Let's be realistic, folks~

[grandy 0]

Do you honestly believe this? I'm not calling anyone a liar outright, but I'd just like to ask if you REALLY TRULY believe it.

They follow ALL the guidelines? They limit their intake and increase the daily activity (remember...part of the 'guidelines' for after LAGB include daily 30 minute exercise sessions) and they STILL don't lose weight?

I'm just asking... because if you believe that this is possible.... why would you get the surgery? Why would ANY of us?

This is a support group. This entails helping people currently on the band...but also providing first hand information for those wanting to get the band and change their life. If more people come to the site and start posting threads about following ALL THE DOCTOR'S GUIDELINES TO A T, AND YET THEY DON'T LOSE WEIGHT... it'll just feel so hopeless for everyone. And personally... I don't think it's possible.

I've read some of the threads that you are referring to... members who are concerned that they are not seeing the weight loss even after trying to follow most of the guidelines. But in ALL of those situations...I see various holes. One member would suggest that he/she cannot stomach solid food and so have put themselves on a 'liquid' diet.

Did you know that McDonald's large shake has 582 Calories...of which 150 are mostly saturated fat...and 85 grams of it is sugar?

Or...another member may say... I have salads all the time..and I STILL DON'T LOSE WEIGHT!!!

Well...a grilled chicken salad with light Italian dressing at McAlister's Deli ends up at a whopping 850 calories.

Look. I'm not trying to bore you with numbers.

I'm saying... a lot of the posts made by member who claim not to be losing weight have SERIOUS holes. As a support group...we need to look for these holes that the OP misses... and kindly inform them.

I implore you....actually....i CHALLENGE you.... if you are one of those who are following ALL OF THE GUIDELINES TO THE T.... count your calories. Write a journal of EVERYTHING that goes into your mouth. In that journal..I also want you to write down how much you're exercising in your day. Can't find time?? Park farther from the store... take an extra trip or two up and down the stairs. Walk during your lunch hour. Remember...it takes me a lot longer to put my pants on in the morning...but i STILL find time to exercise.

Don't do this for just a week or two... I want you to do this for at least a month. Good dieting and exercising habits become actual 'habits' in about three weeks and it'll be easier to do these things.

Remember...no one said this was easy. All complaints of "i can't find time...who has the time and energy to jot everything they eat..." will be thoroughly ignored.

NOW TO THE 0.53% OF US!

I asked my surgeon yesterday what types of signs I should be looking for to sniff out a band erosion. He told me... if you're adjusted right... and you're following the guidelines... and you're STILL NOT losing weight. Then we do an endoscopy to see if your band has eroded.

So other serious medical conditions aside... the ONLY reason I can see that a person won't lose weight on the band... is if the band has eroded.

This is 1 out of 200 LAGB patients. Unless we have a concentrated group of EXTREMELY unlucky and unfortunate people... I don't see the ratio working out on the forum.

Then, if you do suspect you have a band erosion... don't waste your time complaining on the forum.... go see your surgeon immediately.

My whole post was to be realistic and HONEST. Not anyone else...but to ourselves.

Hey wheelchair...first let me say that I agree with everything you have said. You are young, but seem well informed for your age, and you have been through more than most of us will ever have to deal with. I was successful for the first 120 days of receiving my lapband (12/31/09) I lost 60 lbs (preop, post op, and liquids for a while). I then stopped losing because I expected my band to kick in at some point like it had done for many in my therapy group, and I never saw that. A lady in my group lost 107 lbs in 7 months and said from day one (and after each fill) she was never able to eat more than a tiny piece of meat and a tsp of vegetables...the band helped her to lose an amazing amount of weight and I'm sure she has since reached her goal. I stopped going to the group 6 months ago because I didn't feel my band like the others and felt that my failure must be personal in nature. I have had 8 or 9 fills and have no idea if they were actually fills because the doctor and nurse never told me how much or how little was in my band. My dietician told me 3 months ago that my band was almost empty (she read my chart). I am old enough to be your mother, and I have dealt with weight issues for more than 40 years, and have spent more than $50,000 on every specialty diet in the books, including the surgery itself. I am going to jump back in there and try to do the high Protein, low carb thing, because I know it works when you stick to it...there are very few exceptions. My problem is that I only stick to a tough diet of this nature for 6 months and then I can't stand it anymore, hence, I have gained back 20 lbs. The diet DOES work and the journals work for some; however, the experts have proven that many people (like me) tend to not write items in the journal if they are ashamed of eating them and don't want someone to see them. Whether you are on low carb, low calorie, or whatever, they all will work...sometimes the weight loss slows down for a short time, but it will eventually pick back up and you will lose. I could write a book on losing weight...the trouble is...I could also write a book on gaining it back as well. Good luck to you, wheelchair, and to everyone who is struggling with or without the band. We all need to be honest and support each other, and cutting calories and carbs, along with whatever exercise you can do, WILL work. I will start again tomorrow, and pray that my results will be positive; if you guys can do it, then so can I. Thanks!

[pinksquirrel 0]

I have enjoyed reading all of the above posts, but I am all good with losing 22 or 30 lbs of Water, fat or whatever,

That would be enough to totally motivate me to get out and walk a marathon, if you excersize and eat a variety of food to get nutrition all weight loss is good in my book, fast or slow if you keep it off and eat a variety of foods and you are not malnuitrioned, than to each its own. I don't know about anyone else, but

I hope I lose it the fastest I can, and still stay healthy. I know it is going to take alot of work, but

just losing that first 20-lbs is going to make a lot of difference to me.

To the gal that hasn't lost anything, I feel for you. I bet it seems like a waste of your time. Hang in there, I would not only evaluate your calories but watch your carbs, that usually can mess me up, I love carbs but cannot loose weight if I eat to many. But, always check

with your doctor to be sure nothing is wrong.