling and going low-fat. The lapband generally makes dieting easier so feel free to try some out and see what you like. I think the important thing is to stick with one and not try to combine them. If you're doing a low-carb diet like atkins and then decide to try doing low-fat by having a subway sub then you're in trouble because you just downed about 10 times the allowable carbs in a day. Lol.

I think we all get confused by all the food advice out there. Eat low carb, no wait, low-calorie, no wait, do low-fat! Fruit is bad for you because of sugar but it's good for you because of vitamins. Oatmeal has carbs but it also has fiber! WHAT TO DO?!? Basically find one plant and stick with it. If you want to try counting calories then get a book on counting calories and follow it. If you want to do low carb then look into atkins/south beach/mediterranean diets. It's easy to lose focus when we hear what we think is conflicting advice when in reality it's different advice meant for different plans. Low carb worked for me but I'm not going to say it's the best route for everyone. Maybe calorie counting will work for you or maybe journaling will. Low carb works for me because I love meats, cheeses, and eggs and I like eating them without feeling like I'm denying myself. So just find a plan that looks enticing to you and stick with it. Sure, you might have to modify it some to be band friendly but that's where you tailor it specifically to your new lifestyle. Good luck!

Keep up the good work! Fills are definitely the key to restriction. I was getting them every week until I hit the green zone.

I think I wore sweats or shorts with a tshirt. Nothing special. Comfort is a must and I think they recommend a drawstring so you can keep your clothes loose.

Fortunately I don't gurgle but maybe you could try shuffling a bunch of papers or running the paper shredder a lot! Just kidding. That's a tough one. I used to gurgle a lot early on but I don't any more. Could it be related to your restriction level? Maybe get a wee bit out and see if that helps.

I know that I eat as a coping mechanism. I think many WLS patients do that and it's why so many turn to alcohol after they get surgery in order to find another way to cope. I've said this many times in these forums that I think WLS patients should get therapy afterwards to help deal with the changes in our coping mechanisms. When I went to therapy he broke it down very simply for me, I eat to cope. I need to cope because of stress. I have a choice, reduce the stress in my life or find a different way to cope. By thinking of it like that it's easier to address the stress and why we are eating to deal with it. I wish you the best of luck and I hope you find a healthy way to cope or a way to help reduce the stress in your life.

http://healthland.ti...etic/?hpt=hp_t3 New Genes IDd in Obesity: How Much of Weight is Genetic? By Alexandra Sifferlin @acsifferlin July 19, 2013 Two studies zero in on DNA-based drivers of weight. Is obesity written in our genes? In two separate papers, published in the journal Science and in the Journal of Clinical Investigation (JCI), researchers describe new genetic factors that could explain weight gain in some people. In the Science study, researchers at Boston Children’s Hospital studying mice found a rare genetic mutation that prevented the animals from burning off fat calories. They also found the same gene was mutated in a group of obese people. And a team based at University College London reported in JCI that a specific form of a gene previously linked to obesity, FTO, can increase craving for high-fat foods. The discoveries add to the growing body of knowledge about the biology behind weight, and the results confirm that while it’s represented by a single number, weight is the complex combination of a multitude of different metabolic processes, from brain systems that regulate appetite to enzymes that control how efficiently calories are turned from food into energy that the body needs. Making matters even more confusing, these factors are also likely influenced by environmental contributors such as diet and lifestyle. In the mouse study, the research team determined that mutations in the Mrap2 gene led the animals to eat less initially but still gain about twice as much weight as they normally would. While their appetites returned, these mice continued to gain weight despite being fed the same number of calories as a group of control animals. That led the scientists to figure out that the mice with the mutated gene were simply sequestering fat rather than breaking it down for energy. The mice, like people, possessed two copies of the gene, and mice with even one defective copy experienced significant weight gain, although not as much as those who had two mutated versions of Mrap2. The scientists found a similar pattern among a group of 500 obese people; they detected four mutations in the human version of Mrap2, and each of the obese individuals possessed only one bad version of the gene. In the British study, the researchers divided a group of 359 healthy men of normal weight by their FTO gene status. The majority of the men had low-risk versions of the gene, while 45 of the participants had mutations that have been linked to greater appetite and caloric consumption. To figure out how the altered genes were affecting appetite, the team measured levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin both before and after meals that the participants ate; the men with the mutated form of FTO did not show the same drop in ghrelin levels, signifying that they were full, as the men with the low-risk form of FTO. Genome wide association studies, which compare genetic makeups of obese individuals to those of normal weight, are making it easier to flesh out important genetic factors contributing to weight, and researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health say that to date, these studies have identified over 30 candidate genes on 12 chromosomes associated with body mass index. “Thus far mutations in about eight genes are known to cause obesity in humans. But these mutations account for under five percent of the obesity in our society, and certainly are not, by themselves, responsible for the current obesity epidemic, since the mutation rate in these genes could not have changed dramatically during the past twenty years,” says Dr. Joseph Majzoub, the chief of the division of endocrinology at Boston Children’s Hospital and an author on the Science paper. “However, mutations in these genes have led to the discovery of pathways that are important in energy balance in humans, giving us hope that drugs can be developed that affect these pathways to prevent excessive weight gain, either by curbing appetite or increased burning of calories.” Here is a round-up of some recent genes, and their products, that have been linked to obesity : Leptin: Often referred to as the “obesity hormone,” leptin is made by fat cells and acts as a thermostat for the body’s energy needs. Each individual has his own leptin threshold; if leptin levels fall below that amount, the brain understands that the body is starving, and needs more calories. If leptin levels are maintained or surge above that amount, the brain knows that it doesn’t need to take in more food. Unfortunately, while mouse studies showed that overweight mice had lower levels of leptin, the same wasn’t true of obese people, who generally show higher levels of leptin in their blood. Somehow, researchers how believe, these people are not getting the signal to stop eating, which is referred to as leptin-resistance. Ghrelin: This gene makes an appetite hormone that can make foods look more desirable–especially high-calorie ones — by influencing the brain’s reward system. Some studies have found that people who are sleep-deprived have increased ghrelin levels, which may explain why lack of sleep can contribute to weight gain. Neuropeptide Y: One of the brain’s many chemicals, neuropeptide Y may trigger eating by manipulating appetite, possibly resulting from changes in mood and stress levels. It may also contribute to an increased deposition of fat from food calories.

I don't always use 'water' to get my water in. Sometimes I use decaf coffee or diet decaf tea. I know water is the best but I definitely like to switch it up some.

Holy cow...which is what you could have fit in those old pants! Great job man and keep up the good work!

Whenever I was wondering if I needed a fill or not I'd go for a big mac and fries...if I could eat them no problem I'd get a fill

Don't get discouraged. On the bright side, you haven't GAINED any weight which you probably would have without your band. Now, you probably just need to switch things up. What are you eating? Are you sticking to a specific diet or just trying to 'not eat bad stuff'? It's easy to get conflicting dieting advice. Some people will say do low carb while others will say low fat and then other people will say just eat the same food but less. It can be problematic if you're trying to follow all the advice at once. First of all, you need to have good restriction...NOT TOO MUCH restriction but GOOD restriction. I judge this as being restricted enough that I cannot eat a cheeseburger with the bun. Once you are at that restriction find a diet that works for you. Personally I do well with atkins, south beach, or mediterranean because it's easier to cut out bread rice and pasta with the band. Also, follow the band rules like not eating with your meals. If you are just surviving on cereal and ice cream you are not going to lose weight. Knowing what you are currently eating would definitely help. Anyway, those are just a few tips and I definitely encourage you to keep on trucking! Who knows, getting another surgery may be the way to go but you've already got the lap band so you might as well try to get the most out of it while you can! Good luck!

Okay, so I've pretty much got it narrowed down to either Austin or San Antonio for the relocation. I opted against Oregon for the many months of rain and clouds and against Florida for the lack of jobs leaving Texas for the win! So, any thoughts between Austin and San Antonio? The big plus is it seems that SA is much more affordable than Austin in many ways. Other than that both have their pros and cons. I'd appreciate any feedback you'd have!

Not being able to get down fluids makes the situation worse and tightens you further. If you can't get down water or any liquid to hydrate you then the band can begin to act like a boa constrictor on your stomach. Dehydration is one of the bandster's worst enemies!

It gets better but you just need to keep getting fills. I had to get over 14cc in my 14cc band before I got really good restriction. Good luck!

Almost from day one I've had heartburn with my band. The only thing I can do is take one Prilosec daily and this completely makes the heartburn go away. I've had the heartburn with an empty band and a full band and can even get heartburn from water if I don't take the Prilosec. My band and pouch are fine. Some of us just get heartburn with the band. At least it's an easy fix!

I have a 14cc band with over 14cc of fluid. I started out with 3cc of priming fluid from surgery. My first fill was 3cc, second fill was 2cc, and third fill was 1cc. I got several fills of around 1cc and then started dropping down to around .5cc or even .2cc as I got closer to my green zone.

I have a friend that has dilated her pouch MANY times by drinking with her meals. She didn't think it was a big deal and has yo-yo'd for over 4 years now. Our doctor points to her drinking with meals as her single largest road block.

Just enough restriction so I can't eat a big mac with the bun easily. If I get much tighter than that then 'tight' days are a nightmare.

From a fill? That makes sense after surgery but I don't know how a fill would cause gas. Maybe it's something you ate? If I have trouble after a fill it's with getting stuck. No gas or cramping that I can remember.

Right after surgery I sipped on chocolate Boost with Protein because they are nice and thin and taste good.

I've got over 14cc in my 14cc band. When I was just at 14cc I actually thought I had a leak because I could still eat so much. They took out the fluid, checked to make sure the full amount was there, and put it right back. Some of us just have lean stomachs (on the inside at least...Lol) and just need more fluid in the band. Keep getting those fills! I had to get 18 fills to get really good restriction.

I do that a LOT!

I too skip breakfast. I just drink decaf coffee until lunch.

A horse.