B-52

Check with your DR..... My Dr. did not care what I ate...as long as I lost a certain # of lbs within those 2 weeks prior to surgery....OR ELSE! But you have come this far, don't blow it in the last 2 weeks...that was my mantra.

No doubt...ever see someones inside??? (an obese person) Visceral fat is body fat that's stored within the abdominal cavity around a number of important internal organs such as the liver, pancreas and intestines. If you're loosing weight, hopefully it is this fat that can do the most harm.... So yes, the band can become looser if the fat is disappearing. Loosing weight and BMI's are fine...but it is the Fat that one must get rid of. So look at the positive side...if you're loosing weight and your band is getting looser as you do it, it is because you are getting rid of that internal fat that can surely kill you.

Too much protein can be a bad thing...if thats a possibility

I have a photo of me jumping off the cliff...but enough is enough.

My opinion, based on my experience, is you have not even began the weight loss process yet..... All you have accomplished thus far is the preparation, and then the surgery itself....having the band installed..nothing else. Now is the time to heal and get back to normal. Just as you were before the surgery. Same cravings, appetites, etc. Once you are ready, then the Dr. will begin the process of adjustments / fills....to get both the band and yourself adjusted to a new lifestyle..THIS CAN TAKE MONTHS...THEN the real weight loss begins!!! Those first few months are called Bandster's Hell....during this time I gained weight. The staff at the Bariatric Clinic kept preaching to me about calorie counting, measuring portions, etc, etc...which is all good, but I could (and have) done all that without surgery!!! Not to mention, it was because I failed at dieting so many time for so many years, that surgery was the last resort...it was supposed to change all that...it was supposed to be different.... I can easily look back almost 5 years ago, and say those first few months were brief as opposed to my current lifestyle, being absolutely normal weight with no excess weight left to loose, completing this process, and going about my business day to day as though all this is now behind me (it isn't, but it feels that way) Only thing I worry about these days is getting enough Protein per day, and eating good foods....NOT to loose weight, but focused on being healthy....same as non WLS people do. All I am saying is PATIENCE...This thing DOES WORK, IF YOU WANT IT TO! Unlike other surgeries you read about here, the LAP Band takes time to get it working.....

Had my ANNUAL appointment with my Cardiologist today.....it could not have gone any better. EVERYTHING is just fine. Usually, ever since my heart attack and surgery, I have undergone yearly stress tests....today he blew it off, said there is absolutely no indication I need one...we'll wait till next spring, maybe. Five years ago it was a different story, I was a train wreck waiting to happen. But now, all that has been turned around, and I owe it all to WLS !!! In my case, the lap band..... Lost all my weight, next to none body fat which also means clean and clear arteries, and can't get enough exercise because I know the more I do the better off I am....and feel. BTW, my Cardiologist was one who didn't think I needed WLS, it was a waste of time, and all I had to do was diet and exercise...diet and exercise...diet and exercise....I was sick of hearing that. And I had to get him to sign off on it. NOW he calls me HIS poster patient, a success, uses me as an example to other patients my age, says it can be done, you can get better.......he does not mention the WLS.....

I had to give up, or tune down, my use of hot sauce and also spicey foods altogether......after surgery, it is much easier to get acid reflux and this seemed to be one of the reasons.... I suppose if I was able to eat as much as before surgery, it would not matter. But now that I eat so little, a little hot sauce has more effect.

I was obese because I could not control my eating....I ate like a machine, as though I was trying to win a contest. Lap band surgery, a few adjustments (fills) to find that sweet spot (green Zone) I now eat like a normal person, I do not follow any particular diets, do not count calories or carbs although some foods are obviously crazy high stupid and should be avoided by all people, WLS or not...and in doing so my weight came off, surpassed any goals I set for myself, and settled out at a place that is a direct correlation to my new lifestyle, which is eating normal again and being active for health reasons. This is permanent, I do not want anything to change, will not get Fluid taken out for that would put me back into that abnormal lifestyle. I don't believe in maintenance...been there with crash diets where after loosing weight you slowly re-enter a normal lifestyle. I enjoy eating the things I like, drink the things I want, go to parties, family get together s,nice resturants .....live day by day as any other routine day......have absolutely no side effects......occasionally I will take too large a swallow or something that is too harsh for the band, and I will be reminded right away I am stepping out of bounds...the band is always there, like a watchdog. The majority of the time I don't even think about having WLS... For me, it is similar as someone who has had total knee or total hip surgery...you have a problem, and have surgery to correct it....followed by a year of rehab and learning how to get on with your life, and eventually start running 5K's again. Why would I want anything to change? Why would I want to undo what was accomplished?? Would I want my dentist to remove my caps in a few years? Ophthalmologist tell me I can stop wearing contacts because it's been years now? Maybe my cardiologist can undo the surgery he did on my heart a few years ago because I am doing so well and healthy right now.... I had a problem, had surgery to correct it, and now will live the rest of my life having that problem fixed. Everybody has a different belief and approach to WLS, and I respect that....I don't expect people to do things simply because I do......It's all about loosing weight and getting your life back.....and THAT is the point to it all. And of course, my Dr. will someday suggest something I am not considering....but until that day, if it ever comes......

Can't live without coffee....I am at least 3 cups a day, including espresso. had my first cup of Black Coffee within 24 hrs of surgery.

BMW Convertible is my recreation vehicle......( I have a company car) It's a new life, your outlook, self esteem, confidence, and tastes in just about everything changes....you are definitely born again.

That's why I never said anything to anybody.... When people asked me how did I loose so much weight, I simply tell them I eat like a normal person does, not a machine, not out to win eating contest. And what I do eat, I concentrate on healthy, high protein foods.

Nothing really....I never had a daily eating routine, so everyday is a little different than the other......I'll go all liquids for a day or two, and that is about the only maintenance I do with the band. If I switch anything up, it would be at the gym....get tired with the same routine after a few months and will explore other workout options. Think I will start daily swimming this fall, and then run only twice a week....I swam a few weeks ago on vacation and I was surprised how quickly I tired...so that would be something good to work on.

I stink at diets...failed at every diet I ever attempted...you name it, I tried it. Even the 6 month diet required by mu insurance,m I failed...officially proving, on the record, that I could not loose weight the traditional way. My insurance co. made me jump through hoops for almost a year. So when I finally approved, it came down to the 2 week liquid diet to shrink my liver prior to surgery. It was hard...2 weeks!! But I had come so far and done so much, I kept telling myself I was NOT going to screw it up now! I am 63 years old, have been banded almost 5 years. The first phase, say 4-6 months after surgery, was extremely difficult and frustrating for me...felt I had wasted my time, it would never work, I'm doomed to always be a failure, etc, etc. But once I got through all the adjustments, learned and adapted new ways of eating along with giving up certain food types, ans began to understand my band more and more....the pounds just started to melt away and it became the easiest and best decision I have ever made. I finished this process (hate the term journey) 4 years ago...I am done loosing weight, simply no excess fat to loose. I have adapted a new lifestyle. Every day is just like any other day, with no thoughts of diets or having to loose weight. But like I said, the beginning was extremely difficult for me....but I stuck it out and never looked back and finally broke through to the other side. So, this thing DOES WORK.....You have to want it to get it, but it is there for the offering. Some people give up and choose not to proceed...stay within their comfort level never reaching that full potential. The Lap band is adjustable, and can be set on many different levels.

Are you sure you have 9cc in a 10cc b and? When was the last time you've seen your Dr.....my Dr pulls out all the Fluid with a empty syringe, measures it, checks color, etc. If it's the same as last time, then no leaks. And discoloration, well that's another story. He then re-fills the band with same amount of fresh saline. If you are overeating, eating large portions, you have no restriction. Restriction will prevent you from doing that. I can NEVER overeat, even if I tried (and I have tried) Either you do not have 9cc's in your band, or you are having other issues I will not venture to quess to a stranger. Either way, go see your Dr. for answers. Something is not correct.

I did on my last fill....my Dr. asked me to stick it out.....I took it easy for a week or two more, liquids and mushie foods, and eventually it subsided....I have been there ever since, over 4 years ago and doing just fine.....

For me, I just kept on doing what I was doing.....and I passed MY goal and slowly continued to loose until my body settled out where it should be..... It's not a diet where I can turn it on and off, go on maintenance, etc, ....it was surgery that permanently changed my digestive system resulting in how and what I eat, and will remain that way for the rest of my life. The process is complete, finished, and I just get on with my new life..... I still have to pay taxes, face life's crisis, challenges...they don't go away....but my self confidence, attitude could not be better....and I have become more successful in things other than being a normal weight. I just got back from a Caribbean vacation and it felt good to walk around the pool with just my bathing suit, showing off my muscles rather than hiding my fat.

I'd keep your appointment and simply inform them what is going on.... The band does do strange things. Restriction can increase and decrease for no consistent reason. People have all sorts of theories why, but it can happen anytime for me ad after 4-1/2 years I still can pin it down other than a few things will cause band tightness such as irritation from eating the wrong foods. I am the tightest first thing in the morning, and have not had a solid Breakfast since surgery. There are days I feel I can eat anything, then there are days I do not eat anything...have no idea why. Sometimes I am forced to eat nothing but Soups, etc for my dinner. It comes and goes. I have been banded going on 5 years, and i know my band's behavior very well....but I absolutely have no idea what is going on with your body....4.5cc in a 14cc band sounds to me like nothing, But stick with your appointment and see what your Dr. says....by then this may have all passed.

What does your Dr. recommend? usually, you have to lay off solid foods for a while so everything else will go right through, giving your pouch a time of rest. If you can't lay off solid foods, then a Dr. will completely un-fill the band, taking away all restriction, and accomplishing the same thing. In your case the Dr. wants to take the band out? So be it...but then what, go with the sleeve? Your pouch is still part of your stomach, and is designed to expand and contract, depending upon the volume, band or no band. In overly simple terms, you now have 2 stomachs, and ignoring the stop signals and overeating will stretch the pouch, just as the stomach would do. Myself, I will go all liquids for 2-3 days every so often to give my pouch, band a rest and not overuse it. This is the only maintenance I do, and it is the only maintenance I can think of doing for that matter. I read about people with the band going on maintenance, but after 4-1/2 years I still don't know what that would entail.

Actually, I DID get the OP....but then I listen and have to interpret what patients are saying all day long, and for that I speak and understand crazy...in multiple languages. And if one on one, face to face, I would know what to say to get the OP to focus...and if He/She wouldn't - couldn't, then I would know who to refer He/She to....

I never stopped, or cut down on my coffee. Starbucks or otherwise!!!

Leaving today for vacation....I am signed up to hike/climb a dormant volcano....description stated it is not for the weak, it is not a pleasure/nature walk, you will get banged up and bruised. Also muddy and slippery because the first half is through a rain Forrest, and it's August in the tropics so very hot. I am 63 years old, history of heart attack.....BRING IT!!!!! BTW, I now do yard work shirtless...would never dream of it a few years ago.

I've never been coaxed into bashing...but I will say, being on the other side there is definitely prejudice towards over weight people. Even the more sympathetic critics will say something as, "Don't they know what they're doing to themselves??? Why don't they do something?" Or..."Oh My God...did you see that?" The more critical comments will be that they are lazy, weak, and have no self respect. Myself, I do feel sad, knowing what they may be going through...(or not)

So how much do you currently have in your band? And what was the most you have had?

I know a person, who has been banded as long as I have, who does not have the traditional 3 meals a day...she has about 5-6 small healthy Snacks per day. Works for her. Bottom Lin...are you consistently loosing weight? That's all that matters.

I have been banded over 4 years and since then I have never had a solid breakfast....I've tried, but just wrote it off. What I do have, aside from my coffee, is make a high protein smoothie in the blender with fresh fruit, etc. 40gm of protein to start the day....try to match that with anything traditional.