NowNotSoBigGuy

Hope your recovery is going well. Do you know if your band was stitched in place when in was installed? One of the key point my surgeon made was that without securing the band with stitching, it could slip.

Just checking in guys; I sure like our own thread. Had my sixth fill yesterday, another 0.5cc to take me up to 9.3 total. Hadn't had a fill in 2.5 months, although at 8.8 since 1/30, I was wary of more. Problem is, even though I had begun exercising in earnest the first of the year, I hadn't lost any significant amount of weight. Granted, my body composition had to have changed dramatically and my wasit size continued to decrease, but the real problem was that I was still overeating (surprise, surprise!). In fact , the fluoroscopy showed I had stretched my pouch, not a great deal but enough to be noticieable. So, a word of caution for those traveling behind me on this banded journey: don't count on the band to force you to stop eating. You have to take responsibility to eat sensibly. Too much food is still too much food, even if you manage to chew it thoroughly and eat it slowly enough not to PB. Your stoma (pouch) can stretch if you cram food into it, just as our stomachs did when we overate in the pre-band days). I'm not discouraged, just enlightened. I knew I was eating more than I needed to; I was just hoping the band would protect me from me. Turns out, while the band does its best, the responsibility of determining what I should eat and when I should stop is MINE and MINE ALONE. So, I have 5 months until my one year Bandiversary. I am determined to lose 10 pounds each month and weight 225 on 9/13/2007, for a total loss of 125 pounds from 350. If I have to workout 5 times a weeks, that's what I'll do. This is my last chance to achieve anything approaching normal size. Keep up the good work, my brothers. We are truly blessed to have been banded.

At least until you reach the parking lot of the hospital ....

Rocko: The ol' pencil definitely got a lead injection after I was banded. The reports from the Oprah show, while possibly a bit exaggerated, are generally correct. Things just work better when not surrounded by fat. Use the search feature on LBT to find other threads on the subject; I recall some informative and humorous ones a while back, with both male and female perspectives. To summarize, "longer" and "stronger" were the terms most commonly mentioned to describe the improvement. Good luck to you, brother. And Rowdy, welcome to Bandland brother. Get some rest and let your body recover from being banded. You just made one of the smartest moves of your life and you'll be reaping the rewards very shortly. Onward, brothers.

Jonathan: I skipped all the extraneous offers from Lifetime, except the free smoothie coupon! I did have my Resting Metabolic Rate analyzed at another fitness location to determine what my optimal calorie intake should be. Personal trainers can be great tools for some people, but I'm too damn stubborn to deal with some fitness buff 1/3 or 1/2 my age guiding me through the facility at $60/hour. I do recommend you consider a heart rate monitor if you're planning on exercising. Lifetime offers several, but you can do much better on eBay or Amazon. I bought a Polar F11, then sold it and upgraded to an F55. Ted: by all means, guy, have some solid food. Enough of the shakes and babyfood. Choose wisely, chew, chew chew and savor every damn morsel. You'll be amazed at how fast you fill up. Use small plates and small utensils; it sounds stupid, but it works.

Six months today since I was banded. Lost ~75 pounds, the majority coming off in the first 3 months. Hit 300 on 12/1 and 290 on 1/1, but have slowed down measurably since joining Lifetime Fitness on Jan 1. Still losing inches if not pounds, but the appetite is still there. Not sure if another fill would do more harm than good; already I'm a champion PBer. I appreciate all the support I've received at LBT and on my one year Bandiversary, I'm hoping to be at my target weight of 220. Onward, brothers.

Was snug in a 54 pre-surgery. Have gone down through 52, 50, 48 and am now wearing 46's comfortably now. I wear Dockers to work and will be very happy when I can purchase Dockers Classic Fit Pleated front (44 waist) for $29.95 instead of same model in Big & Tall (46 waist) for $36.95. Another of the many indignities of being a "fat boy". BTW, it's hard to find Dockers in big sizes online at any discount, but highly recommend www.gustwillers.com . I've saved two pairs of 54's not because I ever expect to wear them again but because some day, I want to step into them and remember how freakin' huge I let my self become. Onward, band of brothers.

Mark: your goals are very reasonable. As Marjon says, no one has the same experience after banding, but I can confirm your goals were my goals and I have seen measurable progress on all three fronts. Ted: while we all wish for weightloss to be steady, the reality is the body gives up excess weight on its own schedule, not ours. I have experienced several plateaus, of different durations, in which my weight would not drop and at times even increased. Each and every plateau has ended and weight loss has resumed. Fills do help. So, hang in there, examine what you're eating, make sure you're exercising and enjoy the ride. While we yearn for the day we reach a target weight, we can't control how quickly we may get there. Nevertheless, the journey is worthwhile and enjoyable and the results are very satisfying. Good luck, brother.

The foods or drinks you now enjoy may not be the same ones you desire post-banding. Don't view getting banded as requiring you to "give up" your current favorites. Look at it as a new opportunity, a gift if you will, to be "able" to exercise the willpower that eludes people like us who suffer from a "weight problem". How euphemistic, a "weight problem"; let's just call it being FAT. In my case, many of my old time favorites, carbonated beverages included, simply lost their appeal. pizza, glazed donuts, Breakfast kolaches, bacon, sausage, fried food just don't appeal any more. I'm eating smarter, I'm eating less, when I do get carried away and consume more, it's an extra breakfast bar. The band is a tool, a very powerful tool, that works not just physiologically by restricting how much you can cram into your stomach, but an equally powerful psychological tool that lets you think like a non-FAT person. That's the magic of the band, in my humble opinion. Good luck to you in your decision; hopefully, your worry about Diet Cokes will be a distant memory on your road to a healthier and longer life.

Pretty soon, Neal, someone is going to suggest that you put a few pounds back on, just so you'll stop making the rest of us look like chumps. Damn man, are you sure you don't have a tapeworm or something? All kidding aside, dude, you ROCK. I'm a Stars fan too (great come from behind victory on Sunday), and I know what you mean about not fitting into stadium seats. I've avoided all airline travel for the past 5+ years, but am ready to fly again. Finally got below 280 this past weekend; that was the hardest 10 pounds to lose by far. Weight loss is a tricky business, as we all learn in time. Eating less is not always the right solution; it has a lot to do with exercise levels and metabolic rate. The band is the greatest tool by far; it gives me confidence that once the weight is off, it will stay off. I never had that confidence pre-band, so any diets I embarked on always failed. Onward, brothers..

In answer to your question "Any great suggestions on what I should purchase as far as food supplies go?", I'd refer you to the LAP Band FAQ section where you'll find info on pre- and post-op . You'll do fine; we guys all seem to bounce back quickly.

Just prior to my banding, I bought a $30 bottle of liquid vitamins at GNC; it tasted awful. After a few days, I ended up pitching it out and going with Centrum Silver chewables (citrus berry flavor). While the chewable is a bit gritty, it's tolerable and handles my daily vitamin and mineral requirements. While I was on full liquids, I was taking two a day.

Pull up the ladder to the treehouse, guys.

It's a great idea to have our own thread; reminds me of a childhood treehouse where the boys could go to get away from the dreaded girls (just kidding ladies, I know you're lurking out there). Yes, Jack should write a book; he is the ultimate wordsmith. I always find wisdom and humor in his prose. We should elect Jack chief-poo-bah of the guy's only thread. Anyone second that motion?

I've enjoyed the guys-only posts and wish to you the club. What OUSooner (Neal) has accomplished in 9 months is phenomenal. He is indeed a new human being and I applaud his determination, dedication and spunk to get the weight off. He's a poster boy and an idol for all of us. Way to go Neal. We admire and envy you. Life has changed so much for me in so many ways since I was banded. Each and every day is a blessing now. I wake up each morning and am grateful for my band, my protector, my buddy, my keeper, my tool in the lifelong struggle against my demon, food. Why the band works so well remains a mystery to me, but what I do know is that it affects me not just physiologically by restricting my intake, but psychologically as well, affecting my desire to eat. Food is good, food is fun, food is tasty, don't get me wrong; that desire will likely never go away, but food isn't the obsession it used to be. So, with 5 months under my belt (down 8 inches, BTW) and another 5 to go to get the my goal weight of 225, I feel I have enough experience to say to those of you either considering being banded or actually in the pre-op stages, focus on your future and bear down. There's a huge reward awaiting you when you're banded, if you're willing to make the commitment to yourself. I've been there, I've done that, I have the freaking t-shirt (well, I did, but it's 2 sizes too large now). You will be amazed at the difference. Off my soapbox now; just happy to have a forum in which to spout off.

It's not too late, as long as you're vertical. No spring chicken here, but doing some things these days that surprise even me, e.g. working out 4x week at the health club.

At least until you reach the parking lot of the hospital .... There was a hilarious thread some time back on this same topic.

It's called a "short" and it's less than a "tall". It's not on any menu, but the baristas should be willing to make it. As a Starbucks drinker as well as a shareholder, I love hearing how much everyone enjoys Starbucks.

Interestingly, I attended a support group of bandsters a week ago and several people mentioned they always scheduled their fill appts in the late afternoon, when their band was loosest. I hadn't made the connection and was going for mine in the noon-1PM timeframe, but it makes sense that in order to get the optimum fill, you should choose the time of day when you're experiencing the least restriction.

Your fiance needs to be the one signed on to LBT and asking the questions. He needs to demonstrate his interest and later perhaps his committment. You're telling him what you've found out is simply NOT going to work. My dear sweet wonderful loving caring supportive wife of 6 years watched in horror as I gained 10 pounds a year for each year we were married, saw me balloon to over 360 pounds, watched the man she loves do his absolute best to shorten his life by overeating and refusing to exercise, not willing to face the reality he was indeed killing himself. But nothing she could say or do would change my mind, until one day, she happened to mention a lap band seminar she saw advertised in the paper. To her utter surprise, I said "let's go"; we did, I signed up that day, weighed in at 364, elected to self pay, had surgery 10 days later. Has it changed my life? Damn right it has! In fact, it has saved my life and hopefully added many years of longevity. I cannot put into words how much more positive my attitude has become. I am awed by the people her on LBT and am grateful beyond words for the information and support they have passed on to me. I feel a debt of gratitude to "pay it forward" and assist others considering being banded. My advice: Tell your fiance you love him, you'll support him any way you can, but make it clear that you're really not interested in a short term relationship, i.e. anything less than 25+ years of marriage. I'd be thrilled to pass along my experiences to him directly; feel free to have him PM me anytime.

Strain out the floaties if you like. Great source of protein; beats chicken broth by a long shot. Consider trying full liquids, e.g. Campbell's Select soups. I'm not suggesting you violate dr's orders, just offering a few possibilities to get you through the rough patch. No two bandsters have the same reaction.

I joined Lifetime Fitness just before the New Year; I received a free, no-obligation meeting with a Personal Trainer as part of my signup package. Surprise, surprise, they wanted me to purchase a heart rate monitor (HRM) and showed me all the cool things it would do, including recording my heartrate and uploading the data to their computer to track my progress. While I avoided any commitment, I was intrigued by what the HRM could do. I researched them online, talked with a co-worker who had bought one and decided to purchase one. I bought the Polar F11 from an eBay reseller. Long story short, I love it. I get constant heart-rate readout on the treadmill, stationary bike, ellipticals etc and I can tailor my program to maximize the percentage of fat in the total calories burned. I can exercise safely and still get the desired burn. I'm no spring chicken so I'm quite conscious of what my heart is doing. I upload my exercise seesions from the monitor to the internet and have a history of exercise times, heart rates and calories consumed. I also create my own workout program to fit my time available and my desired burn. With my new MP3 player all loaded with 70's, 80's and 90's favorites, and my HRM, I'm exercising 4-5x week. And all this from a guy who five months ago got winded walking to the mailbox. Any of you other baby-boomers out there embarking on a exercise regime may want to consider investing in a HRM. The cost compares very favorably with the option of hiring a personal trainer. With your own HRM do, you will maximizing the time you dedicate to exercise. Also the website www.howtobefit.com was helpful.

650 cals in 1:05, all within safe heart rate zone thanks to my trusty Polar F11 fitness monitor. Back to Lifetime today and tomorrow for weekend workouts. May be learning the elliptical machine soon, as recumbent bike causes ass freeze bigtime.

Jachut: if you're considering the Garmin Forerunner 301, you might want to google "Polar vs Garmin Forerunner"; some of the reviews I've seen rate the Polar a lot better.

Fills are what let the band do what it was designed to do: restrict you. Once you get your initial fill, you'll be able to gauge when you need the next one. Fills have to be incremental and done gradually, so patience is the key. Let the fill technician decide how much to give you. I was initially frustrated that my first 3 fills didn't have the effect of truly restricting me, but fills 4 and 5 did the job and now I believe I am at or near my sweet spot. The term "sweet spot" very nicely describes the condition because it is so SWEET to not want to devour every morsel of food in sight! My entire life I was haunted by food and I fantasized about the next opportunity to eat; the band has helped me keep those demons at bay. Enjoy the experience; the benefits are truly amazing.