♥LovetheNewMe♥

Raven I wish you success with out your band, there are many who can not tolerate the band and have continued problems. WW is a great program and there are many people who have been very successful with that program. I can tell you even with LB the one thing that has really helped me is hiring a trainer, I feel he taught me more about nutrition and how to really listen to my body and what to eat. Learning what your body needs and how your body burns calories is key to WL with or without the band. Good luck and success with your journey.

Confession is good, we all slip. This is life and about the journey and not about feeling guilty. The old way was to feel guilt, the new way is to admit and recognize where we went wrong and move forward. Hope your furnace if fixed and hope today was good day and this will be an awesome week.

Do you sometimes suffer from head hunger? Do you sometimes find your self munching on something and ask your self why? Do you feel remorse and quilt after you eat sometimes and don't understand why you ate that? Well you are not alone, many of us, me included still suffer from these very triggers that cause head hunger even after WLS. Our surgery did not fix our brains or stop us from putting unhealthy food in out bodies. It takes months and years and constant reminding to undo unhealthy behaviors. The one thing that can really sabotage a WLS patient is themselves. Once we start down a self destructive path we can easily justify why we are doing what we are doing. How many of you have lied to your self about taking just one bite, when you really ate the who thing? Grazers sometimes have more difficulty with WLS than binge eaters. It is much easier to graze then it is to binge after WLS that is why it is so important to learn what your eating triggers are and to learn how to deal with head hunger early in your journey. I often surf the internet looking for ideas that may help me to stay true to my healthy self and like to share with others in thoughts that it may help someone else. Everyone has to individulize their journey and has to learn how they can best cope with this change in life style. Some of the tips for dealing with head hunger suggests things that if you are a WLS person like myself, you cannot do. We cannot bulk up on low calorie foods or eat big salads, we cannot drink soup before our protein meals to fill us up and we cannot drink large volumes of water at one time when we are eating. If these things worked for us we would not have had WLS. As a bariatric patient we must learn to deal with our triggers and behaviors that sabatoge us. I found what I consider a good article this morning that I would like to share with all of you. The article is from the Obesity Help web site. http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/mental-health/Head-Hunger-Coping-with-Your-Triggers-for-Overeating.html Head Hunger - Coping with Your Triggers for Overeating by Michelle May, MD Do you sometimes confuse “head hunger” with “body hunger”? If you’re sensitive to food cues, weight management becomes much easier when you’re able to recognize the triggers in your environment and break the associations that lead you to overeat simply out of habit. Let’s take a look at just a few of the common triggers for overeating and strategies for coping more effectively. By the Clock: Society programs us to follow a schedule, so like Pavlov’s dog, we’ve learned to salivate when the bell rings. The reality is that it’s more convenient to eat at certain times than others, so it takes effort to listen to your hunger cues. Strategy: Though it’s challenging to change this routine, you can adapt it to fit your own needs. Learn to pace yourself by observing your natural hunger rhythms. You’ll probably notice that you get hungry every three to six hours, depending on what and how much you ate at your last meal and how active you’ve been. Keep a healthy snack handy to satisfy hunger that doesn’t conform to mealtimes. If you’re consistently tempted to snack right before a meal, consider moving the mealtime up or adding more protein to your previous snack. High-Risk Times: Many people have times of the day that are high-risk for overeating. For example, you may experience a late-afternoon energy slump or a tendency to munch when you come home from work to transition into your evening. Strategy: Know when you’re most at risk and develop an alternate strategy. For example, create a Recharge Ritual or Transition Time that helps you relax or unwind. Save a favorite magazine or book to read, call a friend or walk your dog instead. Create a list of things to do instead of eating. Keep the list (and any necessary supplies) handy and make a commitment to try one of these activities before eating simply out of habit. ‘Tis the Season: Be aware of your seasonal and weather-related cues for eating. Holidays can be especially difficult because of all of the social ties to certain foods and even certain people. Many of the foods you eat during this time may seem “special,” and therefore, harder to eat in sensible quantities. Strategy: These occasions repeat themselves, so you can anticipate what typically occurs and create a plan for dealing with your triggers. Make it a point to really listen to your body instead of the external cues when making your food choices. Also, keep in mind that special foods will be even more special when you eat them mindfully when you’re hungry, focusing on the appearance and flavors of the food, the ambiance, the other people and the reason you’re all together. Tempting Displays: Seeing displays of food like candy or nuts in dishes and tempting foods when you open your cabinet or refrigerator can trigger you to want those foods. Strategy: Out of sight, out of mind. Don’t use food as decorations or leave appetizing foods in plain view. Try putting tempting foods behind other foods in your cabinets and refrigerator. If a co-worker keeps food out, ask him or her to put it in a drawer instead. Media: Food is everywhere in television and magazines (ironically, often right next to the articles about the latest wonder diet!). Strategy: Get yourself a glass of water during commercials, avoid watching programs that focus on food and skip quickly over the food ads and recipes. Break the habit of eating while watching television—usually a mindless, high-calorie activity. Location, Location, Location: If you eat in front of the TV, in bed or standing in the kitchen, you may feel an urge to eat just from being in those places. Strategy: Try to eat only while sitting at a table. Make it a family rule to limit eating to one or two rooms in the house. This will decrease triggers like TV and reading and help you focus on enjoying your food without distractions. Biggie Size: Restaurants often serve overly large portions to make their customers feel that they are getting value. Strategy: Be prepared to have extra food wrapped up to go as soon as you feel satisfied, or estimate how much you think you’ll need and wrap up the rest even before you start eating. If you leave the food sitting in front of you, you’ll be more likely to keep nibbling. Remind yourself that you’ll get to enjoy that food again when you’re hungry. You can also share an entrée or order an appetizer-sized portion. Forbidden Food Syndrome: Although it’s a popular topic of conversation, the mere discussion of dieting can trigger feelings of deprivation and cravings. Just thinking about restrictive dieting has been shown to increase food intake. Strategy: Decrease the amount of time you spend talking about food, weight and dieting. Depend on your physical hunger cues to let you know when it’s time to eat. By learning to recognize and cope more effectively with your head hunger, you’ll begin to break free from old, problematic habits. You’ll find yourself eating less, feeling more satisfied and meeting your needs more appropriately. To get a one-page handout called “101 Things to Do Instead of Eating When You’re NOT Hungry,” visit http://amihungry.com/enews.shtml. Food and Feelings Emotions are common triggers for eating. People sometimes eat to cope with stress, distract themselves from difficult emotions or stuff down feelings they don’t know how to express in a healthier manner. However, boredom, anger, anxiety, loneliness, stress and other feelings are a natural part of our lives, and eating won’t make them go away. In fact, eating in response to these feelings disconnects you from important information about what you need. For example, “I want brownies” might really mean “I want comfort,” “I need a reward,” “I wish I had a friend to talk to” or “I wish I could tell you how I really feel.” The food you eat to deal with feelings comes with strings attached—weight gain and regret. But more importantly, it denies you the opportunity to discover and satisfy your true needs. Since eating cannot meet your emotional needs, those unmet needs trigger overeating again and again. The way to break out of this pattern is to stop judging yourself when you overeat and instead try to figure out what you needed that drove you to eat when you weren’t physically hungry. Examining your current eating behavior can be a powerful source of information about your inner self and your true needs and wants. Once you have identified the emotions that triggered the urge to eat, seek ways to comfort, nurture, calm and distract yourself without turning to food. Michelle May, MD, a physician and recovered yo-yo dieter, is the author of Am I Hungry? What to Do When Diets Don’t Work, available at www.AmIHungry.com.

Congratulations on hitting one of your goals. Keep up the good work!

Raven, I can identfy with how you felt when you looked at the pictures. I weighed 160 plus at my highest but I am shorter than you and when I first started losing and had lost about 60 lbs or so I thought I would look a lot smaller than I did in pictures. I had a really hard time with body image and it took me a really long time to accept I was thiner. As far as no losing and not being able to eat. Honestly you have to be able to eat to lose witht he band, my personal experience has been the more protein I could eat the better I lost weight. It took me a long time to really understand how my body burned calories, for a long time I ate 1000 calories or less and did not understand why I did not lose weight. Hang in there and just continue to montior your protein intake and increase your activity. It really is more that just watching what you eat, it is portion control, mix of protein and carbs and how your metabolism burns the calories. Just keep working at it, I bought a fit bite and it helped me to really understand calorie in and out and how my body burned calories. Good luck to you.

Wish more people would speak up for the Steve's of the world. Our pets love us no matter what we say or do. They have forgiving hearts and deserve so much more. But sadly in this world we live into today we treat animals and humans alike very badly. Thank you for being a voice for Steve and I hope he is resting tonight and finally has some peace, warmth and comfort.

Congratulations on getting your date, so your journey begins, :-) Great time to start setting small goals for your new life.

Thanks Arlene, you are correct Dementia is hard but taking it one day at a time and taking each day for what it is helps a lot. Hope you also have a wonderful holiday season with your family.

Well Bandsters another Thanksgiving (#4 since I had surgery) has came and gone and even though I made enough food to feed an army I still was true to my healthy self. it is amazing how I have changed over time and how much I continue to appreciate the healthier side of life. This year has been filled with ups and downs and there have been many challenges that could have made me resort back to old habits and gain back my weight but I stayed true to my belief in myself and maintained my weight. I read a post this morning on my FB page and I really loved it. It was called the "15 things to give up" I thought I would share them with all of you and I hope you can use them in your life and your journey. 1. Doubting yourself 2. Negative Thinking 3. Fear of Failure 4.Destructive Relationships 5. Gossiping 6. Criticizing yourself and others. 7. Anger 8. Comfort Eating 9. Laziness 10.Negative Self Talk 11. Procrastination 12. Fear of Success 13. Anything Excessive 14. People Pleasing 15. Putting others needs before your own When I read these words this morning I thought WOW!.... Someone wrote these just for me because I think at one point or another I have done one or all of these behaviors and they have not served me well. I have been very successful with my WLS and I am very thankful for that. I so appreciate the friends I have met on LBT and this site. I have made 7 wonderful friends who without some days my life would seem empty, they are always there to support and never hold anything back. LBT brought us together and FB keeps us together. Some of us have had the pleasure of meeting in person and this has made our friendships all that much stronger.. Dawn, Janet, Terri, Michelle, Cheryl, Dee, and Carole you are all so very special to me and I am Thankful this Thanksgiving that you are all a part of my life. WLS and LBT brought us together but what keeps us together is our bond of friendship and sharing our lives and families with each other. We have a few more holidays to go this year but I am looking forward to each and everyone of them. As many of you know my mother has Alzheimer's disease and each day that she continues to have the memory of her life and her children and grandchildren I cherish and consider a gift from God. Dealing with mom's disease has really put prospective back in my life and continues to help me on a daily basis to try and remember to stop and smell the roses. At Thanksgiving this year my family all came together, yes we had a wonderful meal with everyone's favorites but the best of the day was watching the smile on my mother's face as she sat and talked with her sons, her grandchildren and her great grandchildren. Here is a picture of four generations of the women in our family and Mom is the glue that has held us all together all these years. So as you work toward your goal remember to" Keep it Real", this is your life and remember we only get one chance at this life so make it worth it. Believe in yourself and your success with come in time with patience and hard work. "Love the New Me" aka Diane

Everyone has there own reasons for staying in or coming out of the closet. I was one of those WLS patients who chose to start out of the closet from the day I decided to have surgery. For me I wanted the support of everyone friends, family and co-workers. I knew for me if I was an open book that I would be too afraid of failure and being on display as I forged through this journey would make me be accountable to myself. It worked for me and yes there were many nay sayers along the journey, those who made fun of me for my small portions and would make snide comments about what I eat. Comments like, "How many bites did you eat today?" But you know what, let'em talk, let'em laugh because the last laugh is on them. I am the one who won here, I am the one who lost a person and now has their life back! I don't miss the foods I craved in the beginning. I used to crave carbs and hated to go out with friends way back 3 years ago, but i have embraced this new life and can honestly say, "I love my new life and I love what LapBand has given to me. Thanks for the post. So to al those out there who choose to stay in the closet, "It's OK, you will know when it is time to share this journey. Each person's journey is very personal. Good luck to all!

Good luck!

Congratulations on your 4 year anniversary!

Jill, so sorry for all the stress and anxiety this has placed on you. I hope you are able to get this resolved before the end of the year. Some people are just very sensitive to the band and it causes problems for them. My surgeon no longer places them and has started doing the sleeve on everyone due to problems like yours. He says he has more patients fail than succeed. I was lucky, the band has worked for me,. Good luck on your revision.

Congratulations on your loss and good luck as you move forward. I have never really known what was in my band, I tried to keep track in the beginning but lost track along the way, I have focused more on how it worked than how much is in the band. At 3 years post op, I still have days when it is easier tot eat than others. I will tell you from my experience I learned that the increase in exercise programs really helped me to lose my last 40 lbs and tone up. Good luck to you as you move forward.

Good Luck!

Wow! Has it really been 3 years since my surgery? Some days as I look back at old pictures I find it hard to believe that time has passed and I really used to be morbidly obese. I continue to love my new healthy life style and thank God everyday for giving me the courage and the strength to continue to stay true to my self and my goals. Weight lose is a journey and weight loss surgery of any kind is not easy. I was once one of those negative people who believed WLS was the easy way out but I soon found out that it was the hardest test of my courage and strength that I would ever experience. I happen to be one of the lucky Lap Band patients who was successful and was able to reach my goal weight. I know many who have tried and failed only to have to go back and start over again. I guess the most important thing I have learned during my 3 year adventure is to never give up on your self. If you back slide, you pick yourself up and start over again. I always remember that if I fail the only person I am failing is myself. You must continue to love yourself and never compare your success or failures to others. Never judge those who succeed or those who fail, we are all different and those differences are what make us unique. I feel I owe a lot of my early success and support to LBT website, I was an early blogger and frequent reader of the forums. I sometimes remained quiet but read and learned as much as I could from all on the site. Since my first years, I have been very lucky to make some very good friendships and develop a strong cyber support group that does not judge me and is always there to lift me up when I need it and to challenge me when I become complacent. Maintenance is hard and you must practice the principles of WL everyday. I have goals for myself that have allowed me to maintain a constant weight and maintain my goal for 14 months now but I am never going to forget who I once was. I keep reminders of obese Diane in my office and my home. I never want to forget where I started and how hard it was to achieve my success. My advice to all you new members who are starting and seasoned members who are still working toward your goal: Never give up on your dream; you are unique and if you set your mind to it anything is possible with hard work and dedication. the first picture is my beginning in 2012, the second picture is me in my fat pants a year ago in 2012 at goal and the third is this Halloween(2013) as a gogo dancer getting ready for a 1960's Halloween Party! Good luck and much success to all and here's positive thoughts for a healthy eating holiday season!

Ditto!

I always have problems with lettuce. I know it is soft and it should go down but some of my worst stuck episodes have been when eating some type of leafy green veggie. My theory, which may be wrong is that even though I think I chew i feel it must slip down partially unchewed and lay over the opening of my band causing me to be stuck. Sounds good in theory. Some of the dishes you are eating are more difficult to digest, pasta, lettuce, salads, cereals. If I may make a suggestion, stick to simple cooked soft proteins. Fish is a moist soft protein that is easy to digest and packed full of protein and oils that are good for you. There are also some other cooking methods that will allow you to eat chicken and some of the other proteins and this will make them easier to digest. One method is to seal your meal in pouch, vacuum and cook the meal in boiling water, this method is called Sous-vide. It may sound like a lot of trouble but it works and the food is moist and delicious. Also another method to tenderize meats is an old Chinese method using baking soda. The baking soda will give the meat an almost silky texture and make it so tender and much easier to digest. I realize that this may sound like a lot of work but learning to live with lap band requires a life style change. I am 3 years post op and have worked through many tight episodes during this journey. Many of my problems were not my bands fault but mine for making poor choices and finally learning that I needed to make this work. I was determined to make this my life and make it work for me and my family. I cook wonderful meals that most would think, you can't eat that, you have a lap band. But you know what I can and do eat most anything I want but some days, I have to remind my self to slow down, chew and spend a few days in the penalty box for not following the rules and drink my protein. So rethink what choices you have been making and stick to basics for a while. Good luck and I hope your journey is successful. Also, never feel stupid.. this is a learning curve and we all learn everyday even 3 years out. http://www.ehow.com/how_5560702_tenderize-meat-baking-soda.html

Awesome, post and so true. We each own our own destiny!

Never be tempted by the wonderful smell of yeast, butter and syrup. I stick to my oatmeal with egg whites or a protein shake. I guess you could have whipped them up in the Ninja and had a waffle shake. ;-0

One thing I forgot to add to my blog was "Friends"! Friends are key in your journey, surround your self with a healthy support system of friends,. If people are not supportive and constantly encouraging you to eat this is not being supportive, deal with them and their comments and excommunicate them if they can not be supportive. I have a network of wonderful friends, some I work with, some live in my neighborhood and some I have met on LBT My friends on LBT are truly the best and are always there for me and I for them. I can not stress how important a good support system is, this is a very emotional journey and really is about changing bad behaviors we all have developed over our lifetime. If your head is not screwed on right it is hard to be successful, after all when alone who sees you just ate that bite of Cake! Have a great day and have a shake and a nice walk in the park.

Kime, it is so easy to fall back into our old ways and into our comfort zone. Here are a few suggestions from someone who works a lot of long hours. Plan... Planning snacks and meals is key to being successful and staying on track. Yes it takes time and energy to get this started but it pays off in the long run and than you are not tempted to migrate to those comfort foods and allowing your head hunger to rule you again. On your days off take the time to sit down and plan some meals that will allow you to take the left overs for lunch the next day. Make yourself some healthy snacks and place them in snack bags in a container and keep in the cabnet or fridge. I keep my protein bars in the freezer, this forces me to eat them slowly and take the time to enjoy them. I place my nuts or chocolate in individual bags that are my serving size. I never trust my self to know when to stop eating because honestly who sees it but me and if no one sees it it does'nt count RIGHT. That was my old way of thinking and it is so easy for me to go back there if I don't stay focused. I like snacking as much as the next person so I plan. I have also found that if I allow myself to eat Pizza or a pasta dish I am soooo hungry in a very short period of time and this makes it hard. I work hard to eliminate carbs at night and focus more on protein and green veggies for nights. I always try to save some calories for night time because when I watch TV I want a snack some nights and I figure planned snacks are better than just eating anything and everything in site. My last comment is don't give up on your self, you have done a good job of losing weight and will continue to lose. Stress is unfortunately part of our daily lives and there will always be something that triggers us to eat or graze. Good luck and I know you can do this and reach your personal goal.

Wow! Has it really been that long since I blogged, March 2013! Yes it has been a while. For those of you who do not know me, my name is "Love" and yes I still love my lap band 3 years post op. I am at goal weight and a normal BMI and have successfully maintained that weight for 1 year now. The questions i still get asked are: 1. How much is in you band? ( I have no idea, I have not had a fill since January 2012) 2. How much can you eat? I eat about a cup to a cup to a half of food, Most meals consist of protein and veggies. I am one of those low carb eaters by choice because i still have issues with carbs. One I love them, two they get stuck, and three I lost weight better by eating on the low side. 3. What can you eat? Anything, yes I can eat most foods. The issues for me are, if I chose to eat a slice of pizza it will fill me up much quicker and I will be hunger much sooner. I do eat pizza and small burgers or sandwiches occasionally but it has to be the perfect storm. My band has to be cooperative and I have to be relaxed and take my time. Not the type of foods I eat out in a restaurant. When I eat out I usually eat off the appetizer menu or share with my hubby or friends. I am a cheap date! 4. If you had to do it all over again would you do the surgery again? That would be a big YES, lap band has given me back control over my life and my health. It is true you are what you eat, I eat healthy now and I feel great. 5. Don't you think you are too thin? NO, I am a normal BMI. You are suppose to see my collar bone and I am suppose to be able to feel and see my hip bones. Geez world it is really healthy to be thin. 6. Do you drink protein shakes or eat protein bars? Yes, I still supplement with protein bars and shakes. I do not drink or eat them daily but I always keep a good supply of them around. It took me lots pf trial and error to find protein supplements I like and that taste has changed over the past 3 years. I found the most difficulty finding a protein shake I could stomach the smell and taste of. I personally hated and still do the premixed drinks, too sweet for my taste. I ordered off a bariatric web site in the early days and used a lot of unflavored protein powders. Today, I like Pure Protein, Frosty Chocolate and Vanilla. They are my base and I add flavorings, fruit, peanut butter and ice. I never use milk to mix with unless I am supplementing them as a meal and need the calories. How did I learn to like the powders, it was necessary, I needed to eat between 90-100 gms of protein a day when I was weight training and this was the only way I could get in the necessary protein to build muscle and loss weight. You see I had plateaued for a very long time and still had 30-40 lbs to lose to reach goal. If you eat too little you will not lose weight and your body will stop losing. 7. How long did it take you to lose your weight and how much did you lose? It took me 2 years to reach goal and I lost 132 lbs. I like many of you thought I would have my weight off in a year, boy was I shocked and disappointed when that did not happen. I stalled really bad and stayed the same weight for about 6-7 months right before my 1 year date. 8. Do you exercise? Yes, exercise is key to losing and maintaining weight. These days I am not as aggressive and obsessive as i was when trying to melt off that 132 lbs but I still exercise.You have to really work to find out how your body burns calories and how many you need to maintain. Figuring all this out took me months to figure out. I used a fit bit, my fitness pal and a trainer to help me learn to use my body as a fat burning machine. Fat and muscle weigh the same, a pound is a pound and a pound of muscle does not weigh more than a pound of fat. Use this as your vision, a pound of jello is your fat and a pound of chicken is your muscle. The mass of the jello is greater than the chicken but still weighs the same. That is why when you are exercising and toning you look smaller and the scales my stall. I know silly but so true. Also when you are exercising to build muscle and tone you need to be in your target heart rate to maximize your burn of calories. Losing weight is really a delicate balance of everything and is so much more than just cutting back the calories. 9. Since it took you 2 years to lose the weight why could you not lose it on your own? Well I guess the answer to that is yes, I could have lost the weight on my own without my band but I never, never could have maintained it for a year without my band. I view my band as my safety net, my inner voice, my conscious so to speak. It keeps me focused and honest with my self. I was a closet eater, if no one saw me eat it, it did not count. Sound familiar to anyone? 10. Do you have a lot of excess skin? No, I am fortunate and do not have a lot of excess skin. Do I have a nice tight, firm body. No, I have the body of a 58 year old women who lost 132 lbs and I am very happy with how I look in and out of my cloths. And believe me it has taken me a while to get comfortable with those words. Would I like to have some nips and tucks, yes it would be nice but my WLS does not recommend, At my last visit in June we discussed cosmetic surgery and he informed me that the benefits did not out way the risks for me. My surgery would be completely cosmetic, I have no skin break down or health issues from excess skin. So I am happy with me and my Victoria Secret Boobs! lol 11. Do you consider you are on a diet and do you get tired of watching what you eat? No, I have adopted a healthy life style. Have you ever noticed what skinny people eat, they do enjoy desserts and they do enjoy high calorie foods but they enjoy them in moderation. Moderation and balance is the key to maintaining your weight, learning that your body uses food for fuel and if your intake is lower than your needed use you will gain. So keep moving if you feel the urge to eat. 12; Do you drink while eating? Sometimes but only sips. Fluids fill me up and if I drink while eating I get stuck and PB or slime and neither is pleasant. I do not drink high carbonated beverages, I do have a soda stream and I do drink low carbonated beverages that I make using half a pump of gas I drink these only occasionally when I want to treat myself. 13. Do you drink alcoholic beverages? Yes I do drink Alcohol. I have had several bad experiences with alcohol during this journey and had to learn the hard way that alcohol and weight loss do not mix for me. I always loved martinis but have had to learn that one is not enough and two is too many. So I drink my wine and have an occasional martini on special occasions and savior the entire glass. Remember alcohol is empty calories and has absolutely no nutritious value at all and no a fruity drink is not a substitute for one of your fruits. I do not drink beer, I have tried and for me it is too fizzy and makes my stomach hurt and causes a lot of bloating. 14. Final question, what do you do if you get hungry between meals? Silly question, but here it is. I eat! I try hard not to eat in between meals and to not give into boredom eating or head hungry. I believe in planned snacks. Boredom eating is one of issues that we all have and feel and the sooner you learn to accept and deal with them the better off you will be. We all need to Analyze why we eat and when we eat. i eat when bored and like to snack late at night. So I plan snacks and makes sure they are low in calories or if high in calories they are packed with protein. I do not keep sugary treats around, I keep dark chocolate, protein bars, nuts, peanut butter and bananas, apples and pop corn for snacks. I have to seriously watch the nuts and popcorn and not have them to readily accessible. So this is my life on maintenance, is weight loss easy, NO! Is is worth the effort, YES! Do I love my Band, YES! Would I do it again, YES! Everyone's experience with lap band is different, there are basic rules yes but the key for me was finding out how lap band was going to help me. I honestly do not think about my band these days, it is part of me and how I eat. Small plates and small portions are just how I eat these days. Funny, most of my family now eats off a salad plate these days, I have quilted them into my feelings on why America is fat. Portions... Portion Control and learning to put the fork DOWN and give it 20 minutes before you go back for seconds. I wish all my lap band friends and family success and never compare yourself to others or allow others to make you feel bad about your journey. Me than: Me today: