B-52

A word to "Newbies" First congratulations. It was a decision I do not regret for one minute, other than I wished I did it sooner. Second....LISTEN TO YOUR DR. and take everything you read here with a grain of salt. A very BIG grain. There is a lot of good information here, and some not so good, not to mention Trolls.

My post was not intended for Newbies......I understand how frustrating beginning this journey can be. What I am referring to, and I mentioned it my post, are those who after a few months will come to some important decisions as to wether they want to sacrifice and continue, or step backwards because they want to hang onto old habits. You're not there yet, I believe, but after a few fills, restriction, and everything that goes with it, you will have to make these decisions also.

It's a high tech high$ scale where you first enter all your info such as height, age, m/f, etc. then you stand on it barefoot and must grab metal handles with both hands. It can detect Fat%, Water%, and weight. We have one at the Health Club I go to.

As you can see I am much more polite and nice over there.

Dr.'s have to tell you something, so the time frames are different. It is NOT about washing food down. Also, it will not mean anything you you unless you have a certain degree of restriction. But like other things, it is a good habit to get into. It works like this....if you have any restriction, food will pass through the band slowly, accumulating in you pouch. I like the "Slow Drain" of a sink analogy. As you eat, food will accumulate in your puch, while passing hrough your band slowly. The pouch can hold just so much. That is why you cannot eat too fast also. That is also why you will finish eating faster than normal with smaller portions. Now with food sitting in your pouch, and your pouch can only hold so much, suddenly adding water on top of that can de disasteous! Like a sink with a slow drain, adding more that it can hold will make it overflow! Not to mention the PAIN, and the possibility of stretching your pouch. As far as drinking before you eat, I don't see the problem and I always do right up to the time I eat. As far as drinking after eating, as you learn to listen and feel your band, you will know when it is safe. As far as snacks, it is not safe to add water when ANYTHING is already sitting in your pouch.

I am 60 and work, play and feel like I'm 40!!!

I never understood Dr.'s who say the 50% thing. Like most scientists, they probably take all data, good and bad, and come up with an average that does not indicate that that is how it will be. If we were to take ALL people's stories here on this website, we would probably come up with similar averages between those who make the most of it and those who don't put much into it. Not necessarily the bands fault!

I HATE Whiners....I can't stand people who cry and say "I can't do this" I can see right through people who "Make excuses" I did not have this surgery so I could go on another diet. The Dr. told me if I have this surgery, it will "Change My Life" forever, and take away many, if no all, the medical problems I have. I expect nothing short of this!!! And have acheived it! People whine saying what do you mean, I'll never be able to eat this or that again??? What do you want...being skinny or your comfort food. If my Dr. told me, in order to have 100% success, I would have to eat bread and Water for 6 months, I still would have asked "Where do I get in line?" It took me 13 months to reach my goal. There are many foods I will never, and really don't want to eat anymore. No more family barbecue "Pig Outs" No more "All you can eat Buffets" I didn't cry and whimper when I got stuck. I took it as CHANGE and learned to live with and around it....changing ME not the band. I can now walk in public, wear a bathing suit, do yard work shirtless, buy normal clothes in a regular store and look good. I read here on LBT everyday from people, and they talk as though they have come to a cross roads in their lap band journey, have to make a decision, and they BACK DOWN instead of sucking it up and moving forward. It's a free world, everyone chooses how to run their own life. Just don't come back here a year from now and say the "Band does not work".

BMI's are not accurate. It is a good place to start but once you start getting the weight off, then body types are different. It is then more accurate to get a BODY FAT % done. If I went by BMI's alone, I am still 25lbs overweight. That's not going to happen. My Body Fat % is below 17%, which puts me in the FIT RANGE. Two people can be the same height, same weight, and yet one can be FIT and the other one can be FAT. There is a starting running back for the New England Patriots. He is the same height as me, but weighs 10 lbs more than me!!! I would not call hime FAT. I'm not saying I'm a NFL Football player, but the comparioson is there.

I'm 60 years old. My goal weight is when I returned from Vietnam back in 1973. The dr. Suggested my weight when I was in H.S., 1970. If I go beyond my goal onto his, that will be OK with me.

That means I can tell newbies about Beer and mixed drinks????

They would stop me ASAP as soon as I tell them I never counted calories or measured my portions!

My Dr. asked me to speak at one of the support groups.....I said "Trust me, You don't wnat me telling them the way I look at things and the way I go about it"

You have just been banded. You HAVE NOT started your weight loss phase yet. Of course everyone looses from the pre and post op diets. Has NOTHING to do with the band untill you are healed, and the Dr. begins to make adjustments (fills) to the band. Can take MONTHS before things start rolling along! And probably a year before you can say you are truley pleased with the outcome. Sorry. You did not put this weight on in 2-3 weeks, and your're not going to loose it that fast either.

You have a large band. Will take more in the way of fills than most others you read about here.

Three months....have you had any fills yet? How many / how much? Are you feeling any restriction at all? Hunger? It's hard to give any advice uless we know where you are at on your journey.

Your tastes will definitley change as you "Mature" with the band. Things that you used to crave, will turn you off. Not only has my tastes changed, and still changing, but I am getting more and more disinterested in food / eating altogether. I can go all day without eating, if I am pre-occupied with something else, and not be bothered one bit. There are times I can't make up my mind what I want to eat for dinner, to the point I say the heck with it. It's all part of the signal the band sends to the brain. It is not a feeling of being FULL or STUUFED. It is a lack of interest!!

It is my understanding there are 3 different size bands. The smaller the band, the less saline it takes to make it tight, less adjustments. I don't know if it will make you loose more weight, but you will get tight faster than those with the larger bands.

Have fun!!!! I've had my LAST fat tuesday about 14 months ago before surgery. No ore over induldging for me. (unless it's all liquid!)

It's a very fine line......If someone wants a tight ban, then it is essential they learn to eat differently. That's the whole point of the band I feel. On the other hand, you can cross that fine line and not be able to eat/drink anything at all. Which is not good. For me, I like my band tight. And I have found that after a fill, things are tighter than usual. It takes a period of time for the band to settle down, or for me to adjust to the tightness. Maybe a combination of both. If after 7-10 day, things don't work themselves out, then you have crossed that fine line and need to pull it back a little bit. Knock on wood, I have 7.5 cc's now, never had a unfill yet. And I never want another fill either. I know I am walking that fine line.

I'm like your Dr. I have never worried about calories, just Protein and Water. Old school = Calories in versus calories burned! Plus, palateaus are normal, and unexplainable. I have been stuck for months gaining and loosing the same 3-5 lbs. Then things begin to fall again, perhaps slowly but loosing just the same.. Increasing my food intake has never done anything for me except have me gain weight.

7 months is approx. 28 weeks. 54 lbs dived by 28 = 1.92 lbs per week, aprox. THAT IS NOT BAD!

I'm waiting for the confetti or baloons or something.....but no. Believe it or not, the BIG celebrations are those milestones that happen along the way!!! Getting there is anti-climantic.

Also, if you're on vacation, you may not have the opportunity, or time to eat. That's not a bad thing, right? Something in the morning is always important, but after that ou may go all day without any time to eat.

I cannot eat anything in the morning, so I have a shake. But, my band loosens up after a few hours so I can have a late breakfast if I wanted to.