Have you had your band more than 6 months?

[coloradobanding 5]

I've been researching for 14 years.

It sounds as if you haven't read a word I've said. Please feel free to reread my posts and then we'll discuss what I actually said.

In your 14 years of research, how many doctors have told you that exercise is essential to WLS success?

I read the original post (excerpt below) and a few others (not the entire thread), which is the reason I posted what I did, and stand by it. What am I missing?

"In fact, I expect to lose weight without exercising at all since (a) I will be eating a fraction of what I did to keep my body this size and (:scared2: recent reports show that while exercise is good for you, it's not necessary to lose weight..."

"If these are unrealistic expectations, I'd like to know now and save myself the aggravation of the surgery and follow-up"

Your expectations of a successful outcome after surgery without exercise IS unrealistic in my opinion.

Edited October 16, 2009 by coloradobanding

[A New Woman 1]

The puppy in this avatar is the cutest I have ever seen. What breed is it?

Thank you! It looks like a Maltese to me. I have two Maltese babies at home (Romeo & Juliet). They are my walking buddies.

[vickisantos 0]

You are asking the perfect question? I have been banded for 7 months. I have lost 39 lbs. I have also been at the same weight loss for months. Yes it is a tool. But I wish someone told me the down side of the band before hand. A lot of food just does not go down & you wind up throwing it back up. The part that I really don't like is I can eat cake, ice cream all kinds of junk & no problems. The sugar dissolves & goes right down, When I want to eat healthy I have a problem. chicken only goes down with lots of gravy!! Veggies get stuck sometimes no matter how much I chew. I can eat salad if I have lots of dressing. Even light dressing adds up in calories. I have asked many people that have been very successful with the band, "What do they eat?" and have been so successful. One thing they all have in common is they don't really eat a lot. They do more drinking. They drink there coffee, have a Protein Shake, maybe some Soup for lunch & about the same for dinner. I was under the assumption that I would be eating healthy. Yes Protein first but I could get some other foods down. They made it sound as if I would just be so full that I wouldn't be able to eat anymore. NOT the situation. I can eat a bunch but it just doesn't go down. Previously I lost 100 lbs on weight watchers, Of course I gained it back or I would of never considered this option. But with ww you eat healthy & there is no vomiting. It still is all about choices and a good mind set. Obviously we all didn't get to be heavy with great mind sets.

I know it is a very hard decision & the decision must be yours but yes know all the facts.

Good Luck.

Vicki

[Band_Groupie 3]

One thing they all have in common is they don't really eat a lot. They do more drinking. They drink there coffee, have a Protein shake, maybe some Soup for lunch & about the same for dinner. I was under the assumption that I would be eating healthy. Yes Protein first but I could get some other foods down. They made it sound as if I would just be so full that I wouldn't be able to eat anymore. NOT the situation. I can eat a bunch but it just doesn't go down.

Vicki

Vicki-

Whoever told you that, I hope it wasn't your doc, is wrong. I'll get to this, but first...

IMO You're a little too tight. Sometimes all it takes is a very tiny unfill to let you eat solid Proteins again.

I hear you and I see many frustrated people here in the same boat...many because they don't follow the rules, but many do and they just aren't at the right level of restriction like you and then there are others who admit they don't have enough self-control over their head hunger or they want to lose more quickly and they've made a choice to be so tight they can't eat (I've talked this over with others like you've mentioned and some of them have told me flat out...I know I'm not starving hungry between meals but I chose to have my band really tight so that I could only drink Protein Shakes and eat just a tiny bit. And that's what helps control my eating and it works for me).

It makes me truly sad that you and others aren't experiencing the same thing I am. I fault the docs with not doing enough education about how we need to get our band to work for us and what we need to do. I think a lot of those docs would be shocked by how much PBing and drinking of calories there is here on LBT. Many go into this thinking the band is going to stop them from overeating...that there's going to be a big signal from our stomach to stop now/we're full...it won't keep you from eating too much.

I was told the band would help me to decrease my portion sizes by making me feel satisfied and that I wouldn't be hungry between meals. It does just that for me.

The key word is satisfied NOT full. If you're FULL, then you're stretching your pouch, eating too much and then for many the pouch sometimes reacts by making you vomit/PB. The key to this whole thing for me was realizing that. We fat people (me included) are so used to eating until we're FULL...sometimes 'Thanksgiving FULL' where our stomachs can't take another bite...you do that with the band and you're going to get the same thing you would get on Thanksgiving Day if you ate that 10th piece of Aunt Clara's pie after you're already over-stuffed...vomit.

One of the biggest things we have to do when we get the band is to pay attention. I CAN eat way more than a cup at each meal (I'd probably feel FULL then), but I don't NEED to. The only way I know that is by trying it. I was eating a full serving of oatmeal with added protein, Benefiber and a topping like SF Maple Syrup every morning. As I got restriction I decided to test things...I tried 1/2 Sv. of the oatmeal with all the above (makes about exactly 1 C)...you know what? I wasn't hungry until lunchtime! I would never have know I needed less had I not tried it. I'm not stuffed or full when I eat, but I am satisfied until the next meal.

I eat about 1C at every meal...normal solid foods with protein first. I never drink protein shakes (except after a fill). I sometimes have a snack even. I follow the other Bandster rules, like no drinking after, etc. I can't tell you how wonderful it is not to feel hungry. This week I lost 3 pounds and I'm never hungry (and my BMI is in the Overweight category now- I've only got about 25 lbs. left to lose).

Lest that all sounds like a 'bed of roses' I can tell you it's been one of the hardest thing I've ever done. It hasn't all been easy (skim my daily blog and you'll see that), and just when you think things are good, it changes and you learn something new...I'm working it out as I go to stay successful.

Sorry I got on my little soap box, but I didn't want to lecture, I truly wanted to educate others here so they can get the best results. I want us to all be successful and sometimes I think it's just because others haven't been taught how to work this band and what they need to do.

If you choose to be too tight because that's how you want to do this, that's one thing, but if that isn't a choice you're making than you shouldn't ever be so tight that you can't eat solid protein because that's the whole premise of the band...no doc should be telling you that you should be so tight that you can't eat anymore.

Good luck to you!

Here's a Portion of my 10/13 blog about reaching "The Sweet Spot" and deciding to not get another fill next week:

You see, I’ll tell you once again that getting to your Sweet Spot is a matter of personal preference. ‘What’s that?' you say. Oh yes, my LBT friends…the heaven’s do not open up nor do the angels sing to let you know you’ve finally made it to that magical (you were beginning to think mythical) SWEET SPOT! Bells do not ring nor does your WL stay absolutely consistent each day, let alone each week to shout to you YOU’RE THERE! Nope, it’s about paying attention (once again) and it’s all a matter of CHOICE.

Could I get another small fill next week and be even tighter…but not so tight that I can’t eat, but tighter so I’d have more troubles with PB’s and start developing a long list of ‘Foods I can no longer eat’, yep, I could (we’ve all seen plenty here who are there). I’m sure I’d probably lose weight faster too. Could I get a small fill after that even and get to the point where I’d have to drink a Protein Shake every morning and maybe even at lunch too most days because I was so tight, yep I could (we’ve all seen plenty here who are there). I’m sure I’d lose weight really fast doing that. Now that next tiny fill might put me into ‘Soft food Syndrome’ where even Protein Shakes are hard to get down in the morning and I’m finding myself eating sliders, not eating many solids and drinking most meals because I get stuck/PB on most solids (we’ve all seen plenty here who are there). I’m might be losing a lot faster, but maybe not because ice cream would be one of the few foods I could choke down.

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You see, it’s all a matter of choice…how tight do you want to be? I’ve said this before; I made the decision since before my first seminar that I did not want to go on another diet…diets end…you can’t live on protein shakes for the rest of your life (and why get the band if you’re going to do that, just go on a protein shake diet…Oprah did). I’ve dieted before and done very well, but it doesn’t work forever. I needed a lifestyle change…small changes I could make and live with the rest of my life. I didn’t get the LB for quick WL (I can do that faster than the band). I got the LB to help me KEEP it off. Who do you think will have an easier time once they get to goal staying there…the LBer who’s been drinking two shakes a day and now has to learn how to eat to maintain (but probably got to goal way faster than me) or me who’s made those small changes in portions along the way. I’m hoping and praying that it will be me…I need it to be me.

There is still nothing I can’t eat, no food is off limits, I don’t feel deprived, I’m not on a diet, I’m not hungry, I’m believing in my band and I’m losing about 1.5 lbs. per week…I’ve decided…I’m at my SWEET SPOT!

[crzytchr 3]

YA lot of food just does not go down & you wind up throwing it back up. The part that I really don't like is I can eat cake, ice cream all kinds of junk & no problems. The sugar dissolves & goes right down, When I want to eat healthy I have a problem. chicken only goes down with lots of gravy!! Veggies get stuck sometimes no matter how much I chew. I can eat salad if I have lots of dressing. Even light dressing adds up in calories. I have asked many people that have been very successful with the band, "What do they eat?" and have been so successful. One thing they all have in common is they don't really eat a lot. They do more drinking. They drink there coffee, have a Protein shake, maybe some Soup for lunch & about the same for dinner. I was under the assumption that I would be eating healthy. Yes Protein first but I could get some other foods down.

Vicki

I agree with Band Groupie, when she said you are too tight. I am not the person who wants their band so tight that I can only eat select things. I can eat most anything I want, even pizza, I just eat a lot less of it. If you are eating slowly and chewing well, and are still pbing a lot, you need to go get an unfill to loosen your band. The situation you described is NOT how the band is designed to work and I hate to think of you suffering in that way.

Also, as I stated in my previous post, I have lost all of my weight so far, without exercising. I think I went to the gym for 3 weeks and that was it. I am not, however, a slug who lounges on the sofa. I am a 4th grade teacher, so while at work, I never sit. I circulate around the room constantly. Although I believe I would lose more quickly if I did exercise, even if I never lost another pound, I would consider my surgery as having a "successful outcome".

[sparkplug 106]

Elfie,

I am at goal, was banded 12/20/08 and am down 84 pounds, would like to lose 5-10 more before maintaining. I never was or intend to be in any exercise regime, I do walk whenever possible and do yard work every weekend. I have never had a fill and still have the same restriction that I had since surgery. I love my band and it has saved my life, I am off all meds and love life to the fullest. EVerybody is different and I will not diet, I have changed my whole life around to adjust to the band and the way you should eat, hope you all the luck in the world. You can do it too!