B-52

I lost weight the first 4 weeks after surgery...who wouldn't, following the post op diet requirements? Then I went in for my first fill, 4 cc's, 4 weeks after surgery....after that, I started to gain weight. Everything I lost pre and post op. Even with the one fill..... Then I went in for my second fill....2cc's...after that everything held constant...no gain or loss..... It was not until my 3rd and final fill, 12 weeks after surgery, did the band start to work and I began to steadily loose my weight. That was over 4 years ago, never had a fill since, and have lost all my excess weight. Continued to loose until the fat was gone.

Stalls are when your body catches up and adjusts to the new way you're eating ( or lack thereof) along with physical activity...one needs to keep things changing in order to continue loosing. I never experienced a true stall, because I was (and still am) constantly improving and setting higher demands on my exercise/running....plus my eating was always evolving discovering healthier more nutritious foods. So I never fell into a routine, or rut, that lasted very long....changed weekly. I'm finished loosing weight....I get on the scale every day, sometimes twice a day...I gain and loose the same 5 lbs, which could be a 10lb swing positive and negative, for years now...perfectly normal.

Alex and I have something in common...other than WLS.

I was taking insulin and oral meds....and then could not get my Glucose under control, A1C's were always high... That is all behind me now, for almost 4 years.....no more meds at all!! Threw away all my pens and needles....to be honest, I don't check my blood levels anymore....I see my PCP every 4 months and my A1C's are always normal....

I've thrown away more buffalo wings than I can remember...I got leftovers in the fridge right now that will go in the trash tomorrow. And yes, I only ate 2, maybe three

I am 5'8, and at one time weighed 275....could have been more, was too embarrassed to get on a scale.... I had lap band surgery...lost ALL my excess weight. It totally changed my life!! I cannot begin to explain the feeling I now have about myself, and everything around me.... It was definitely worth it!! Most people say around here how difficult it was, how miserable they feel, problems, etc, etc. etc.... Someone has to say it...it was the easiest thing I have ever done....granted, the first 6 months were difficult, because I had to adjust myself in ways of eating, etc, in order to be in "Balance" with this surgery. Once I got that down, absolute heaven.... BTW, you mention what your normal weight should be...that is based upon BMI's which is very unscientific and inaccurate....only way to now if you are a good healthy weight is to have a body fat analysis done. According to BMI's, I am 10 lbs overweight.....according to my body fat %. I am "Athletic"...there is no weight left for me to loose, unless I want to loose muscle.... There was pro football player, a running back, in the super bowl a few years ago playing for new England....they gave his stats...he was the same height as me, but weighed 20 lbs more!!! I quickly looked it up, and he would be OBESE!!! Baloney!!! He did not have an ounce of fat on him, and was a star player that game.....

I eat what I want, when I want....(loosely said) I do not consider myself to follow any particular diet plan....simply put, because of the Lap band, I eat about a 1/10th of what I used to eat over a 24hr period....so considering I eat so little, I try to make the best of what I do eat.... But to answer your question, yes I do snack, when I am hungry...which is very rare. Yesterday was Memorial Day..lots of food around at backyard party....I snacked all day...but when I sit and think about what I ate over the entire 24hr period, it still adds up to 1/10th of what I would have normally eaten before surgery....

Everyone follows their particular "Diet" that will lead them to weight loss...if they should change, ie; adding sweets, then I would imagine they would disrupt that diet and start to gain weight? Myself, I never been on any particular diet, never counted calories, and never deprived myself of the things I enjoy...sweets. I was fat - Morbidly Obese....because I simply ate too much...enough to feed multiple people.... Since having the lap band, and getting it properly adjusted...I can still eat what I want to eat, just less...a lot less. Like a Bird... Granted, there are some foods my band will not tolerate so I will never eat them again...And since I eat so little each day...again, thanks to the band, not me....I try to make the best of what I do eat nutritionally speaking. But I don't deny myself of lifes pleasures, I am not on any "Diet", I am following a new "Normal" way of life that I will for the rest of my life....

My surgery was on a Monday Morning...6am I was prepped..... My Final weigh in with my Surgeon was the Friday before...if I did not loose the required weight he would postpone the surgery.... So, that Friday night I went out with my family for my "last Meal"...I too chose a place that I knew I would never step foot in again....and yes, it was a "All you can eat" Chinese buffet...complete with a raw bar, stir fry and carving stations...the works.... Saturday and Sunday it was back to shakes and small snacks.

Did your band stop working? Became less effective? Can you re-call when, possibly how? I would be concerned, and would call my Dr. if my band suddenly, or over time, stopped being effective.... Possibly a leak? Came undone? Lots of things...fortunately it is as effective today as it's ever been...so any change would alarm me. Also, what makes you think your band slipped....I never experience it, so I am always curious what the symptoms are....

I always use Peanut Butter...along with 1/2 banana ...sometimes chocolate....TASTES GREAT!!! I use just about anything my imagination can come up with when making high Protein smoothies. I also use a high end blender...so you don't even know it's there except for the taste.... However, you are post-op...so you need to follow your Dr.'s post op directions.

I'll be the odd one in the bunch, but I am being honest when I say I don't have any guilty pleasures....I still enjoy the things I want to enjoy.... Difference now and before WLS, is that I cannot eat too much....cannot overeat..... So I enjoy the things I choose, it's just that I now eat 1/10th of what I used to eat.... Also there are things I Cannot eat...rice was one of the first to go...so no more sushi...breads and baked goods was also gone for me...so no more pastries, do-nuts, cakes, beads, pizza crust, etc.

That is what happens if you do not eat properly, or the wrong types of foods....which will only come into play if you have any restriction. When you have any restriction, you will know it....for me, the way my band is adjusted, I am FORCED to eat slowly, take small bites, avoid certain foods, not drink while eating, and do not overeat...stop when the band says stop..... If I do not do any of the above, THEN I will get stuck , slime, pain, all the unpleasant things. It FORCES you to change your behavior, it FORCES you to eat differently, not the way a fat person does, but the way we are supposed to eat....I eat like a bird. And I have been doing it for so long now, it has become 2nd nature...it's who I am now...don't need to think about it.... Everything I mentioned are the so called "Rules".....they started hammering these rules into my head long before I had surgery.....I did question as to why...sounds like Diet Talk..... It was explained to me, that the rules are not there to help you loose weight, the rules are there so that when my band gets adjusted to where there I start to have some restriction, then I will wish I knew these rules...it is then I will need them more than ever.....( and they wee right!) I read posts here all the time where people feel following the rules is what will lead them to loose weight.....I was taught differently...I was taught the Band is what will lead me to loosing weight, (that's why I needed surgery) and the "Rules" will need to be learned and followed so I can get along with the band from day to day....

I invested in a Good Blender......every morning, I make myself a "Smoothie" starting with 35 grams of Protein, add fresh or frozen fruit...usually mixed berries, 1/2 banana, Peanut Butter, chocolate, just about ANYTHING your imagination can come up with....mix it with 8 ozs of skim milk, almond milk, or just Water.... I've been doing this for years now... you don't need WLS to do this, there are tons of people I know who follow this...my health club has a "juice Bar" where they make all sorts of smoothies - juices you can pick from a menu..... All that protein and other nutrients....try to match that with eggs, toast, or any other solid foods you can come with to match it! Not to mention how much you would have to eat.... Also, as a banded person, I cannot eat anything in the morning...usually not until around 10 am....but after having a smoothie, I'm good to go all day....

To put it simply, for me,...I CAN'T eat pizza....oh sure I could if I wanted to but it would take me 20 minutes to get through one slice...with the risk of getting stuck with every swallow....so when you consider the nutritional value, Why Bother? Plus, the band controls my portions...how much I can eat. So why blow that window on pizza? There are other foods that are the same way for me....and most, if not all, are not good for me in the first place.... And for that reason, I am 100% successful both in weight loss and health......I cannot do the things I used to do that made me lazy and fat....a place where I will never go to again as long as I have this band. And for me, THAT's what it's all about! A life changer.... (I love it when the staff in my Dr.'s office tells me stories about people getting un-filled so they can enjoy things like chocolate Mud Pie, Cheeseburgers, and Pizza! We have a good laugh if it wasn't so sad!)

I have a spanx t-shirt....even though I am done loosing weight, I still wear it when "in the spotlight" such as public speaking or, for my daughters wedding!!! Be warned...they are a bitch putting on....no lie!

I have the lap band, and have to say after 4-1/2 years, I have never had that "Full" feeling....that feeling when after pigging out at a Thanksgiving dinner and you have to un-buckle your pants... I simply cannot continue...hard to explain As far as my head goes, I am never really hungry...and I have no interest in food...if I forget to eat, it does not bother me. Today is an example....have not eaten since breakfast smoothie. It is as though my band is telling my brain I am full, and I don't need o eat anymore...even if I have not eaten. Back to the thanksgiving analogy, remember when you were so full that if you did jot want to look at another piece of pie? Well, I'm like that all the time...at least mentally...

When I was Obese, and had nerve pain from diabetes, I found "Brooks" to be the best...

There is definitely a different approach to WLS between men and women, and this entire website is all about women.... When I was an undergrad, I worked different jobs in hospitals....surrounded by women... One time, the dept director who i worked for, called me in her office and sat me down....she explained to me that I was the only male working in and for a dept of over 35 women....now there is 30 days in a month....so, on any given day...... She told me everyone likes me, so please don't take it personally... I do public speaking, inservices, etc, (including WLS Support meetings) and at times find the entire group comprised of women....I have to change my entire approach in what I am presenting, and sometimes leave information out....some things better not said......they simply would not understand my intent. This website, there is no hiding from different gender groups,,,everything said can be read and responded to by anyone... hence, the "Men's" group, and the "Women's" groups. I have found myself in situations, when working with women, the conversation would take a turn in a direction where it would simply be best for me to leave the room.... I think the same is true here when someone gets offended by certain terms mentioned by certain groups....better off leaving the room.... What I am saying, is there is a big difference....in attitudes, beliefs, approaches, etc...to weight loss. I see it all the time. I have to shake my head at some of things people say, and I'm sure they shake their heads at what I say..... I have found the best way to survive on this website for so long, is to only speak about things I have first hand experience in....if I don't then I keep my mouth shut...which means right away I do not comment on women's bra sizes, TOM, pregnancy, etc, etc....yet there are people who have to stick their nose in everything. But this is a website dominated by women so sometimes that is all there is....women's perspectives. I will say, over the years I have run across some women that are just down right "Cool" and definitely have it together....love reading their posts.....then, there are some others I would hate to get stranded in a elevator with with...this is a example I would not expect women to understand (except the few who are "Hip") but the "Mother-in-Law" jokes just popped into my head. So, as a man I have survived here over the years......BUT, I have to say, in recent months, there has been a definite shift and noticed this forum has been going downhill....getting hard to handle everyday, and there are posts that are hard to ignore....even when the posts are strictly about weight loss.

Welcome back...... I can certainly understand the reasons to stay away...I did for about a year, then came back....a lot of veterans don't stick around here and move on..... it does start to get old. I'm about to take a leave of absence again.....(can't believe I'm even posting this) This surgery, IMO is for life....forever changing how and what we eat....we just have to get out of the way and let it do what it was designed to do. Congratulations upon your success....we need more Men on this forum...

I would never tell anyone what they should or should not do....especially to strangers on the internet....I'm not their Dr. nor do I even know them...nor do they know me. Only thing people should do is share their personal experiences,...... So, saying that....my band is adjusted to where if I eat too much, to fast, I will get stuck...will also get stuck if I eat the wrong foods...there are certain foods I now avoid because the risk of getting stuck is too great.... It's also interesting that these foods I no longer eat, where not that good for me in the first place and traditional dieters are told to avoid.... The band changed my life....I was fat-obese because I ate like a pig....everything and anything anytime of the day...a real glutton.....I can't do that anymore...because of the restriction, I have to be very selective, and take it very slow....and stop when the band says stop. Sooner or later you get tired of getting stuck....and for me, there is a limit to how much I can eat...the band restricts my portion sizes....force the issue by attempting to overeat results in the same experience as not eating properly....so it is impossible for me to overeat...(I tried) My last fill I could not keep anything down for weeks....called My Dr...(who knows me) and he told me to stick it out and think about what I was eating and how I was eating it....and he was right...it was my bad habits that were the problem, not the band being too tight. That was 4 years ago.... So, for me, I have to eat slowly, small bites and swallows, and stop when the band says stop.....otherwise it will result unpleasantly....call it behavior modification....because of the band I don't eat the same way as I did prior to surgery...and that is what led me to success.... I have not gotten stuck in years...come close from time to time, but that's when I stop.... I read posts here all the time from people who get stuck, and feel they are too tight and go get Fluid taken out.... Where they too tight? How am I (or anyone else) supposed to know?...I'm not their Dr.,or even know them the slightest.... I do not know these people...they're strangers....nor do they know me so why should they listen to what I tell them to do or not to do.... Again, all I can do is share MY stories.... Maybe they are not too tight, but are still trying to eat like a fat person eats....Who Knows? Not me...

There are many here that talk about DS surgery, I'm sure some will share their experiences.... As far as loosing too much weight...the goal is to loose body fat.....and maintain muscle and other important stuff. This can vary from person to person....one person can be very muscular, and according to BMI's they would be classified as overweight or borderline obese...but their body fat % is very low and they would be very healthy with a high BMI....the opposite is true...one can loose weight, have a "Normal" BMI, and still be very unhealthy and have associated health risks as someone who is obese because their weight is comprised of too much fat. People throw around #'s in pounds only....setting goals at certain weights....I want to weigh this much, etc, etc.,....and that, in itself, is wrong. The goal should be to rid the body of fat and not make weight the primary target. According to BMI's I am still 20 lbs over weight....but my body fat % is low...very low in the "Athletic" range....if I was to loose that additional 20 lbs, or any more weight for that matter, it would be very unhealthy....it would not be fat I'm loosing. THAT would be true starvation.... It is important to get the required Protein every day, and to exercise regularly to maintain body muscle....and concentrate on getting rid of the fat...let the weight fall where it will.....

I get mine done all the time....only true way to judge your weight loss and goal weight.... The health club I go to has a scale/machine....but now they charge $12 so I only get it done once a month. And yes, how do you do it online? The scale I use, you have to be barefooted and grasp an electrode/sensor in each hand....it's all hooked up to a lap top that gives out a full print out. Sends electrical impulses throughout the body, reading resistance and impedance.

Just so I get educated.... Why Mexico....what are you having done, and is Insurance covering it? Also, what is the total $$ Thanks in advance. I do not need anything from loosing weight, but at my age maybe a little lift and tightening around the face wold be nice.

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