B-52

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.

Been on this forum a while....I did leave for a while, about a year....it started to get to me and I had enough. When I first had my surgery, and found this site, (Lapband Talk)...there were many veterans I considered my mentors, and followed their personal testimony's with interest... But they are all gone......left. I noticed there are many other people who are doing well that just "Drop off the Radar"...did they have a major setback? Failure? Speaking from own feelings, I don't think so......bottom line, successful people simply do not fit in here, and don't have much in common....other than once upon a time they were beginners also. *****I am 100% successful...lost ALL possible weight. *****I finished this weight loss journey...done ...completed...reached my destination with a new life, a new outlook on what and how I eat, along with a love of exercise.... *****I have no hunger, no cravings, could care less about food or eating...a complete reversal from pre-surgery days. *****I will never Diet again, I eat what I want, NOT avoiding life's pleasures such as ice cream, Beer/alcohol, chips, etc, etc. *****I have no fear of overeating, the band sees to that...I have tried to overeat and find it impossible...does not matter where I'm at, vacation, a party, holiday dinner, venues may change but my surgery is a constant..... *****As a person with Lap band surgery, I cannot comprehend the notion of "Getting off track"....or the need to re-focus and start over....as long as the band does not have any issues,. I have NO FEAR of ever gaining the weight back! ******I have NEVER had a single issue with my band...the beginning "learning Phase" was tough, VERY Tough...but once that was past, it has been the EASIEST thing I could have ever done.....I don't even think about it! Bottom line, ALL my medical issues ( and there were many) have all been reversed or gone....I did have a heart attack, and that damage to the heart muscle is permanent..but tests show new arteries have branched out by-passing the damaged one... I can on and on...... Having said all the above, sounds pretty good, right? YET...in a environment of negativity, I'm the odd ball here....I'm the one who has to make excuses...TOTALLY out of sync. So why stick around? Because of all the negativity I feel SOMEONE has to stay in place and show people that this can and does work.... YET, by simply sharing your own life story, it hurts other people's feelings? They feel bullied??? It's no wonder successful veterans move on. It got to me once and I left for a while, and it's starting to get to me again... I see patients and families everyday in Clinic who are experiencing catastrophic medical situations, 10 times worse than anyone here is experiencing...(best of my knowledge) and I deal in Pediatrics so I see kids as early as 12 months old, whose lives will never be easy..... and yet I do not find anywhere as near, if any, negativity as is found on this forum.... It's crazy....either you want it or you don't....

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.

http://medicalxpress.com/news/2015-04-obese-men-bariatric-surgery-women.html

No....I developed a new lifestyle, with new eating habits and limited portions, along with new foods and giving up certain foods, all because of the band (not me) The weight slowly came off until there was nothing left to loose...in other words my found found that "normal" state...good healthy body fat %....ever since then it has held constant (with the exception of the same 5 lb swings) and will stay that way for the rest of my life, as long as the band remains a constant in my life, and I remain diligent with my daily Protein intake...... There is a end goal to all this, a destination...not a life long diet.

Kinks in the tubing is more common than people know.... I had one. However, it was easy to fix....my port is right under my skin, and you can see the port and the tubing before it goes deep. There was clearly a kink, like a garden hose, and the harder the Dr. pulled the syringe, the kink just got tighter.... So between the two of us, one pulled the syringe and the other massaged the tubing and it straightened out. Good luck on reaching the Green Zone....once I did, this all became the easiest and effortless thing to do...it became a natural way of life, without much thought from day to day. Portions fixed, hunger/cravings gone, no more overeating.....only thing left to do is eat smart, and stay active (exercise) But you have to go through Hell to get to Heaven ...the learning curve can be tough, changing ones behavior and habits as one's band gets adjusted from fills...and all too often people fight change, and even back down and retreat. It can be tough!

I just checked your blog....I see a lot of similarities between you and me...mainly body types The fat you are carrying is different from other people...call it masculine?...yes, I was 270lbs + before lap band surgery, and I am only 5'8"...and as fat and out of shape I was, I was still a man who did the things a man does....cut grass, cut down trees, build things like decks, paint the house, install new windows, worked on the car,.....in other words I was not a lazy blob of Jello.... And like me, you will not have any issues with excess skin like you read about here all the time... My stomach is as hard as a drum! Simple terms, we are fat because we cannot stop overeating....in spite of all the mumbo-jumbo physco-babble people try to rationalize their short comings to, , it all comes down to how much we eat versus how much we burn off... I watch TV shows, movies where they show WW2 POW's from the work camps all skin and bones...ghastly images....but I have to think, what would they look like if they were given 80 grams of Protein, Vitamins, and unlimited Water??? Years ago I had a Dr. flat out tell me "You're fat because you eat like a pig"..."want to loose weight? STOP eating so much"...Yes, very simple...Problem was I could not stop eating...I was in love with eating...I tried to stop 100's of times and simply could not..... Hence...Weight loss surgery as a last resort...and yes, the Band now does what I could not do on my own...it limits my portions, prevents me from overeating, and takes away my hunger and desire for food...I too eat like a bird....What more can I ask for??? Example: The other day I bought a dozen Buffalo Wings....I could only eat 4 out of the 12...I think I had a little cole slaw...but that's it...could not eat any more. In the old days those 12 wings would be an appetizer before my main meal.... I should also say, I eat ice cream and Hershey bars...just not enough to feed 10 people...I also drink beer from time to time when at a back yard picnic or a ball game...there a lot of things I eat that people on diets would never dream possible....that's because I am not on any diet...i simply (thanks to the band) eat less...a lot less, than what I used to. Like a Bird! And over a 24 hr period, it is ridiculously a small amount...there are days I eat more, and there are days I may not eat at all.... There are also foods I will never eat again, primarily because they don't go down well with the band. As it turns out, most of the are not that good for me in the first place...like Pasta or flour based foods such as breads, rolls, dounuts, etc. So now that my eating is totally under control, it is time to BURN off that fat I have been carrying around for no good reason. We are hunters-gatherers...and excess food we gather we store as fat to be used for those times of famine when there is no food to gather..... When I exercise (which is a lot) I am focused on burning that fat I have stored away as my energy source....so I work out on an empty stomach....other than water and my morning coffee....but no food prior to working out....WHY? I need energy to exercise, and I am using that auxiliary fuel tank as opposed what I just ate 1 hr ago. If I eat before exercising, then I burn off what I just ate...NOT what I have stored away. that would remain untouched. That approach for me, has worked....I have burned off ALL EXCESS FAT....I have a very low body fat %, leaving behind muscle and skin....you can see every vein in my arms and legs.... So, as a man (I'm 63 BTW) it all comes down to Eating less, and working harder! And when you exercise, you should be drenched in sweat! Sorry for ranting on, but it's how I feel....other people on this forum have different views, but if they are happy and successful then that's all that matters....me, I could not be happier...once the band got that eating under control, then everything else got VERY EASY....just have to work my butt off at the gym. And yes...there is a difference between women and men when it comes to loosing weight...and the majority of posts you read here are from women....but every now and then I see a hard working woman, focused on that "Hard Body" coming from obesity, and I am impressed.