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I had my surgery about 2 months ago and have lost 30 lbs. I have received many compliments, I have felt really good about myself, and when people asked me (my surgeon included) if I was happy with the whole lap-band thing, my answer is A DEFINITE YES. It has been years since I felt I have control over my body, my weight. And for the first time, I am very sure (100% sure) that even if I may not reach my goal weight I will never be as heavy as I ever was. However, in the past two days I realized that there are parts of myself that I missed. Ok, not the weight, not the flabs, but I used to be quite fit (despite my weight gain/weight loss cycle). I climbed a mountain (non-technical climb), I did yoga, pilates, tennis (hard core). I ran. All more than 2-3x a week. I've walked since week 2 after my surgery, but I didnt try to get back to my previous workout habits until this week. I had no problem with 2.5 hrs hike over the weekend, but yesterday I did my pilates and I felt wobbly and dizzy. Today I went to a new yoga class and I could not even support myself with my arms, I could not do simple poses, and I could not even balance myself (I was very good at balancing before). I'm not sure why I suddenly have no control over my body and no strength esp upper body. It's only been 2 months since I really work out and am I that out of shape strength wise? I used to stop working out for 6 months before and I got into it just fine. Does anyone have this problem also restarting their workout? I think a few weeks ago I saw someone posted their exercise schedule and my impression of them are that they are quite rigorous, at least in terms of frequency and types. Is this a malnutrition issue? I am quite upset with myself...I quite the class halfway. I'm not a quitter! I just could not take it anymore. I also felt since the surgery a lethargicness in some ways - I don't mind walking, I walk everywhere: work, class, etc. But I can't seem to be able to lift - not even a bag full of groceries. I can't bend. I felt all my muscles are tight, too. I'm going to see my osteopathist next week. Hopefully she can help me....

Has there been any significant or small changes in your life? Sometimes we get determined to lose weight at first because of a new relationship or we are starting over again. Once everything seems comfortable we lapse and temporarily lose site of everything. I am not saying this is you, but for whatever reasons we have failed on other programs in the past, could happen here as well. Perhaps it has nothing to do with food, but more of how you are feeling about something personal in your life. I fear this happening to me one day, because I have always been an emotional eater. I have always done well with diets and lost significant amounts of weight only to put it back on because I wasn't dealing with the real issues at hand. If it is just about food, then just don't buy the things that are causing your weight gain. Distract yourself from eating by getting out of the house and being active. Spend time with friends and family. Go to support meetings and share your experiences. You aren't a failure by any means. Make a new commitment to yourself and get started. Sometimes you just have to be creative and make a new strategy when the old one fails. You are a winner in my book. Best wishes, Stephanie

Weight gain is normal after most any operation from the bloating and fluids. I had an out-patient band procedure, and upon returning home I was 12lbs heavier than when I left. It's been a week and I'm "technically" down two pounds from my pre-surgery weight. I know I still have plenty of Fluid left to lose before things balance out.

It's all about choices for me , in most cases. I can't eat a huge dinner, so I am sure that helps. I can sure eat in between meals and graze, and that's what causes weight gain. I'm 5 years out now, and I know the clue to keeping it off is not eat in between meals and not snack at night.

I thought I would stop by and say hello. I've been enjoying reading through this forum and reading up on some of your experiences. For example, I had no idea that I'd pretty much never get to drink diet soda again! Fascinating! Anyway, I got banded on Feb. 27, 2009 so I'm about 9 days into this. I started my Medifast pre-op diet on January 2nd at 224 (I am 5'2) pounds and I have lost 24 pounds so far. I'm only a pound from my "triple digit rollover!" I've a had a little history with yo-yo-ing weight. I was pretty much large all my life, but when I was 21 I decided to go to a doctor and get some help. He put me on a medication diet (Phentermine, Adipex) and I lost 50 pounds! I felt the best I have my whole life. I then moved to New York to go to graduate school and moved away from my doctor and started to gain weight gradually again. I tried SO HARD to keep the weight from coming on. I went to the gym 6 days a week (combination weight training and cardio). I had a personal trainer. I watched what I eat. I counted calories, carbs, fat, Protein, etc, like a maniac (kept everything written down in my food journal). I saw, oh, six doctors to try to find someone that would help me, to no avail. I tried everything I could to lose weight the "normal" way, the healthy way. No matter what, the weight just piled up. Finally, I asked my regular doc if she would recommend Lap-Band surgery, and she said yes since I have tried everything else to try to lose weight. I just barely scraped by on the minimum BMI requirement (40) so the bariatric center accepted me, and my insurance agreed to pay for it too! Like I said, so far I'm 24 pounds down, and I'm feeling VERY HOPEFUL that this will help me finally lose weight and embrace a life and lifestyle that I desperately miss. I am extremely active and love all kinds of sporty things like volleyball, rollerblading, mountain climbing, hiking, canoeing, etc....my weight gain has kept me from enjoying some of these things that I want to do. Hopefully this will be a year of change for me! I look forward to getting to know everyone here!! Here's a pic of me just for general reference:

Hi - Glad I jumped on here and read all your posts. I have not had the expected success with my lapband I thought I would. I too have a sweet tooth and get so tired of vomiting up other stuff. My nutritionalist & psychologists are now discussing revision surgery for me. I lost 30lbs on my presurgical diet starting at 230lbs, surgery day 6/29/11 I was 199lbs. I got down to 170lbs by 10/11 and have struggled with vomiting and weight gain ever since. I have gone back up to as much as 192lbs - which would really mean 7lbs post surgery. That is awful! I have not been able to get down past 185lbs. My asthma has improved but lately with the vomiting I feel like I either aspirate liquid into my lungs or am having acid reflux. I did have a hiatal hernia repair at banding. That was painful! I went with the band thinking it would be less evasive than a bypass and am now really confused and disappaointed not to mention severly depressed and on anitdrpressants and anti anxiety meds along with asthma maintance meds. I am usually not able to tolerate chicken, tofu & eggs leaving few interesting proteins to choose from. I end up eating sweets cause they seem to stay down. I see my asthma doc on Wednesday and plan to discuss all this with him. I see my bariatric doc for my year post check up June 4. I am sorry you all are having problems to, it is helpful to know others are in similar situations though. Best wishes to you all on feeling better. I will keep in touch and am very interested in how you all are doing. Thank you for sharing.

Happy Father's Day from BariatricPal!#subject#> body,div,dl,dt,dd,ul,ol,li,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6,pre,form,fieldset,input,textarea,p,blockquote,th,td { margin:0; padding:0; } table { border-collapse:collapse; border-spacing:0; } fieldset,img { border:0; } address,caption,cite,code,dfn,th,var { font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; } caption,th { text-align:left; } h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 { font-size:100%; font-weight:normal; } q:before,q:after { content:''; } abbr,acronym { border:0; } address{ display: inline; } html, body { background-color: #d8dde8; color: #5a5a5a; } body { font: normal 13px helvetica, arial, sans-serif; position: relative; } h3, strong { font-weight: bold; } em { font-style: italic; } img, .input_check, .input_radio { vertical-align: middle; } legend { display: none; } table { width: 100%; } td { padding: 3px; } a { color: #225985; text-decoration: none; } a:hover { color: #328586; } div.outer { margin: 0 auto; padding: 14px; } table.wrap { max-width: 800px; margin: 0 auto; } td.logo { background-color: #0f3854; padding: 8px; } td.content { background-color: #fff; font-size: 14px !important; color: black !important; line-height: 150% !important; padding: 8px; } ul { margin-left: 25px; } Hey BariatricPal Members! Happy Father’s Day from BariatricPal! Today is the day when we take some time to appreciate our fathers or any father figures in our lives even more than usual. We at BariatricPal hope you have some special time scheduled with your family to appreciate each other. We also hope you’re using this as another chance to re-energize your WLS success efforts, since there’s a good chance that part of the reason why you’re in this journey is because of your family. If you are indeed looking for a little inspiration, we hope to give it to you! Here’s what you’ll find in this newsletter. Showing Gratitude with Health dinner Dad’s Way: Easy Peasy and Healthy Starting a Healthy Father’s Day Tradition If that’s not enough to keep you motivated, there’s plenty more help over on the BariatricPal Forums. Don’t forget to logon and join the fun – after you’ve said “Thanks” and “I love you” to Dad, of course! Here’s to weight loss surgery and what it can do to strengthen your family! Sincerely, Alex Brecher Founder, BariatricPal Showing Gratitude with Health A Healthy You Is A Better You Holidays like Father’s Day may make you think a little more about others. You might think about what you can do to be a better parent, or how you can show your parents how much you appreciate them. In all that generosity, you might forget about your own health, or feel guilty about focusing on yourself once in a while. After all, the pre-op prep and post-op recovery from weight loss surgery already demands a lot of time and energy that you aren’t spending on your family. But, the weeks, months, and years following weight loss surgery are just as important. To succeed long term, you need to take care of yourself. And that’s not selfish. All of your loved ones benefit when you are energetic, happy, and healthy. You can be more involved in family activities, and save money on healthcare costs. The effort you put into your own health is not just for you. It’s for your family, too. Share the Health Your healthy behaviors don’t happen in a vacuum. They happen in the middle of real life, and that’s great. You can be an excellent role model for your children and spouse just by sticking to your commitments and intentions. You can also actively involve them in a healthy lifestyle. You don’t need to be overbearing about. It can be as simple as inviting them to walk with you to the post office, letting them choose between carrot sticks and bell pepper strips when you pack lunches, and taking fun outings like hiking as a family. As health becomes the norm, your whole family can win. Dinner Dad’s Way: Easy Peasy and Healthy It may be a stereotype, but we’ll play along: not all dads are the best cooks. You may remember the occasional day in your childhood when Dad was responsible for looking after you and your siblings for the evening. What did you have for dinner? eggs? Cereal? Chinese takeout? Maybe you’re a father who’s guilty of this same behavior! Hey, whatever works to keep the kids happy and fed, right? Well, we have a better option. Keep the kids happy while getting a weight loss meal for yourself with no extra effort. Sound good? Here’s the scoop. Cereal for Dinner – a Classic “Dad” Dinner If cereal is your go-to, take a look at The BariatricPal Store’s cereal choices with about 15 grams of Protein and only about 120 calories per serving. We’re not talking about tasteless “health” cereals here. We’re talking about old favorites like cocoa flavored pops and honey nut circles. Yum! Add cow or soy milk for extra protein, or serve it with almond milk for a low-cal cereal “dinner.” If you want to be a super-dad, offer your kids fresh fruit or treats like raisins, coconut, nuts, or even chocolate chips so they feel special on their evening home with Dad. Cooking 101: Eggs If there’s one thing a guy knows how to cook, it’s probably eggs. But if you don’t know how to cook eggs, or you didn’t stock up on fresh eggs, or you just don’t want to try to get your college cooking skills back by experimenting on your children, you have another choice: BariatricPal instant Protein Omelets. You can grab them from your pantry and get them ready in minutes. Each bacon and cheese or vegetable omelet packet has 15 grams of protein and 100 calories. You can eat yours straight, but your children may want a little more oomph from Dad. Get your creative juices flowing and give them an omelet to remember! If your children like vegetables, make them a colorful, crunchy omelet with diced bell peppers, tomatoes, broccoli florets, or any other veggie they love. You can eat the veggie omelet on its own, and serve it on toast for your kids. Top it with cheese, avocado slices, or salsa to make it a dinner to remember. Chinese Takeout Minus the Weight Gain Weigh the options. With Chinese takeout, you need to go get your food or wait up to an hour to be delivered. Then, you have way too many calories and carbs from fried rice, egg rolls, chow mein, and breaded sweet and sour chicken. The alternative? Grab a box of Spicy Chicken Oriental from your pantry and serve the family in minutes. The meal has 240 calories and 14 grams of protein – that’s quite a bargain for delicious chicken and rice! If you’re feeling super ambitious, start with Protein Fettuccine and Asian Inspired Pasta Sauce, and let your imagine take over. Toss in diced chicken or shrimp and bok choy and other vegetables, and serve up some healthy chow mein to make your children proud. Starting a Healthy Father’s Day Tradition If there’s one thing that makes a healthy lifestyle easier, it’s habit. You’re way more likely to get to the gym if you don’t stop to think about it. You’re way more likely to keep the junk food out of your grocery cart if you automatically steer past the aisles with packaged snack foods and frozen desserts. And packing a healthy lunch is way easier if you just know what’s going to go into it each day. So why not add another healthy behavior to your arsenal on this Father’s Day? You can kill two birds with one stone by spending some quality Dad time while you work on a new healthy tradition. It can be something for you and Dad, for you and your kids, or maybe for all three generations to look forward to every year. Here are a few ideas: - Healthy barbecue with chicken breast, veggie or turkey burgers, - An early morning fishing trip followed by feasting on your protein catch and a summer fruit salad to die for. - A trip to the beach or a local park for some volleyball, swimming, soccer, or a treasure hunt (if you have young ones around!). - A healthy gift exchange, with great gifts like a gift card to The BariatricPal Store, a set of partner training sessions for you and Dad with a personal trainer, or a sampler of grab and go protein Snacks like protein bars, salmon jerky, and peanuts. Whatever healthy tradition you start, you can rest easy knowing that’s one more day out of the year that you’ll be solidifying your healthy lifestyle while building those family ties. And when all is said and done, that’s what weight loss surgery is all about, right? Thanks for reading the newsletter and supporting BariatricPal. Have a wonderful, safe, and healthy Father’s Day, and keep letting us know how your weight loss surgery journey is going. Let this be a summer to be proud of! · Unsubscribe from all BariatricPal E-Mail.

I'm 3.5 years out and about 10 pounds above my lowest weight which is fine. Still wearing smallest pant size so no complaints. I still weigh food and log all food and exercise and try very hard to stick with healthy food choices. Still exercising 6 days week. It's not easy but I'm committed to making this work permanently. I'm sad to know many people that have regained so much. The common denominator I've witnessed is their making poor food choices. The surgery can't control that part. While the restriction is helping them, eating many servings of the wrong foods will always lead to weight gains.

Thanks for the info about Wellbutrin. I guess I am afraid to take anti-depressants because so many of them have weight-gain as a side effect, except Wellbutrin, which is why I initially thought it would be a good one to try. I probably should see what the dr. says.

Hello Becky, I applaud the lifestyle changes you are making. Eighty pounds off is a huge achievement! I'm very proud of you without even knowing you. Living with extra weight is a daily struggle and it doesn't get easier as you age. As for band removal, I'm in a similar position. I had the lapband surgery in June 2012 and never lost weight. I've been trying to get a removal date for the past year, but my clinic keeps putting me off -- first to have some tests -- now because the surgeon is too busy to see me. They say the band is fine but I experience vomiting, heart palpations, sweating and reflux on a regular basis when I eat (I take small bites and eat very slowly). I never experienced the "sweet spot" that successful banders reach. Like you, I feel the band is doing nothing, but I am not confused. I know the band has to come out. For one thing they degrade over time and can cause injury to the stomach area under the band. You may experience a small weight gain initially as you get used to life without a band, but if you keep your focus and stick to your healthly lifestyle, I think you will be successful without the band. I wish you all the best with your decision and your future health. Peace and love, Delightful Soul

Thx for the responses - I for some reason am hardly ever thirsty - you think bad water intake may be contributing to weight gain? I know a pound or two isn’t a big deal because it will come off but I guess I’m trying to connect it to fluid intake so I can force myself to drink more.

I would like to here from some members that may have had weight gain a year out from surgery. I know it’s from my eating habits and poor exercise regime. I have started back this week to exercise and I need to work on improving my eating habits. I started at 250, my lowest was 172, and right now I’m 186. My ultimate goal was to get to 150. I feel like such a failure, one of my biggest fears of having the surgery was failing and I feel that has happened. I looking for encouragement, guidance and I’m hoping that being honest and up front in a large group will help with accountability. Thank you for your support in advance. MKT

My name is Sharon and my surgery is in two weeks. I had a very easy insurance approval process and extensive pre-op testing. I was never over weight until the past five years and in that time I was diagnosed with metabolic syndrome, hypertension, liver disease, gout, etc. My weight increased over 100 pounds in five years. I am excited to continue this journey and get back to being able to recognize my self when I look in the mirror. I want to do the things I did before the illnesses and weight gain, like walking, playing basketball, playing with my little ones, walking my dogs.......I am going to need encouragement and support from people that understand what I am going thru, that is wy I sought out a forum to join. I hope to eventually be able to pay it forward and help someone else!

Wow, what was it about yesterday? :thumbup: I had two cookies, no reason for it, didn't even need them I just wanted to be a little rebellious. :biggrin: I also went out to eat last night with some friends and ate much more fried food than I should have. Today I'm up about 2 pounds. But I also realize that I had a bunch more sodium yesterday so part of me is wondering if that didn't contribute to the weight gain as well. But you are all right, today is a new day and I'm ready to make good choices. Thanks guys :tongue2: Christy

I am so happy to have my lapband. I am down around 37 lbs since June . I'm considered a slow loser at 1 lb per week. But I am super happy with not being hungry and slave to food. You can gain weight back but you just have to make sure you are at optimal fill level. That helps you restrict your calories. I think gastric bipass patients have more weight gain long term. That is what I have read anyways. Hope this information helps you. I cannot live without my band now. I love it.

The size that you were at a healthy / normal weight when you were 18ish is your body's natural inclination. The size of your bones do not change past that point (well until you get old!), especially for girls because we've quit growing by then. Females' growth plates have closed by 18, so whatever your bone structure was at that time in your life is what your frame size truly is. With weight gain, childbearing, health problems etc., it may seem as though our bone structure changes, but it does not and can not. The extra weight gives us bigger shoe, clothes, and ring sizes and makes it seem as though our bones have somehow grown in mass, but it just doesn't work that way. It's fat and nothing more. Btw, if anyone wants to see how much fat and tissue is really masking your bone structure, stick your hand (palm side down) underneath one of those high velocity bathroom hand dryers. It is crazy!

Hello everyone I wanted to share my story with you so that I may help someone that is discouraged with what they are going through. I am 43 years old, I have been obese for several years now. I developed gestational diabetes 8 years ago with my youngest child and had kidney problems in my pregnancy and was on bed rest for the last 4 months. My son was born 7 weeks early and after a weeks stay in the NICU he was able to be in a regular room until he could go home. I suffered irreversible damage to my organs and I was diagnosed with Cushings Disease and type 2 diabetes. So over the years I have been battling with health issues and weight gain. I have been seeing a surgeon preparing for lap band surgery since January and was so excited on Friday, August 23rd, 2013 to finally go for my surgery. I was prepped, put to sleep, woke up after surgery with the nurse telling me everything went great and I was immediately so happy and praising God for this wonderful blessing. It was shortly after they moved me into recovery and then they let my husband come in to see me. I was so happy to see him but I could tell that he was apprehensive about something, he proceeded to tell me that I didn't get to have the band placed, I thought he was joking but he wasn't. I was just devastated, crushed, defeated and anything else that could describe major disappointment. He felt awful when I started to cry uncontrollably and couldn't stop. The Dr. Came in with pictures and was trying to explain that my liver is fatty and so enlarged that it just was not safe to do it. I stuck to the 10 day pre op liquid diet but it seems to have made no difference. He said to call and make an appointment for a week to discuss my options. I only have two inch long incisions to heal so I'm doing ok physically from the surgery but it's really so discouraging that I will have to go through more to see if I can do it again. I won't give up but I am disappointed in my surgeon for not telling me that I might have a problem, as he took out my gallbladder 3 months ago, why couldn't he have noticed that there could be problems with my lap band. I have an idea that I will be put on the 30-45 day liquid pre-op diet and it's so expensive for the special foods that we have to have. I paid $150.00 for just the 10 day diet. I am sorry to sound like Debbie downer here but I'm two days post op and have to heal from the surgery that didn't happen

It might be worth a visit to your primary care doc just to ensure there's not something else going on that's causing the weight gain--maybe hypothyroidism or something. You may also want to keep a food and exercise journal to see how much is really going in and what you're really working off. It's hard to see it sometimes until you see in black-and-white on the page in front of you. It's certainly easier to objectively evaluate that way. Good luck to you!

A few years ago I was diagnosed with something called Polycystic ovarian syndrome. It is actually a very common problem amongst overweight women. It causes irregular periods and small cysts in the ovaries. It is also linked with weight gain, diabetes, and heart disease. PCOS is one of the reasons why I finally decided to have weight loss surgery. There is not much awareness about it and although I had textbook symptoms since I was a teen. I was not diagnosed until my 30s. Anyway my point is talk to your Obgyn about your irregular periods. It's important to get your hormones under control.

So, it has been a while since I have posted anything, but I am in need of some feedback and support. The day before Thanksgiving I became completely blocked and required an emergency unfill. I was freaked out at the thought of no restriction, but was in so much pain that I did not even care at that moment. Now the bad news..... Since my unfill, I have gained 12 pounds!!! :tongue_smilie: And my doctor cannot get me back in for a fill until the 31st and when they do, they will only give me a small fill to start. I have joined Weight Watchers to try to slow down this crazy weight gain, but even sticking 100% to plan, my body is gaining weight. Has anyone bee through this and do you have any suggestions?? Thanks for listening. :tongue:

Greek yogurt. Soups So long as you remember that this is a temporary measure until you get to the Dr for that slight unfill. You do not want to stay too tight. It is dangerous and can often lead to weight gain as slider foods are higher in calories and do not keep you satisfied.

You know, any patient CAN figure out a way to cause weight gain. So, he is right in a way. You can figure out how to gain weight if you want to. I'd like to keep an eye on this thread to see if anyone has the answer to '5 years' or so. Great post!

I had surgery on Dec 26, 2017. I’ve lost only 21lbs since surgery, and 34 total. I got down to 173 and stayed there for a whole week, so I think it wasn’t scale error. But now I’m at 179 and have stayed here for over a week, so it can’t just be water weight. I went up 6 lbs literally over night, not gradually. This is worse than a plateau!! I’m less than two months out. Could my weight loss be over? I stay under 1,200 caps and over 65 protein a day. I don’t drink as much water as I should, but I’ve increased water a lot from pre-surgery. I try to keep carbs under 50 a day. I work out for an hour five times per week and definitely feel stronger. I know muscle weighs more than fat, but from what I’ve read on line, one can only gain 0.5-1 lb of muscle per week, so I have a hard time believing a six lb weight gain is all muscle. What is going on???? PS. 1200 Cals May sound high, but with my work outs, and the fact that I rarely eat 1,200 and am usually around 1,000, I don’t think the calories can be to blame.

Hey everyone, I had gastric sleeve surgery back in 2014. I did pretty well over the years coming from almost 240 all the way down to 140 but now about 165. I'm definitely a stress eater. This year has been a struggle & I'm not even talking about COVID. No point in sharing my reasons because they don't help. I'd like to get back on track but I don't even remember how to start. I'd like to ask what you guys are eating on a daily basis; a sample menu perhaps? I'd be so grateful if anyone could give me pointers on how to get back on the right path! Many thanks, Fran

This is quoted from a response "LapDancer" gave to a question regarding fills. Thought it might help. Think You Need a Fill? THINK AGAIN By Nikki Johnson Do you remember that feeling you had when you first had your band placed? For a while, everything was great. You didn't experience hunger, you felt satisfied with a small portion of good food, you had more energy, and you were thrilled with your initial weight loss progress. If you are like most people, your experience changed over time, Some of those feelings of hunger returned, and you stopped losing weight. You knew you needed something, so you went to your surgeon's office and asked for a "fill" right? If so, you might be surprised to learn that it is your thinking about your band, and not the band itself, that needs adjusting. The LAP-BAND Bad Word Paul O'Brien, MD, FRACS, is a skillful, compassionate surgeon and a foremost expert on the LAP-BAND System. he was involved in its design in the early 1990's and placed the first band in Australia in 1994. Since then, he has treated thousands of patients and is recognized worldwide for his expertise. When his patients utter that worst of four-letter words, "fill," in his office, they are asked to throw a dollar in the Red Cross donation bucket--a reminder that, according to Dr. O'Brien, thinking about a "fill" is just wrong thinking. How can a concept that we hear about so constantly be so very wrong? Dr. O'Brien's answer is simple: "Any adjustment to the band is something that only takes place in the context of clinical consultation--part of a relationship of trust, honesty and communication between patient and surgeon--that is much more key to the success of the patient than the precise number of milliliters of Fluid in the band. This concept of partnership is the central theme of Dr. O'Brien's new book, The Lap-Band Solution--A Partnership of Weight Loss. Patty's Note: Available on Amazon.com ISBN#9780522854121 Like many people, you might assume that weight gain or a sustained plateau means an incorrectly adjusted band; in fact, you may be right. But you may be surprised to learn that weight gain sometimes results from a band that is too tight. This is part of the reason why the "fill" concept is so misleading. If your surgeon determines that you are not losing weight as you should, then discovering why that is happening is crucial. Sometimes adding fluid to the band will only make matters worse. Life in the "GREEN ZONE" Most people who have the LAP-BAND operation will have an amazing feeling of disinterest in food for the first week after surgery, before any adjustments are even made to the fluid in the band. According to Dr. O'Brien, that lack of interest in food is referred to as satiety. A related but different feeling is satiation, or the feeling you get as you are eating, precisely at the point that you don't need any more food to eat but you do not have an uncomfortable feeling of fullness. These two feelings--satiety and satiation--are what the properly adjusted band helps you achieve, allowing you to maintain your new healthier eating habits. Your careful observation and truthful sharing of your feelings and eating behaviors, combined with the expert care and training of your surgeon and his or her staff, can make the very individual determination of whether your band is properly adjusted much more accurate. In order to help create the most effective partnership between themselves and their patients, Dr. O'Brien and his colleagues at the Australian Centre for Obesity Research and Education have developed a concept they refer to as the "Green Zone". When patients are in the green zone, they experience satiety, satiation after properly-sized small meals, and satisfactory weight loss or maintenance. However, there are also yellow and red zones, both of which indicate that the band is not optimally adjusted. If your band is too loose, you will not have the benefits the band's hunger-controlling mechanism. If your band is too tight, you will have trouble eating properly and may actually gain weight because the foods you can eat more comfortable, that tend to be liquid and calorie-rich, like ice cream and chocolate, do not provide the proper nutrition. Learning to recognize when you have the feelings and eating behaviors that signal a problem can help you give your surgeon the information he or she needs to help you keep the band optimally adjusted. Thinking Adjustment Once you have eliminated the concpet of "fills" from you Lap-Band vocabulary, you will be able to let go of much of the conventional thinking connected to it. Perhaps you have heard talk about the "ideal" amount of fluid in the Lap-Band. While it may be helpful to have some idea of how much fluid is in your band, Dr. O'Brien says there is no magic number. No perfect amount of fluid will provide the best results for everyone. He says, rather, that "whatever volume of fluid is needed to achieve the [feeling of non-hunger] is the correct volume." When you notice that you are feeling hungry or are not losing weight, your body is telling you it is time to revisit your partner in weight loss -- your surgeon. your success absolutely depends on this relationship. So rather than thinking "adjustments," adjust your thinking, and, in partnership with your surgeon, find a lifetime of health! For more information about all of the themes discussed in this article, please see Dr. O'Brien's book, The Lap-Band Solution--A Partnership for Weight Loss, which is available fro Amazon.com. We also invite you to visit LAP-BAND® System Forum - Home for more information and supportive resources. You should You are You should ADD FLUID OPTIMAL REDUCE FLUID Hungry Early prolonged satiety Difficulty swallowing Big Meals satiety Reflux - hearburn Looking for food Small meals satisfy Night Cough Satisfactory weight loss Regurgitation or maintenance Poor eating behavior __________________ ~*~*~*~*Lap Dancer~*~*~*~*