ElfiePoo

Another thing you might try is just to eliminate wheat products. I'm not allergic to wheat...don't even have a sensitivity to it but a friend who was diagnosed with chronic fatigue told me that her doctor (a naturopath) had her eliminate sugar (even artificial sweeteners), wheat products and gluten (horrifying to find that it's even put in spices!) from her diet. After a week, she started feeling better. So, since I also am constantly tired, brain foggy, lots of unexplained muscle aches and pains, I eliminated all these things from my diet. No joke...in a week I felt like a million bucks and every week since it has only gotten better. Best of all, the carb cravings are *gone* without having to eliminate them entirely from my diet (still eat brown rice, Beans, etc.). .

I was successful on diets in the past too...losing all the weight only to regain it. At some point the 'hunger' just got to be too much. My surgeon felt I was a good candidate for the band because my reason for overeating was 'hunger' and I had a past history of successfully staying on a diet and losing weight. After being banded for over a year, I understand. The band works by putting pressure on the vagus nerves which tell the stomach to quit producing ghrelin, the hunger hormone. So when my band is at the right tightness, I can eat my 1200 calorie, low carb (30-60gm) *diet* and be satisfied for about 4 hours after each meal. I don't have that constant ravenous hunger that, in the past, drove me to eat. Oh sure, I still pass by a McDonald's or a restaurant, inhale and think "yum that smells good", but because I don't have hunger driving me, I'm better able to pass by...but it still comes down to my self-control. We can have all the knowledge in the world about good nutrition, exercise, yada yada...but when you're dealing with atypical hunger due to a defective system that produces ghrelin even when you've just finished a meal...all that knowledge doesn't mean squat when it comes up against a driving hunger that never stops. To the OP...many of us are successful dieters. Our problem is that we never keep it off long term. Now, depending on *why* that is, the band may or may not help. If it's due to hunger, it most likely will help although there are a few who say it didn't stop their hunger. They seem to be a very rare minority. If it's because you like to eat sweets...or just like to eat...the band won't stop you from doing that. *You* will still have to *choose* to eat the right foods and *choose* to put your fork down. If it's because you're an emotional eater, the band won't stop you from doing that. .

40 pounds in a month is unreasonable and I don't care what kind of diet you're on. I was on a 500 calorie Optifast diet and I lost *nothing* in a month. On a 1200 calorie diet I only lose 1 lb a week. When I complained to the doctor, he said I just have a very efficient metabolism...most likely as a result of years of dieting. It's probably too late for you to do something about it, but for others, I'd recommend interviewing potential surgeons to find out their preop and postop requirements. I did and, as a result, was able to avoid those who required what, in my personal opinion, were unreasonable requirements. Love my surgeon. No special preop diet. Postop I was back on solids at 2 weeks. First fill was at 1 month and they let me use my own judgment on when I needed followup fills and *listened* to me when making the determination of how much fill each time. .

Every doctor is different. Mine didn't require a special preop diet and I'm back on regular foods by 2 weeks postop. If you can stick to that type of diet, more power to you as it will certainly give you a head start on the weight loss. .

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/topic/40540-ticker-tutorial-with-pictures/ .

It's a good morning because it's the start of my usual 3 day weekend. The joys of being self-employed. So why am I up at 7 a.m. when I spent a restless night? Of course my husband would be quick to interject that every night is a restless night for me. Today's plan is to just relax and veg. I have a few personal things I want to clear up but I'm going to take the day as it comes. How's that for motivation? Have a good one! .

Jess, You're a month post op. Many of us had our first fill at 1 month post op. What 'exactly' did he tell you he's waiting for? In any event, I'd call him up and have a little 'chat' with him and tell him that you don't want to wait until March (assuming you're dealing with hunger) and that you would like to set up a fill for 2 weeks. I don't understand why some of these doctors are stingy with their fills when it is the fill that gets us to the sweet spot. You might have to be a little more assertive with your doctor...but then that's just me. .

I stopped using Internet Exploder and switched to Mozilla and never had to worry about those tempting ads again. .

I have to agree. I've done lots of research and came to the same conclusion. There are worse things than being fat. I belong to another forum that is mainly bypass patients and they have the same problems band patients do. Some do well...many do not. Even the experts in the WLS recognize that the vast majority of bypass patients never lose more than 50% or so of their weight (what they normally lose as a result of malabsorption) but they deem this a success anyway. Many gain their weight back and then some. Some hit their goal weight and continue to lose...and not because they want to. I now know 5 people who've died in this manner over the last 3 years. Ask a surgeon why he recommends bypass for someone who failed the band and he'll tell you it's because bypass is more 'successful'...but their success rate is not based on people who reach their ideal weight...or even on people who lose a specific percentage of weight and keep it off. It's based on people losing at least 50% of their weight...which bypass patients typically do in the first year or so, but there is no follow-up to see if they keep it off. The reality is that the VS and band both have a honeymoon phase. After that phase, if the person does not 'work' that WLS, they will gain the weight right back...only now they've made major revisions to their insides which sets up its own set of complications (more so in bypass). .

It depends on the person. I know that I have a slow metabolism and lose weight more slowly. So I can decrease my daily intake by 1000 calories and lose only 1 lb (instead of the 2 the 'experts' say I should lose by that decrease) per week. At 1200 calories I lose 1 lb per week. At less than 1000 calories, I lose maybe 1 pound per month. Some people do well at less than 1000...some lose more than 2 lb per week even when the caloric difference is only 1000 calories. It's why we shouldn't compare our weight loss with others. .

I've never figured out how anyone could 'not' be hungry on 1/2 cup a day, but are you sure your doctor was talking about 1/2 cup? There's a difference in 4 oz and 1/2 cup. 4 oz of Water = 1/2 cup...but not anything else. Perhaps he meant 4 oz as in 4 oz of Protein...or perhaps 2-3 oz of protein plus vegies? Last summer I was overfilled and physically limited to about 1/2 cup of 'real food' (protein and vegies) due to getting stuck all the time. I was also starving all the time and eventually resorted to sliders just to get some food into me. I wonder about the long term viability of reducing food so drastically and being so miserable. .

So sorry you had your band taken out but thank heaven your spleen will heal! .

I keep seeing posts by people who claim that the failure rate of the band is 50% or some such with the view that it is the band that has failed. I wonder, though, how many of those weren't band failure...but failure by the individual to 'work' the band. What percentage quit working the band when they discovered that after the first 20-30 pounds, it wasn't going to be enough to just eat less...they were actually going to have to diet and "if I still have to diet, why bother getting the band?" What percentage quit working the band when they discovered that the band wasn't physically restricting how much they could eat and that they would have to use some self-control? What percentage quit working the band when they discovered it wasn't going to stop them from eating all the bad foods or grazing all day? What percentage never started working the band and just expected that somehow, by having the band, the weight would just drop off? I have no doubt that the band has failed some...that it never did control the hunger...but I'll bet that percentage is much smaller than 50%. .

duplicate.

That's like worrying about getting into a car because you're afraid you'll get into an accident. Stop worrying about something that most likely will not happen. According to my surgeon, band slippage is *rare* and occurs after a lot of abuse. Most surgeons pull a fold of the stomach down over the band to prevent slippage. .

It depends on the person. If you think that would help, then do it. If you find it too difficult to go cold turkey, do it in steps. Cut out the sugar...then cut out the wheat products. Whatever works for you. .

I'm scheduled for a fill next Tuesday. I'm about ready to slap Hilda silly. For the last couple of weeks, every time I think I should go in for a tweak fill, Hilda tightens up on me. Then Tuesday (the only day they do fills) passes and Hilda loosens up and the hunger returns. Well I'm going to fix her sorry ass and get my fill anyway because I'm about ready to chew my arm off. I normally only eat 1/2 cup of vegies with dinner and last night I ate 1 1/2 cups! I guess that's better than a huge scoop of mashed potatoes. On the home front, my son is leaving Afghanistan on Saturday. He was supposed to be there until October but he has something wrong with his knee and they're sending him to Walter Reed for testing. On the one hand, I'm glad he'll be out of Afghanistan, but on the other, this has the potential to ruin his military career. Am I a bad mother because there's a part of me that would be happy about that because it means he'd never have to go back to Afghanistan...even though the career is what makes my son happy? Time to get some things done around here. Hope you all are doing well. I know Christie is cuz she's on a cruise!! I'd be jealous about that except I couldn't haul enough dramamine on in my suitcases. Have a good one! .

A big *ditto* to what Cleo'sMom said! I agree that getting a copy of your records will get their attention as well. .

I know I need a fill now because the hunger is back, but for months prior to this, I'd eat my 3 oz of Protein, 1/2 cup vegies and (maybe) 1/4 cup rice or potatoes and not be hungry for 4 hours. That's the sweet spot. I never had physical restriction and could, if I chose, still overeat the way I did before. *Many* people don't get physical restriction without being overfilled (symptoms being frequent stuck and sliming episodes)...I speak from experience...and many of us still have the desire to eat even though we aren't hungry. The difference is that without that hunger driving us, we are better able to not give in to the 'desire'. .

Definitely sounds like you're overfilled, but why do you want so much removed at once and risk going back to the 'hungry' stage...assuming you were hungry at 4cc (the reason one would get an additional fill)? My .02...only drop down to 6cc, be kind to your band in the meantime and in whatever way you must to avoid sliming, stuck and pbing episodes so any swelling will go down. That may mean liquids or mushies for the next week. Then swee what happens from there? .

My surgeon said 3 oz of Protein, 1/2 cup vegies and 1/4 cup starch if I'm still hungry. It varies. I think I'm in need of a fill because I seem to be hungry all the time again...but for awhile there I was able to go 4 hours. Looking back, however, I think I was more successful when I was eating 3 meals with a snack of protein in between...so eating something about every 2.5-3 hours. Maybe because it kept my blood sugar more stable. .

Everybody is different on what their band will tolerate. I can eat anything I want. However, like you I'm a carbaholic and the more carbs we put in our system, the more we'll crave them. Sugar and wheat products are no longer on my menu. If I want carbs, I'll eat rice, Beans or potatoes...even starchy vegies like winter squash. I find that when I get the wheat out of my system, I just no longer want the crusty french bread (my downfall). .

Mattie, There is a small percentage (nobody knows the accurate count) of people who are failed by the band. It never works at eliminating their hunger even when they're overfilled. In which case, they're in the same boat we all were prior to being banded. How successful were we at the long-term dieting when the hunger was driving us? Not very, or we wouldn't have gotten the band. .

I agree Heather...the pre-band education needs to be better...more truthful and open. The cynical part of me says it isn't because if these doctors told people the truth...that they will still have to diet, still have to *choose* to eat the right foods, still have to *choose* to put the fork down...they'd lose a lot of potential customers. The band does not take away the 'desire' to eat for many of us even when the hunger is gone. Without the hunger riding me, though, (at least for me) I can push the 'desire' away. Sadly, people are getting the VS and bypass - major changes to their body, and aren't being told the truth either. They go into this thinking it's a quick fix. .

You're doing this for you, yes? Then I wouldn't worry about how your friends and family feel. Just do your research and go into it with eyes wide open. The band is not a quick fix. It will most likely not physically restrict how much you can eat unless you're also willing to have frequent stuck and sliming episodes...which my doctor says are a sign of an overfill. The band works, not by physically restricting how much you can eat, but by putting pressure on your vagus nerves which tell the stomach to quit producing ghrelin, the hunger hormone. It may take months depending on how aggressive your doctor is with fills...and you will most likely be hungry unless you're one of the lucky ones who gets enough pressure with just the band. If you know you're having surgery in March, start making changes now. Eliminate sugar from your diet. If you can eliminate artificial sweeteners too, even better because they cause sweet cravings. After a week or so, try and eliminate wheat products as they're also the source of cravings. If your insurance or doctor requires a month long liquid diet pre-surgery and/or a month long liquid/mushie diet post surgery, elimination of these cravings will be a plus. If you want to lose successfully with the band, then you will have to diet. As you get closer to your goal weight, unless you're willing to lose only a pound here or there, you'll also have to exercise. The band doesn't replace either of these. What it will do is get rid of your 'hunger', although there is a small chance the band won't put enough pressure on those vagus nerves...but there's no way of knowing that ahead of time. .