B-52

It's never anybodies place to tell someone else what they're medical treatment should be.... Like I previously said, my Dr. would ask me to point to the chart where I felt I was....he would ask a few questions, look at my weight loss (or not) since the last visit, then determine if, and how much. of a fill I should get that visit,,,,, he would always point to the chart and say "THIS is where we want you to be" and he kept at it until we got there..... I have not had a fill since May of 2011.....

I've tried it on my own countless times over 30 years...everything from Dr supervised diets, acupuncture, hypnotism and drugs...... Failed at everyone, and gained the weight back..... My story is I have absolutely no self control or discipline when it came to dieting.....went ok at first, maybe 6 months, then hat was it.... i HAD to have surgical intervention to prevent me from doing harm to myself...preventing me from overeating all the time.... I am happy to say that for me, this has worked, and I am not afraid of ever gaining the weight back as long as the band remains in place properly filled..... But traditional dieting???? Not me.....

Yes, and NO!!! We definitely do not buy near as much as we used to......but we waste more than we eat.... It's hard to cook traditional recipes that can feed 4 people, when you're only going to eat less than 1/2 of what one person would normally eat..... It is still a learning game....sometimes it is easier to eat out, or order take out, and just have Soup and a appetizer.....

If you ask me, the 2nd and 3rd MONTHS are nothing more than traditional dieting....It took me maybe 4-5 months of VERY HARD WORK before I finally got the band optimally adjusted and things started to get easier....then after 6-7 months, when I figured out how to "Do It".....it has been pure freedom ever since..... But those first months, PHASE II, Bandster Hell.....that was the hardest of all....if it was a true traditional diet as in the past with so many other diets, I would have thrown in the towel.....very frustrating to have surgery and have to face that all over again....but until the band is properly adjusted, there is nothing else one can do but "White Knuckle" it all the way to Phase 3......

I'm a gun owner...and have been a hunter since I was 12, although have not been recently......... When I was growing up, seemed like everyone in our town had guns.....you could walk into any department store that had a sporting goods section and but one on the spot....just needed to be 18.....no big deal....and anybody of any age could buy ammo...I know because I did it when I was 15, friends and I would go to sand pits to target practice. NEVER heard about the insane stuff going on today by sick, evil individuals....I truly believe there is something else going on.......

Yes, in most cases.... Generally the surgeon will prescribe a few days of liquid ( 5 day pouch test?) but if that does not help, sometimes due to patient non compliance but not always, the surgeon is forced to do a complete unfill to give the band a rest untill things settle down. Ether way the thinking is the same. Most people I know, myself included, having reached their goal and no more fills ever needed, will routinely do a few days liquid as a time out rest.

I agree.....medical conditions always seem to interfere with lab band surgery and it's normal protocol.....seems every time I read about people claiming failures, there is usually something medical that is the underlying cause.

For me, being in the "Green Zone" is what. and still is what it is all about.... Even before being banded my surgeon showed me the chart and said "This is where we want you to be....this is our goal for you" It has always been about getting there, and once there it is about staying there with little "maintenance" tips.. Green Zone means: NOT HUNGRY.....my hunger is totally under control, food simply does not interest me anymore. GOOD WEIGHT LOSS....never had a problem with this, other than a plateau here and there, once I was in the Green Zone PORTION CONTROL...Does not matter where I'm at, vacation, Thanksgiving, a restaurant, etc, etc...the band will allow me to eat so much and that's it...I CANNOT overeat..simple! PATIENT SATISFACTION....Well, when you have the above, how can you not be happy? Whenever I visit my Surgeon, he always points to the chart on the wall and asks me "Where do you think you are?" and after I point to a spot, he then says "Let's talk about it, THIS is where you need to be" Too often I read posts on this forum about this and that, overeating, not happy, not loosing weight, etc.etc....and all too often people will give different answers and advice. I wonder sometimes if this is a site for Lap Band Surgery or Weight Watchers...... My concerns are always "Are you in the Green?" and if not, "WHY NOT?" Like I said, that has been and always will be what this surgery is all about....once I got to that point it has been pure heaven....EASY GOING the whole way, and still is. Now I know there are people who CHOOSE NOT to take it all the way, and that's fine as long as they're happy with the results...but me...I want everything the band was designed to do...maximum results with the littlest effort on my part...which I am glad to say I have achieved....the only hard part was learning to understand how to live the new lifestyle with the band...new foods, new eating techniques, and learning how to "Listen" to the band when it is sending me signals...... So much for my early morning rant...off to the gym! \ \

Very Good News..... For me, the pain is not that uncommon, it is usually a sign to take smaller bites, more time in between, the food I'm eating is too rough, (hard) or to stop altogether..... Knowing what foods to eat and knowing how to eat, it is usually my signal to stop eating..... Does not surprise me your Dr. was not alarmed, but actually gave you a small fill..... Being in the Green Zone is a wonderful thing.....but learning to live with the band, read all the signals is a learning curve we all go through to be successful.

Like 2muchfun said, it is NOT something that happens instantaneous.... Just like your belly getting big before loosing the weight, it comes from continuous overeating - overfilling your pouch..... For me....this is almost impossible to do, once I hit the Green Zone....If I try to over eat it would be disastrous....(I tried and learned my lessons) But I also believe the Pouch can and does stretch a little from time to time simply from over use....and for myself, I can tell this when my portion sizes are becoming larger than usual.... When this happens, I go full liquids for a day or 2-3, and things will return to normal. Some people refer to this as the "5 Day Pouch Test" which isn't a test at all actually, but someone's clever procedure to simply let the pouch get a rest and return to it's original shape. I do this at least once a month for maintenance....keeps me "tight" and in the Green!

I do a of of Public speaking and would wear a Men's T-shirt....... Happy to say I no longer need one......! I now have a normal weight and a BELOW Normal Body Fat %

Dried food is a KILLER.....Chicken is one of my main stays...but I will not order it in a restaurant because it is usually dry and tough....(old?) For that matter, after a while you have to learn which are the better restaurants to go to..... My Wife loves "Outback"...but there is absoululey nothing I can eat.....90% Red meat, and the Chicken is rock hard.....lately they have been coming out with more seafood choices other than shrimp...... Cannot eat deep fried (breaded) foods anymore..... Raw Veggies....bust be very careful......same with most fruits.... This may sound strange....but I have learned that I needed to "Listen to my Band" It gives me feedback with every swallow...even water...and I need to understand what it it trying to tell me....especially what NOT to eat, and when to STOP.... Some people say the band is only a "Tool"...That's Ok, I understand where they are at...but for me...the band is "Totally in Charge".....

Be careful what you ask for......

You're supposed to get Protein.....meat is a good source, but not the only source.

Keep in mind, everyone's funnel is different.....it is adjustable......

If you drink too much too fast, it will not pass through your band fast enough..... It happens to me all the time when I am working out.....there is a sharp pain, possibly stretching the pouch momentarily, but the water comes right up and I spit it out. ( I always have small towel handy, usually to wipe sweat from my eyes) Think of a funnel.....if you pour water slowly it will pass through easily..... If you pour too much too fast it will over flow...not giving it time to pass...... I don't think it is in the pouch long enough to stretch it, but it des come right back up. And NEVER have food sitting there.....that can stretch the pouch for sure. But it will probably come right back up.... When I used to get stuck in those early learning days.....sipping water will get me unstuck by having it come up. Also, a lot depends on how tight your band is.....mine is very tight and I have to sip everything, all the time..... BTW, right after my workout, I drink 32 oz of water withinn 30 minutes while sitting in the sauna or steam room......one sip at a time.

I am unique, and have my own quirky ways of doing things..... When I work out, I have it in my mind that I am going to use the stored fat I have as a my energy...I'm going to "Burn" that source first.... I like to exercise first thing in the morning, before I have anything to eat.....I felt if I ate before I worked out, I would be using what I just ate and nothing else.... I will take 15gm of liquid Protein, my Vitamins, omega's, etc to get my metabolism jump started.........and never had an issue with energy.....(also my morning coffee...can't leave home without it) Then, after a good workout, my body is screaming to be fed! I want to eat a full Breakfast (if I could)...but I always felt that would defeat what I had just accomplished...so I would have a high protein, nutritious recovery shake....... Like I said, that's just my idiosyncrasies....but It helped me......

There are many posts here about people running 5K's, etc, as though we are all some kind of experts that fell from the sky or something... I just want to say that that is not, and has not, always been the case.....NOTHING can be further from the truth! There was a time, 2 years ago to be exact, where I could not carry groceries into the house without becoming short of breath. When with a group of people, I was the one that everyone had to stop and wait for, so I could catch up.... I was banded 2 years ago....I joined a gym a full year before being banded, and went regularly...but it was pure HELL! But I did it because I KNEW it was the right thing to do.... Forget the treadmill...too high impact for someone with all that excess weight. So I did the elliptical...but even then I could not go more than 15 minutes without killing myself. My lungs would burn! I did all I could to get just 20 minutes in with minimal resistance. I did lift weights more than anything....I was one of those people who would carry my towel strategically in the locker room to try to hide my naked body.... Not sure it did anything, and even though I could not feel any difference I'm sure it had to have some benefit. But I never felt it...just aching muscles and joints... It was only after being banded, when the weight began to come off, that I felt my exercising began to improve also...it went hand in hand. The more I lost, the better my workouts became.....I steadily increased my workouts on the elliptical, longer times and higher resistance... It was only last march, after I reached my goal weight wise, I felt I was not getting any more benefit from the elliptical....that I moved onto the treadmill. Walking at first, then slowly increasing to running. I started wearing a heart monitor and concentrated on aerobic workouts (and still do) I began the C to 5k program, a 12 week course that took me 20 weeks to get through. I then went on to the C to 10K program and breezed through that....1/2 of it was a repeat. Today, I get on the treadmill and run 5 miles, 5 days a week....but like I said, it took over 2 years to get there, and 100 lbs lighter..... Long story short...everyone has to start somewhere...the important thing is to start...and since you have been banded, it will go hand in hand and after a period of time you will not believe you are the same person! But you have to start! BTW, did I mention I'm 61 years old? And had one Heart attack resulting in Cardiac Surgery? So it is never too late, or early for that matter, to start! If I can do it, ANYONE can! Just remember many (myself) have been where you are, and eventually turned it around......so it can and does work! And all of what I just said is a lesson on CONFIDENCE building....but I will save that one for another time. each step of the way I learned something new about confidence, perhaps the reason I was fat and failed at loosing weight in the first place..... I

I prefer the early morning.......My gym opens at 5am, I'm there 5 days a week before 6am.... I prefer the gym because I can sit in the sauna, whirlpool, shower, shave, fresh clothes, Protein shake for Breakfast at the juice bar...then off to work. After a 10-12 hour on my feet in clinics, I don't feel like doing much of anything when I get home except a "Adult Beverage" like a Scotch or a Beer...whichever...then dinner, maybe but not always.

As a side note.....I have lost 100lbs.....and people ask me all the time (including myself) where is all the excess skin? Well, I believe it is because I run 5 miles a day, drink all my Water everyday, and never go without my daily Protein.....plus I sit in a 170 degree sauna for 30 minutes everyday, and finish it all up with a "Ice Plunge" (like swedes jumping in the snow) All of these things contribute to "Good Healthy Skin and Muscle Tone" I believe, as I was loosing the weight, my skin was actually getting tighter!!!

In the beginning, I was having trouble with meat also....my Surgeon said that is not unusual... Since all my Dr.'s have been preaching to me about cutting back on Red Meat to once a week at least, and MANY of my friends have gone vegetarian....I figured it was as good as time as any since this is to be a all out life changing event... So I have been without red meat for 1 1/2 years now..... I'm not fanatical about it....I'm not picky if meat is in chili, etc,. you just won't see me ordering a steak, roast or pork chops.....fir instance. Plus I'm sure it will not go down anyway..... Again, one of the best decisions I've made...I can definitely tell the difference....

I like my band "Tight".....after my last fill it took me 3-4 weeks for ME to adjust to the band.... I feel the band can be put on a scale of 1 to 10....1 being no band at all....and 10 being ridiculous! People who are always complaining about being hungry, overeating, not loosing any weight, etc, are down around 2-4 on the scale, mostly newbies just starting out. No restriction at all other than post-op irritation, etc. The majority of people on this forum are in the 4-6 range, 50% band, 50% self control, discipline....these are the people who say it is hard work, the band is only a "Tool", takes discipline, need to follow the rules, measure food, count calories, etc.....I also feel it would be just as easy for people to fail, as well as succeed in this category because much of their efforts is based upon themselves, as well as the band.... These people are still "Dieting" and use the band as a deterrent.... And then, there are people like me (not many here) that would be in the 8-9 range on the scale.... I CANNOT overeat...it is physically impossible without pain and spitting it all up..... I have NEVER felt full as has been mentioned, it is something different..... No matter what you put in front of me.....I will only be able to eat 2-4 swallows and I am finished.... I do not diet.....I do not worry about calorie counting......I have NO CONTROL over what the band is doing to me....what I needed to do is learn to live with it...change my lifestyle..."LISTEN" to the band..... Since my food intake is very, very limited...it is important that whatever I do eat it is Good Food Choices....there are foods I simply cannot eat anymore, not that I care....red meat, rice, flour products, deep fried breaded foods....ALL of which is not good for me in the first place..... Get all my daily Protein, even if liquid, daily Water requirements, Vitamins, supplements and exercise.......all essential....Food takes a back seat... It would NEVER be my place to tell other people what they should or should not do.....but over the years I have witnessed many people who, after a few fills, panic the first time they get stuck and run and get a un-fill....then 2 -3 weeks later these same people are complaining they are not loosing weight.... If people are not willing to let the band do what it was designed to do, and if people are not willing to change...then these people will never be successful....unless of course they have good self discipline and fall into that middle category.....good dieters! ( I have never been good at dieting) I have not gotten stuck in over a year now....but in the adjustment phase I got stuck quite often until I learned my lessons..... I cannot imagine how on earth I can ever fail at this....short of getting a un-fill, or some medical emergency I have no control over.... I cringe every time I read "The Band Does Not Work"...but it is not my pace to tell othr people they are right or wrong....I can just state what is true for me...... And lastly...there is a entire different population of people on this website when I first joined....they have all moved on, completing their journey and being successful....they have no reason to come around here anymore so you don't hear from them..... I can understand why...this forum is made up of "newbies" with the same problems over and over again....it is very hard to hear the same thing everyday........ I stayed away for a while, and will probably need to take a break again...but I do belong to other groups where the people have been banded for a while, and we support each other on a different level...... Ok, so much for venting on a Monday Morning.....

I like to run first thing in the morning....as a matter of fact it is 5am here now and I'm getting ready to leave.... I like to run an empty stomach....I will take some liquid Protein (15gm) before a run just for energy...along with my Vitamins, Omega 3's, etc.,.....but no food because I want to burn fat...not the food I just ate. Soon I will need to eat before I run, because I don't have much, if any, fat left to burn....but the protein seems to help tremendously and I do not like feeling like I just ate when I work out.... I drink 32oz of Water before during and after running. I will have a high protein smoothie after my workout....but this is also my Breakfast, not just a recovery. As far as abdominal pain....it has nothing to do with being banded.....but everything to do with your body getting extremely "toned" like no other exercise can possibly do.... I have not lost any significant weight in about a year now.....BUT I have dropped 2 clothing sizes just the same, and ready to go to a third drop....that will tell you something about running! I had someone ask me, right out of the blue, if I was a runner.....I said how can you tell? They said I have the legs of a runner and walk (stride) like I run a lot... That was the best NSV I have received in a long time....and never saw that one coming.... (did I mention I'm 61 years old?)

I take them with me when I travel....being able to eat good band friendly foods on the road is difficult, so I use these to get my protein and not worry about eating all that much.....

You will get what appears to be lack of restriction, able to eat more than you normally can with the band....( but you need to have good restriction for period of time first, not for newbies) I always go full liquids for a few days from time to time, maybe once a month.....some call it the 5 day pouch test, but it does not have to be that strict....that's the only true maintenance I do.... Just enough time to allow things to return to normal....... But again, I have been in the Green for over 18 months, and have not had a fill since then....I can tell right away when things are getting abnormal......I have automatic portion size control, no measuring, because of the band and can tell right away when that changes......as opposed to a needing a fill, etc..