ElfiePoo

Shoot me now. I feel like a truck ran over me and I have one of those 'heavy' headaches and proof that wheat is no good for me. I made some cheese bread yesterday and, forgetting (how the heck could I just 'forget'!?) I was avoiding wheat, had a piece with my dinner as my 'starch'. Ugh. Along with the headache, my whole body just feels lethargic and 'puffy'. Who would believe such a small amount of wheat could have such an effect. Shad, good luck with your port revision! Melody

Yep, yep and yep...and on that note, I think I'm done posting in this thread. Have a good one y'all! Melody

And yet that articles does not address *why* these people failed with the band. Did they fail because the band never did control their hunger? Did they fail because they expected the band to physically restrict how much they ate and when it didn't, they gave up...even if the band did control their hunger? Did they fail because they wanted to continue to eat they way they did pre-band and somehow, magically, thought the band would make them lose weight in spite of that? The problem with statistics is that they can be skewed to say whatever the person wants them to say. Statistics say that bypass and vertical sleeve are far more successful than band...but what they don't tell you is how they determine that success. It's not whether the patients take the weight off and keep it off. It's whether they lose 50% of their excess body weight and there is no follow-up past 5 years. So by the rationale of the person who wrote this article, they should stop doing sleeve and bypass as well since these people are making *permanent* changes to their body when there's no indication that they do any better at taking off *all* their weight and keeping it off than do band people. . .

Ditto what Bobbie said. In the rare instance when I get stuck and have to urp up the offending item, I get a glass of hot Water and sip on it. It helps relax the band area...or at least that's how it appears to me. .

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90% of people make up the statistics they quote. Oh...wait... Seriously, I'd love to know where he got this 'fact'. .

Most people used to believe the earth was flat too. Consensus doesn't indicate correctness. My surgeon, by the way would agree with the article. I have to say, my experience does too. YMMV. .

100 pounds in about 3 months?? That sounds more typical of bypass...or even the sleeve. In answer to your question....*YOU* decide. Don't leave that up to your doctor. Some doctors will try to tell you that you need to weigh what the insurance charts say and, even though they've revised them, their weights are still unrealistic and don't take into account muscle mass or other things that are unique to each individual. I plan on going on maintenance when I get to the point where I'm happy...which may still be higher than a doctor would like. We'll see. I'm just hoping that I won't do the reverse and keep trying to lose beyond where I look healthy. Not a big fear of mine at this point. .

Acadia, Great analogy. I look down at my plate with its little 3 oz of Protein, 1/2 cup of vegies and 1/4 cup of rice or potatoes (maybe) and think, "geez...it's a fraction of what I used to eat. Why am I not losing faster!?" It didn't make a lot of sense to me until I plugged my stats into a calculator that said the caloric difference between what I need to maintain my current weight vs my ideal weight is only 500 calories per day. So if I eat 1600 calories per day, I can expect to lose 1 lb per week. If I cut my calories down to 1100, I'll get 2 lb per week. Now, I could also throw the exercise equation in there to 'maybe' get another pound per week but to be honest, 30 minutes of Tae Bo *maybe* twice a day is about my max. I detest exercise but at least this is fun. Plus...this all has to be done *consistently*. Not exercise 'here and there' or up the calories 'here and there' and it all adds up to stalls and slow weight loss cuz we're still filling up that tank a bit more than we need. .

Deb, I never rely on a 'full' feeling because I never feel full. Over a year post op and at my sweet spot so I can eat my 3 oz of Protein, 1/2 cup of vegies and 1/4 cup of starch and not feel hungry for at least 4 hours. If I ate until I was full, well let's just say I'd put down half a pizza. People tend to lose faster on a low carb diet (under 60gm a day) and faster yet when it's kept under 30gm a day. Calories are a bit trickier. Some lose well at 800. Others need to be at 1200. It may seem logical that we'd all lose faster at 800...but that's just not the case. You'll just have to find where you do best. The thing I've found to be more important than anything is consistency. A few days at 800...a few at 1200...one or two at 1800...and the weight loss stalls because it all averages out. If it makes you feel any better, I eat 1200 calories per day, 30gm of carbs and I only lose about 4 lb per month. It's frustrating, but it is what it is. .

You're very welcome, Kelly. I too fought hard against the idea of 'dieting'. I kept saying I got the band so I'd never have to diet again. Then one day it occurred to me that statement would be true *IF* I was already at my normal weight but my goal right now is not to maintain...it's to *lose*. In order to do that, yes I need to *diet*...meaning I need to cut my calories so I'm at a deficit and in order to cut those calories, I have to avoid those things that put the weight on in the first place. I look forward to the day when I no longer have to *diet* but, in the meantime, am teaching myself how to eat like a normal person...and the normal weight people I know live by the 'all things in moderation'. My mother-in-law is only 4'7 and weighs 94 pounds. She still eats cake, pie, chips, etc...but not on a daily basis and all the rest of her eating is 'in moderation' as well. She's so tiny that she only eats 1/2 of a sandwich for lunch. More than that and she'll gain weight. .

I think it's safe to assume that if we deal with constant, abnormal hunger despite having just eaten, that there is something different about our internal anatomy which doesn't allow the food to put enough pressure on the vagus nerves. No, it's not because we've stretched our stomach. We need the band to help do what normal people take for granted. So it's safe to assume that even with the band, there are some people who still might not get the pressure on the vagus nerves and, even when they're so overfilled they can't eat anything, they're still hungry. According to my surgeon, the band does not work for everyone...but there's no way of identifying who those people are before they're banded. .

Well they've canceled all the schools today, except for the community college, because *supposedly* the roads are icy due to rain that changed to sleet. My son went out (has school and starts his new job at the college today) and said it's still a warm rain. Unfortunately, I think that means by the time he comes home, the roads will be a sheet of ice from the dropping temps. On the bright side...I don't have to leave the house today. Nothing new to report here. Breakfast is done and I'm off to do some Tae Bo. Have a good one y'all! .

Stacey, I have no experience with birth control pills, but I've seen some other threads where people talked about weight gain as a result. Three pounds though...that sounds like maybe Water weight (wishful thinking, am I? ). Nah...we'll call it good thoughts. Are you logging your food into something like fitday.com? Is it possible that you have some hidden calories there? Just thinking out loud. .

Thpppt.

The reality is that it doesn't matter how courteous we are, there will always be somebody sitting in the wings who will choose to perceive the response as rude and nasty...even when it wasn't and even when they've been told their perception was in error. Fortunately, I've only been on the receiving end of that by 3 people over the last year, but after going back and looking at these posts again, I notice that they all have the same 'voice' and the previous personas sort of disappear before the new one comes into play...so I figure it's the same person and they're just stalking me. I guess I should feel honored to warrant that amount of attention.

No regrets at all. You know, to be honest, if I never lose another pound, I still wouldn't regret this band because it has taken away the constant hunger I used to deal with. .

Wow! 6cc at surgery? I think you're the first person I've ever heard of whose doc put that much in at surgery! At any rate, hang in there. When I had my fills I never felt anything for about 2 weeks. Then *wham*, one morning I'd wake up tight and have to be super careful in my chewing. It would ease up again in a few days but still noticeably tighter. As someone else said, at this point, even the tiniest fill (even .1cc) might take you from hunger to the sweet spot. Don't give up yet .

No complications. Didn't even feel the pain med prescription since I didn't need any in the post-surgery recovery hours. .

23 pounds in a month is phenomenal. Don't expect that every month. After a drop like that, it's possible you may not lose for another month. Maybe not, but it's possible. Our bodies have a way of evening everything out. .

To be honest, I don't think I've ever gone to food for 'comfort'. The worst times for me are riding in a car, reading or watching tv. It's almost like my hands aren't occupied enough and need something to do. So now I try to keep my hands busy. On road trips I take my needlepoint (my husband prefers to drive). At night I work on my photo albums or quilting. I've found that has helped the most with the 'habitual' eating. .

Ok...so one egg and one slice of bacon is not going to cut it. Fortunately I ate Breakfast an hour later than usual so I don't have to go as long to lunch. Maybe I'll do the same thing at least the rest of this week...just eat half the breakfast I used to and eat an hour later. Right now I have a homemade crab cake in the oven and I'm steaming some edamame...yummy. C'mon lunch!

I didn't plan on telling people, nor did I plan on hiding it. However, my husband told his mother who proceeded to tell everyone else in the family, both here and in France. Talk to people who don't struggle with their weight or who successfully take excess weight off and keep it off and you will (most likely) find they've never struggled with constant, unrelenting 'hunger'. When they eat, they're satisfied until their next meal. Their extra pounds can be attributed to not being active or splurging a bit too much on their favorite food...not out of hunger but just because it tastes good. I could eat enough for 3 people and 10 minutes after a meal, I'd be physically hungry again. Now, I eat my 3 oz of Protein, 1/2 cup of vegies and 1/4 cup of rice, Beans or potatoes and I'm not hungry for at least 4 hours. ..

Congratulations on meeting your goal! That should be pretty motivating to get you to your next goal! .

Shannon, With this kind of attitude, I believe you'll be successful in the long run because you're being honest about why your weight loss has been slow *and* you aren't giving up. This is a journey, not a race. We're changing a lifetime of habits and, while some people seem to be able to do it seemingly effortlessly...most of us take one step back for every two forward *but* we're moving forward! Good luck to you! Melody .