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I haven't written in a while so.....What or who is an experienced Bandster? At nearly 6 months post op apparently, not I even though I have dropped 81lbs. Being an experienced Bandster is not all about weight loss.... This morning on the way to the Office I stopped at Dunkin Donuts for a sausage, egg and cheese wake up wrap and a large decaf coffee. I don't drink with my meal but I wanted to have it for when I got into the office. Well without thinking much about it I proceeded to head to work on the freeway and ate my wrap. Not paying attention I ate it too quickly. Stuck episode on the freeway in traffic is not fun by any means. I ended up pulling over to the side of the road and got out and paced back in forth for about 15 minutes until it passed. With my last fill I am definitely in my sweet spot. I can eat almost anything if I do it correctly. Correctly seems to be a problem still. I am eating the right things for the most part but I am still eating too quickly and not chewing enough. I have spent my entire life eating junk food and binging at times and just shoving it in. I never thought learning to eat properly with the band would be this difficult. I have had probably about 7 or 8 stuck episodes since being banded in April. One episode led to (and sorry for the tmi) vomiting. So a couple of things are going to happen here. I am either going to get this straight and follow proper band rules or I am going to cause a slip. Next week I have another support meeting and I am going to sign up and re-take the hungry head class again. That class focus on binge eating and eating habits. I don't think I need the hungry head class as far as binging but I think being around people and talking about experiences will help me keep focus. My next Doc appointment follow up is 9/25. I am not getting a fill. I am still getting the needed "restriction" from the fill last week. In my opinion and I have said it before the word "restriction" sucks when it comes to band talk/terminology. It's not about restricting at all it's all about appetite suppression and satiety. I got that going on right now, no question about it. Now if I can only learn how to eat properly. I also know my band is tighter in the morning. From now on protein shakes only in the morning even if I am running late. ***

Jim, great blog. What is an experienced Bandster. I find that a very thought provoking statement, i am almost 2 years post op and still have days when i get to comfortable with my band and my life and do something stupid like try to force the stuck food down with a drink of something. I also find my band is tighter in the morning and extremely tight when i am stressed. I have to constantly make myself eat breakfast and work past my restriction. You are also correct in this is not about restriction, it is about satiety, bandsters who rely on the band restricting them are like a time bomb waiting to explode. The use of the band his to come from within and you consciously following the rules and making healthy decisions. I really did not learn to fully use this tool until having it for a year. I do not rely on my "fills" to control my eating, i go through highs and lows when that appetite suppression is optimal and times when it just plan sucks and i feel like i could eat an entire cow. Head hunger is real and it is mind over matter and continually going to support groups and reminding your self of this will take you far in this journey. You are doing amazing but you are smart to realize that "You" and only you can make this work. Good luck to you and please join us on myfitnesspal.com, a group of us from this site routinely log our food and offer support to one another daily. My name there is same as on this site. Good luck to you!

Trial and error will be your friend for many months. What goes down today my not go down tomorrow. It took me a year before I finally got the hang of eating healthy with a band and it took me another year to really embrace what living with lap band meant. You and only you can learn your body and what keeps you satisfied and prevents you from snacking and cheating. Finding healthy snacks to munch on is key, in my early days I learned to love Soy Chips and nuts, Parmesan cheese chips and almonds. I rarely snack these days but in the beginning small treats like this helped me stay focused and not deprived. good luck to you.

Oh no. I am so sorry. I hear how disappointed you are and I don't blame you. To go through all of the pre-op preparation, and then to actually go under anesthesia.. my goodness. I suppose it is better safe than sorry. Hopefully your biopsy comes back fine, and you can at least have that peace of mind. You lost 24 pounds on the pre-op diet! That is wonderful! You should be very proud of all your hard work. It is not easy, but you did it. Your liver will come around in its own time. I had some liver function tests a few years back that were off and went for a liver scan and was told it was due to a fatty liver. (diet related) I don't know how long it took to improve, but today it is looking back to normal. The body is a funny thing. I know six weeks must feel like an eternity for you, but think of it this way...if you only had six weeks to spend with someone you live, or six weeks to spend with your newborn before you had to return to work, it would seem like the time flys by. Try to think of it as an extra challenge or preparation for what is to be a lifelong change, and you will most certainly succeed at it based on how well you did the first time around, and how disappointed you are now, which shows how bad you want this. Life isn't always fair, but all of these tribulations will make you cherish the payoff even more. So mourn a little (who wouldn't), but then try to re-energize and tell yourself that this WILL happen and you will do an amazing job of seeing that it does. Keep us posted and always come here for support. And by the way, my cousin had the sleeve, and loves it. She has had great success, so if it should come to that, it isn't such a bad option from what I've been told firsthand. Good luck, and hang in there!!!

Take a deep breath I know how bad you want and need this procedure, but you want them to be as cautious as possible. You want your surgery to go smooth as possible, and so do they. It will happen good luck I have not gotten a surgery date yet, but I am looking somewhere in Oct. But I dont know your religious but the word of God says be anixious for nothing. Better safe than sorry. If you want to speak offline I have not idea how that works. Good luck

congratulations! i'm sure it'll be fun and interesting! first meets are always a little weird, because you don't know the person! but that's sorta what you're there to do, right? just pick some place where you have always thought would be cool to hang out as a guy & like Dooter said, just ask people questions about themselves.. people love talking about themselves.. my best friend doesn't even ask me how i am doing on the phone.. she just starts off like "girl.. let me tell you what happened to me today!" lol you'll see that there's nothing to worry about once you get there and it sounds like it will be fun! you'll have to keep us posted on how it goes. fingers crossed for ya!!! hope you have an "i love you man" kinda friendship with someone. lol (you should see that movie if you haven't, it's hilarious)

Kime, Stress plays such an important factor in our lives and always sabotages our good intension's. Like you I decided to have Lap band due to many medical factors, the biggest was watching both my father and eldest brother die due to complications of strokes in their late 50:s. I was 54 when I had my surgery. I am so sorry that you are having to deal with so much heartache and stress right now. I have a few suggestions for packing some snacks for your road trips and being on the go. I have found that if I carry stuff with me I am less likely to overeat and reach for the unhealthy or just settle for what I can get in the cafeteria, convince store or fast food restaurant. Stock up on some low carb protein bars and premixed shakes. These fit easily in your purse and you can reach for these if you can't eat a healthy meal. My favorite bars are, Oh Yeah, Nature Valley Protein, and Quest. Now they are not high in protein only about 10gms but they do satisfy that immediate hunger and prevent me from eating something less nutritious. In the shakes, that is really a taste preference. I prefer powdered shakes, I carry a small shaker container with snack bags filled with chocolate and vanilla, sometimes I put one of those flavored water packets into the vanilla powder to give it a fruit flavor. Low Cal cheese sticks, turkey pepperoni, almonds and soy nuts travel well also. I do not trust myself with the entire bag, when I am stressed I tend to want to graze. I measure all snacks when I bring them home from the store and place in snack bags, that way they are always ready for me to grab and go. Eating out, this can be that hardest for us, my favorite fast food restaurant is Chick Fli A, their grilled chicken nuggets, fruit cup and diet lemonade in the kids meal is just perfect. The are high in sodium but for a quick on the go meal in the car, you can eat it with your fingers and keep moving. Hospital cafeterias are the worst, I know I am a nurse. You would think as health care workers we would have healthy food around us but who wants healthy when stressed we all migrate to what reminds us of home. I grab a Greek yogurt or some oatmeal for breakfast. For lunch,low fat cottage cheese, individual hummus with the pretzel chips, natural peanut butter and 4 saltine crackers, an apple, banana, a small bunch of grapes. Berries like strawberries or blueberries are also nice choices. Those Oscar Myer lunch-ables with cheese turkey or ham and crackers is also a fast grab. Some of these are high in sodium and yes they are processed foods, but they will keep hunger at bay, you can carry most with you or find in a cafeteria or convenient store. I know this sounds like a lot of work upfront but it will help you to get refocused and back on track. I hope your family does well and again I am so sorry for all the added stress and sorrow you are dealing with. Good luck to you. Diane