B-52

Today is going to be a day that happens occasionally living with the band...I already can predict how it will be. First, it's 5 am, having my coffee, playing on my laptop. I will head to the gym and run my 5 miles when they open today at 6. Then I will have my high Protein smoothie. My wife and i will then drive to the train station and head into the city to see a Broadway play this afternoon...after which, we may or may not have dinner...I DID NOT make any reservations, so we will probably just head back to Penn station, then head back home. By the time we are back in our car, and have time to stop somewhere to eat, it will be about 8pm....my poor wife has to eat, so we will stop somewhere. But I have a rule about eating a meal after a certain hour, to prevent reflux and other things that can happen during the night. So I will have coffee, and maybe a snack. My point is, this is going to be one of those days that I will not eat...at all....it happens. And it does not bother me one bit because with the band things like hunger and cravings do not exist....when it comes to food or eating, I can take it or leave it. It simply does not interest me all the much. And when I am pre-ocupied, doing something else, like I know today I will be all day today....., I will go without eating and not miss it one bit...not even think about it....until that is my poor wife reminds me. It does not happen often, but it does happen... That's just the way it is with me since being banded...all hunger/cravings gone. I have to tell myself it's time to eat something rather than the other way around.

When I read this my first thought was....are you sure your band is almost full and have you been seeing your Dr. on a regular basis.... Not a answer, I know, just wondering. I have been banded 4 years, I could not tolerate another fill, can't imagine it being any tighter ot narrower........I have never "Yo-Yo'd" since having the band, although there comes times when eating gets easier...or "Too Easy" I should say with larger portions than normal allowed..... In my opinion, the band remains a constant..cannot get looser or tighter, it has always remained a constant for me...so it is something else that happens. It is then I will lay off solid foods for a few days, and stay with liquids such as shakes, Soups, etc., to give the band, the pouch actually, a chance to rest and return to normal. I've also read stories of the esophagus dilating...I suppose my little maintenance thing would help prevent that too....... I read stories here all the time, where people say they "Fell off the wagon" and "Need to get back on track" With all respect to what they are going through, myself, after being banded for 4 years, cannot understand what they are talking about, how something like that can happen....unless they were never properly adjusted in the first place and it was their own will power and self discipline that was helping them loose weight and not the band....so it they that failed, and not the band. That would make sense with traditional dieting. That was the reason I had lap band surgery, because on my own I could not be successful..tried 100's of diets over the last 35 years. I need the band to do what I am unable to do. And surgery was a Last Resort. It's not like I wanted to do this, I had to do this. Which is why my original thought was if you were sure your band is actually filled to capacity? And have you been seeing your Dr. so as to detect problems like dilation?

Sorry, but I need to be the Devil's advocate for a minute.... What's wrong with weighing oneself? We had WLS! We are turning our lives around! Loosing weight when before, through diet after diet, we could not. I remember all those diet programs, and those dreaded weekly weigh-ins! Ugh! Like walking to the gallows. I'm missing something.....I get on the scale sometimes twice a day, every morning when I get up and when I'm at the gym....and each time I do it motivates me for what I'm doing and what I have done, the choices I have made, as compared to what I used to be. It's the same as people bragging about small clothing sizes, or seeing themselves in the mirror, having people compliment your looks.....it's all positive reinforcement. My Dr asked me the other week what my highest weight was...I told him I didn't know because there came a point that I just didn't want to know...I knew it was bad and getting worse....and getting on a scale would be like driving a stake through me.... But now...that's all changed! Ok, sorry for the interruption, now I return you to your normally scheduled program....

I have a friend who is banded, although I have not seen her in 2 years....did not eat 3 meals a day. But ate 5-6 very small meals a day....and she is very, very successful. I look at it this way...it is total calories consumed versus total calories burned to loose weight. All within a 24 hr period. There are days I graze all day, like a Saturday or Sunday watching football.....but I don't have any meals. If I'm picking at food all afternoon, then no dinner...the food I grazed, snacked on is my dinner. Plus with the band, after snacking, there is no way I could eat a meal! The calories I consumed from grazing, would be about the same as a single meal...as long as I'm grazing on good food, fruits, veggies and nuts, and not junk. So it all evens out.....

This is a question - topic I read here everyday. What is, and how did you determine your weight goal? Well, I can only share what I know from my own experience....whether sound or not, it's what I went through and live by. First of all, BMI's mean absolutely nothing to me! Very unscientific. It's ok to use in general, but it is by no means accurate. What is accurate is how much of your total weight is comprised of lean muscle, Water, bone density, etc, and % of BODY FAT. We, as weight loss people, should be concerned with how much body fat our body is comprised of, and not so much what we weigh. (although it is nice) According to BMI charts, I am still 15 lbs overweight. BUT, given a full body analysis, I have a VERY LOW body fat %...if I was to loose any additional weight, it would not be fat but other things that would make me very dangerously unhealthy. Yet the BMI charts say I need to! I take note of professional athletes, such as football players, seeing their height is the same as mine, I then notice their weight....and according to the BMI Charts, they would be OBESE! But to look at them, the are ripped with no fat whatsoever. If you google Body fat % to see the charts, you can see what your body fat % should be, Anything more or less, is very unhealthy. When one finally gets into their proper zone, then they are at their optimal weight. And it will not be the same as the next persons weight. Because I am (was) a Diabetic, I learned this in relation to how body fat effects Insulin and metabolism at the cellular level. I had high Cholesterol, triglycerides, poor circulation, obstructed arteries from plaque build up (CAD) which resulted in a heart attack and subsequent cardiac surgery, ALL because of having a high body fat %....NOT being overweight. Also, the required 6 month weight loss program I had to go through for surgery, the center had the equipment to do these analysis, and emphasized it over actual weight loss (which is a perk to loosing body fat) I focused on loosing body fat, exercised with that in mind. And as long as I ate healthy, Protein and water, my body continued to loose weight - BODY FAT...until it settled at a very good % (athletic in my case) Then I was done...stopped loosing. Not because I said so, but because my body said so. Have not gained, no lost any weight in years... And all of my medical issues dissipated....no more medications. (other than cardiac meds which I will have to take for life) And I am still Overweight !!! Also, when I read where people set weight goals for themselves, I wonder what are they going to do when they reach that goal? Start eating again? But we had surgery to stop us from that, right? At least that's why I did it. Maintenance? IMO, there is no maintenance...this is a lifestyle change not a diet program...again, just my opinion. Ok, enough of my rant....I can ramble on early in the am (it's 4 am)....but there it is...agree or disagree, does not matter...just sharing how it is for me.

BINGO! (not that it's the OP's problem, but it is a lesson all banders must learn to be successful)

The first 2/3's of your post, you were describing me. However I am not bummed about the fact I stopped loosing....the truth is I have nothing left to loose! I hit that place where all excess body fat is gone. And I also loose and gain the same 5 lbs over and over again. Also, I am not being treated for anything with Prescribed medications. I have experiences what you describe, but it happens very rarely these days. And I can always, IN MY CASE ONLY, relate it to something, even if it were hours before. I have found one has to be gentle with the band and cannot abuse it day after day...by forcing to eat something I am better off giving up entirely. Myself, every 4-6 weeks, I give my band a rest...I stop eating solid foods and stay with liquids for at least 3 days. Soups, shakes, etc. If it were me, I would give everything a rest. Give things a chance to rest even if stretched. AND I would inform my Dr. soon if it continues, and if it passes I would still mention it to him when I see him.

That's a question only your Dr. can answer. He/she can size you up and determine what you in particular will need. Speaking ONLY for myself, one of the most liberating events I had was when I stopped worrying about calories, portion sizes, etc. Threw away my Fitbit, and generally stopped all the anxiety and began to enjoy my new life... NOT at first mind you, it took a while before I was able to get to that point....MONTHS after my final fill. When I was certain I was firmly within that Green Zone. I simply let the band do it's job. I am eating now 1/10th of what I used to eat within a 24hr period. And since I am eating so little, I make sure I eat the best I possibly can...the best foods, no junk, stay away from anything processed, nothing white such as sugar, salt, flour, etc. I don't eat meat anymore (thanks to the band) Always having Protein on my mind, and making sure I am always drinking plenty of Water. I lived a terrible lifestyle that made me obese and ill,...NOW I live a lifestyle of eating right, getting plenty of exercise, and being healthy and fit. They are opening a "Whole Foods" store within walking distance to my home soon...I can't wait!

How did you cheat the band, without suffering sever side effects such as pain, getting stuck, severe reflux, etc? You were banded a few years before me, so maybe there is something coming I have not experienced yet? Where the band stops being the band?

I can't live without my coffee...I now have a "Milfa" coffee maker imported from Norway That said; I had my first cup less than 24 hrs after surgery...and lived to tell about it. Disclaimer: You should ALWAYS follow your Dr.'s directions - orders.

Which Dr.'s say you are loosing too fast??? Those at the Bariatric weight loss center? Or others? The reason I mention this, before WLS I was seeing as many as 5 Dr.'s...only 2 felt is was a good idea to start with. Then, as I was loosing the weight, they had negative comments about this or that.....sounded like my Mother! But now, after I have lost all my excess weight, they can't stop congratulating me...even my cardiologist who felt I did not need to do this, now is trying to take some credit on my success..... BTW, after loosing weight, I don't need to see 5 Dr.'s anymore. As far as depression...being fat, lazy. unhealthy and a social black sheep was the worst frame of mind. Loosing weight was the absolute best, most positive stimulating thing I could ever do for my life! Bottom line, when it came to my weight loss, the ONLY person(s) I listened to was the one who performed my surgery and whose weight loss protocol I followed, every step of the way.

No

Right after surgery, everybody looses weight...lap band or no, we are on a strict post-op diet starting with Clear liquids and slowly progressing. Who wouldn't loose weight? And yet people give credit to the band. At this stage, the Lap Band is doing nothing, IMO....it was installed and nothing more.(there are a FEW EXCEPTIONS...very few) And let's face it...people who have much to loose, will loose more than the next person not quite so heavy. So when someone says "I Lost 50 lbs, blah blah blah, the next person should not feel bad only loosing 10lbs. I know people who could loose 50lbs if they skipped dinner! (only joking) There are people here who start at 400lbs and loose over 200, and people who start at 225 and only loose 75....so which is more difficult? So don't let the #'s intimidate you...it's all relative. I had my first fill 4 weeks after surgery, and it was 4cc's....after that, I began to gain weight because it also the time I came off the post-op diet and began eating normal food again. DUH! That first fill did absolutely nothing. Had my second fill of 2cc's, 4 weeks after that, = 8 weeks from surgery. The band began to do something....I didn't loose weight, but I did not gain either. All this time I was being told and reminded to count calories, measure portions, stay away from certain foods/drink, etc...ALL the things I could have done (and have done) without surgery, the time and anxiety put into preparing for this, not to mention the $$. Talk about Frustration!! I felt it was a big Rip Off! Came back 4 weeks after that, = 12 weeks from surgery for my 3rd, (and final) fill. THAT one put me over the top.Pushed me off the edge! Could not keep anything down. Feared I was going to be malnourished, etc. I was free falling! Many people would have gone back to get it taken out, get back within their comfort zone......but my Dr. (who knows ME and not YOU) talked me into sticking it out, talked me into slowing down my eating, choice of foods, all those thing etc, etc. Also said if I did get that last (small) fill removed, it would put me back to where I was after my 2nd fill...did I want that? I'm glad he did...it took weeks - months for things to start to find that groove, but it did all start to fall in line. That elusive "Fine balance - Harmony" where the band performs splendidly. The true "Green Zone" I quess my point is, this thing DOES WORK, but it is not going to work immediately...it is adjustable and it takes time, sometimes with trial and error, to get it right. And it is not just the band that gets adjusted along the way...we too have to get adjusted to the Lap Band. And that is key to success. Lap Band Surgery will "Change Your Life" but you have to ready and willing for change. And that can be very frustrating and take some time. Even though my last needed fill was 12 weeks from surgery, and the weight began to steadily and consistently come off, a year later I was still learning lessons, Life changing lessons...most times the hard and unpleasant way. Did not mean the band is at fault. I'm 4 years out, and I can do something right now, this moment, that would cause a very negative reaction with my band. Does not mean my band is at fault...it means I just did something I should never do...simple, yet it did take time to learn the difference. If people told me 4 years ago what and how little I would be eating today, and still be healthy and full of energy, I would have said they were blowing smoke up my you know what. And yet here I am at that place, and to tell new people this, would be accepted the same as I would have 4 years ago. This is the internet, and 1000's of people come and go here all the time. And I have read people's posts about frustration and feelings of failure (many of which are way pre-mature...give it a chance) when in fact I sense they are not willing to accept change. (still talking about pizza and cheese burgers, etc? Really?) Not all, but some. There are people who legitimately have problems, complications. But we, strangers on the internet can ever tell what is going on. They can't understand why they keep getting stuck...There's something wrong with their band...maybe there is, and maybe it's not the band....no one on the internet can tell for sure. That is why it is best, IMO, it's best for people to simply share their own experiences, AT ALL LEVELS, good and bad, positive and negative... Ok, it's 4am on a Sunday, I'm rambling on with my morning coffee before heading to the gym at 6...nothing more, just rambling..and pehaps ranting.

Without getting into detail, I know exactly what you mean.... I'm 63 years old, and like my Dr. told me the other week, I'm going in the opposite direction to other people my age. And I really do not want to leave people behind.

I don't count calories...and I am one that believes to exercise without eating to burn stored fat as an energy source. I ran track in HS....45 years ago! A few years ago I would get out of breath and have to sit down simply from carrying groceries into the house. Today, I run 3-5 miles, and always finish with at least 3 all out sprints...lasting at least 1 minute each... So yes, you can turn things around, and improve.....

Eventually you will get tired of PB'ing...if you get burned every time you touch a hot stove, then eventually you learn your lessons and stop touching hot stoves. The band, if adjusted, will bring about...FORCE...behavior modification, breaking bad habits...unless you like getting stuck and having everything come back up. One can get Fluid taken out, and have their cake and eat it too. It's a choice with the band. Of course, we all make mistakes, forget, and have accidents from time to time...bet we get better and wiser as time goes on. When I'm at the gym working up a good sweat, I have from time to time grabbed the Water bottle and starting chugging it down...completely forgetting what is about to happen next.

My wife drove me home around 5pm, surgery was 8:30am. I got on my lazy Boy recliner with a warm comforter, the TV remote, pain meds, a cup of chicken broth and a glass of Water, and there I stayed till the next morning. Content and blissful. The next day things started to get interesting....but I started to climb the walls by day 3 and went into the office but tired quickly. I also ran some errands. 1 week after surgery I had my follow up appointment with my surgeon, returned to work full time and was released to go to the gym.

Welcome. The first months after surgery are the hardest of all, IMO. I had this surgery which in itself meant I had the band installed, and should not expect anything to start happening until the adjustments - fills started. And even then it took months to find that right amount of fill, in combination with me getting my head in harmony with this new way of doing things. Everyone looses weight post surgery...who wouldn't? Band or no band one is restricted to a strict diet starting with Clear liquids then gradually moving up to regular food again. Then one month out people feel they hit a stall or something when in reality they have not even started yet. I was just as anxious and found the first 3-5 months extremely frustrating. Thought I made a BIG mistake. But then things began to get easier, and the weight began to steadily come off. This thing DOES WORK. Just follow your Dr.'s directions, and be patient and understand it is not overnight as with other WLS. The band is adjustable and has to be adjusted...and we have to adjust ourselves, create new habits, to enter into that new lifestyle to the point where it is all 2nd nature.

1 Weeks after surgery I was back to work, and also cleared to return to the gym...heavy lifting after 3 weeks. Everyone heals differently.

I always eat anything I want, when I want. I'm am not on any diets anymore.And I thoroughly enjoyed the holidays with all the parties and family get togethers Diets were torture...surgery is liberating! I also drank my share, perhaps more than my share. I enjoyed myself! Difference is, with the Lap band, I still eat what I want, but now I can only eat a fraction of what I used to when I was fat. It is impossible for me to over eat, and there are certain foods I will never eat again. (unless I want to pay the consequences, but I have learned my lessons the hard way) My only concern is that for 2 weeks or so, I ate a lot of foods not that healthy or nutritious....so I'm back to being a health nut...all natural unprocessed foods, and no meat. But hey...it was my favorite time of the year...and in my case, it's a new lifestyle that makes me skinny...not a party here and there for 2 weeks or so. But I have also been banded for 4 years...in my first year it would have been a different story altogether because I was still learning, still adjusting to the bands adjustments.

First, my surgery was Lap Band as opposed to other posters who have different experiences....they're NOT the same. I am 63 years old....I have been trying to loose weight for 35 years. I have been on every diet under the sun...EVERYTHING! I went through Dr. supervised programs with weekly support groups, went through the program where you pay $4 for their balanced food you took home with you, and I would have a weeks supply of food finished in 2 days! I used Hypnotism, drug therapy, acupuncture, everything. NOTHING WORKED. Sure , things started out good, maybe for the first 4 months, then all the weight came back and sometimes more than I started. Prior to surgery my insurance co. required me to do a 6 month medically supervised program...I told them I have done this many times before and it's not going to work, but they said they needed on the official record signed off by a MD with weekly progress notes. And yes. Just as before, I started out good, then started to reverse back and finally failed miserably.... I have had Lap band surgery for 4 years now. 100% successful for 2-1/2 to 3 years now!! EASIEST thing I could have ever done. Wish I did this 20 years ago. I have no hunger or cravings, my portion sizes are limited. It's impossible to over eat....and like I said it does not matter because I have no hunger...how can it get easier than that??? Since I eat so little, all I need to do is be sure I eat good healthy nutritious foods, concentrate on Protein, and drink Water all day long. After a while it all becomes second nature, new habits - lifestyles, don't really think about it all that much. For people just starting out, sure...the first few months, perhaps to year was pure Hell! A lifetime of eating the wrong way and the wrong foods had to be broken and re-learned in months! And as a result there were countless stuck episodes, regurgitation, sliming, etc etc. All the things people talk about here every day. But for me it was all part of the learning curve. I was convinced it was ME who had to change so the band can operate. Take all that, and sprinkle exercise on top of it all and that's what it's all about. I don't care people say it's the easy way out....it's all about me and mine and all I can say, easy or not, it works!!! I had second thoughts, hesitation to go through with it. But what was the alternative??? Stay Fat? There was not much to convince me NOT to go through with it. No regrets...it gave me my life back. Here it is, a New Year and everyone is talking about going on a diet, loosing weight. TV commercials all about this and that "Gimmick"...all they want is your $$$... I am so glad I have been set free from all that nonsense....never will have to diet again....and I have absolutely no fear of ever gaining any weight back as was the case before, as long as the band is there.

I understand exactly everything you're describing....do not expect newly banded people, which there are many here, to understand what you're saying because they have not experienced this type of living with the band in the long run, and still trying to find that "Groove" I say that not in a negative way, Well you're seeing your Dr in the morning...otherwise I would suggest going all liquids for a week or so...shakes, Soups, and so forth....stuff that will pass through easily. I do this from time to time but because I do it regularly, it is usually 4-8 weeks apart and only 2-3 days. Your Dr. may empty your band completely, which in effect will do the same thing. Give your band a rest. He/she could tell their patients to go all liquids and stay away from solids, but in truth they cannot trust all patients to follow directions so it is easier to empty the band and let them eat normally. Please keep us veterans posted as to what happens.

Think about the cost of Groceries going way down!!!

Did they have to remove all the fluid from your band for the emergency surgery?

Funny how we notice things like that now....