B-52

One thing I have learned over the time I have been part of this forum.... There are Many People who like to "Talk the Talk" and talk is cheap. And then there are those who obviously "Walk the Walk" before they shoot off their mouth.... Many of the "Talk to Talkers" I simply ignore, do not pay much attention to.....It's those that actually "Walk the Walk" that I have admiration for, and follow their posts closely....they obviously know what they're talking about because they are living the life... I may not agree with them, but so what...even better IMO, they're speaking from something other than what they've been told, or heard someone else say.... There are not that many of the 2nd category here that much, ....but YOU are obviously "Walking The Walk" Even your little story, whether one likes it or not, is filled with truths many could not imagine....unless they've been there.

My Take.....Cardio is all about getting to 85% of your Max Heart rate, and keeping it there.....may take 5-10 minutes to get there... Fat burn, consists of a lot of different variations....walking, running, sprinting, steep inclines, level, mixes it up pretty good..never the same for more than 5 minutes....

As far as goals, I have set a few and went on right by them....I remember the ONLY and BIGGEST wish I could ever ask for was to get below 200 lbs...that in itself was but a dream....if not just a fantasy.... Turns out that was nothing in the big picture.... I am fortunate to be able to have a "Full Body Analysis" done at my gym, for the cost of $15....among everything it tells me, I am particularly interested that out of my total weight, what % of it is actually fat...as opposed to bone mass, muscle mass, and Water weight.... BMI's are not accurate by no means....an individual can be 20-30 lbs over weight, but have a very low body fat %...just look at athletes like football players.... According to BMI, I am still 10 lbs over weight,,,but I have a very low body fat %...if I was to loose any more weight, it would not be fat...THEN that would be unhealthy, if not dangerous.... But that is why I am sure to get all my daily Protein....and all the water I can drink So I continued to loose until I bottomed out...but the entire time I was able to see it was my body fat that was going down...if anything, my muscle mass increased due to all the exercising I was doing along with the protein.... My weight loss stopped when by body fat bottomed out. And I have more energy and better health now than I ever have....

Never heard that as a rule....I have not had anything except a high Protein smoothie every morning since being banded,,,, It's not about hunger, it;s that my band is always the tightest in the morning and gets easier to eat as the day goes along...so yes, I don't eat until around 12-1pm...but it's not about hunger...

Cannot speak for what you are experiencing....can only share what I have gone through myself.... As I got my band adjusted, I had to earn to eat differently...give up certain foods, eat sower, chew better, don't drink with meals, etc, etc ....it was a very hard phase for me to go through after living an entire life of doing it differently.... At anyone time, if I did not adapt and change my habits, I too could easily experience what you are...constant pb'ing, not being able to keep things down...I could have said I was too tight and had Fluid taken out of my band saying I was too tight when in reality my band was fine...it was me that needed to change.... My last fill, I was miserable...took me weeks to months to figure things out...it was very slow but eventually I did start to learn I did call my Dr. stating the problems I was having...but he knows me, and after asking a few questions he talked me into sticking it out with the understanding I need to go back to basics, and ease into it being careful as to what and how I eat....it took a lot of trial and error, plenty of stuck episodes until I started to learn I can't do that, or eat that, anymore. Again, at any time I could have said I was too tight, git fluid taken out, but then I would not be where I am today. My last fill was 12 weeks after surgery, after which this was the most difficult time for me...took me months to learn...and 3-1/2 years later I am still learning some things, although after that first year it just got easier and easier...and today I do not even think about it that much.... Because of the band, I had to become a different person...I could never have gotten to where I am today if I insisted in sticking with old habits, foods....there are things I have not eaten since being banded....and never will for the rest of my life... I read posts here everyday from people talking about eating pizza, Pasta, sushi, cheeseburgers, steak, etc, etc...if they can do it and still find 100% success, ...more power to them...myself, I had to change or this entire project would have been an entire failure.... Again, I don't ave a clue what you are experiencing....could be any one of reasons, or a combination of many....I am just sharing what I have found I needed to do be 100% successful, and taking this to it's ultimate completion.... Today I eat and drink anything I want....it's just that there are certain things I do not want anymore....and when I look at them I realize those things are not that healthy or nutritious in the first place...so it all worked together for good.

First, who's goal? Yours or your body's??? I'm coming up on 4 years and still do not have an appetite, no hunger, no cravings...I could care less about food. Have no interest. Don't send me to the grocery store, I will wander around and not find anything to buy.... As far as goals, I was puzzled about this also....my Dr. explained to me....I lived a bad lifestyle with bad eating habits that slowly and eventually made me morbidly obese.... NOW I live a new, healthy Protein rich lifestyle....which will (and did) eventually return me to a "Normal" state...a place I am supposed to be....but it is important to note, since we eat so little, make the best of it....high protein, low fat, etc, etc.... I have become a real food nut...drives my family crazy when we go out to eat... BTW, with the Band surgery...when you reach YOUR goal, what are you supposed to do??? This is not a diet you can turn on and turn off...your eating habits cannot change if you are truly in the Green.... Only thing you can do is get some Fluid taken out...I tried that and could not wait to get it put back in.... I like the new me and my new life....don't want to change a thing.

You've got to "Eat More" to "Loose More" If that were true, none of us would be fat.....and we would be all as skinny as rails.... Sorry, it just never held true with me....I'm old school. I was fat because I ate too much, now I'm slim and fit because I do not eat nearly as much.....

Remember it's the internet....you can find, prove anything whether it be factual or not.... I'd rather hear it straight from people, what their experiences are, have been....

What type of surgery??? I have had the Lap Band...and after getting it properly adjusted, I have had no appetite - hunger or cravings for 3 years now... I have no interest in food or eating....can take it or leave it...but I do stick with a eating regime because I know I need to... Just no need to over eat, or eat foods that are not good for me....

I started out to explain what post-op gas pains actually are, until I saw you were experiencing them after drinking Coke 4 weeks after surgery....now I'm not sure what you are experiencing....

I do a variation of it every 6-8 weeks....But I am a bander, so I know why and what results I am looking to achieve... I would ask, for what reason do you feel you need to stay off solid foods for a few days????

My Sister Died at the age of 63.....she suffered for years from every possible horrendous medical condition you can think of all due to obesity.... She had a few open heart surgeries, for by-passs, and valve replacement. She had venous transplants, by-passes to improve circulation surgeries to do poor circulation in her legs, and also her carotid arteries in her neck.... She had skin infections all the time. Many times she went into comas due to severe septicemia, each time not certain if she would survive... For years, she would be in the hospital more days than she was at home....in and out, in and out... Amputations....first it was her right big toe, then her right foot, then her right leg below the knee, then her right leg above the knee..... After her right leg, the same process started in her left leg.... Eventually, her kidneys shut down and she had to go to Dialysis 3 times a week, by ambulance. She lived her last 2-3 years in a nursing home, when she was not in the hospital.....her room smelled like Death... In the end, she could not take the pain and suffering anymore, and knew things would continue to get worse...so she decided to end it by stopping Dialysis...3 days later she was gone... She had absolutely NO Quality of life, she lost everything she owned and went on Medicaid/Welfare to keep up with the medical Bills....she put her 3 daughters, my nieces, through Hell..... Not to mention the strain she put on the healthcare system....YOU supported her medical bills and lifestyle.... I can on and on...it was the most hideous thing one can ever watch.... Did I Love her? Of course I did...can I accept what she went through because of her obesity? NEVER! If you have a Son or daughter who is obese, are you going to pat them on the head and tell them everything is going to be Ok? Fat Acceptance? Sorry, no way...I cannot wish that on anybody...does not mean I don't love them, but I cannot condone their lifestyle either... Twenty Years ago it might have been a different story in some ways, but today...Bariatric Surgery is becoming more and more routine, and there is proof everywhere that it does work. There are alternatives to being Obese.... I'm sorry, but when I see a Obese person on a McDonalds on their 4th cheeseburger, fries, apple pies and anything else they can get into their mouths, then watch them struggle to walk to their handicapped parking spot, it makes me feel disgusted.... Granted, she is probably someone's sister, daughter, mother....but I cannot condone her obesity.... BTW, My brother was also Obese...and he died at the age of 60....so I lost both my siblings due to obesity... Fat Acceptance? Even though I was one, and can have compassion and sympathy, I did do something about it...everytime I don't want to go to the gym, but rather stay in bed, I think about them.... I can't stand Whiners...people who complain about the little sacrifices here and there...what no pizza? You mean there are foods I will have to give up??? Well, it's YOUR Choice...read posts here everyday how people are tying to rationalize and continue with the things that got them fat in the first place...they ask questions looking for acceptance.... Ge with it....This is life and Death!!! Not a game, not a silly diet...but Surgery to correct a very real problem! Fat acceptance? The very term makes me disgusted...sorry...but this website is for people who WANT to make a change...

Not in my case...I continued to loose until there was nothing left to loose...in terms of excess fat..I bottomed out and that is where I stayed, for a few years now. I don't expect to change, as long as my Band does not change.... I weight myself twice a day, purely out of habit...once when I first wake up, and later at the gym...my weight has not changed in years... I do however, fluctuate within the same 5 lbs....but I would not consider that a gain or loss, just biological... Also I hear a lot of talk about "Maintenance" for me there is no such thing. I had surgery, and because of that I had to adapt to a new lifestyle, new rules, new way of living....and it's that lifestyle that I will stick with me for the rest of my life.... If it were a diet, and I wanted to change my lifestyle, I would have to change the band....but then I would start to gain weight again....I suppose. But for me...surgery is permanent....unlike all the yo-yo diets I've been on over the last 35 years...

I see the majority here are those who have the Sleeve...and I cannot speak one way or the other how one works it wit te sleeve. But I am a lap bander, over 3-1/2 years now, and I cannot understand how it is possible to gain weight back with the band....but it does happen. Reading posts on this forum from banders who have gained weight back, I see 2-3 commonalities.... 1) their band malfunctioned....2) They had the Fluid removed for whatever reason, 3) Their bands were never properly adjusted in the first place. So if you want to consider ALL possibilities, then yes...I can see a high % of Banders gaining weight back. Don't know if 86% is accurate, but it can be high.

Hunger - appetite - cravings, etc...is in direct relation to how your band is adjusted...at least that is my experience. First 2 fills I may feel that way for a week, maybe...then my hunger returned. It was after my last fill that it stayed that way...hence, I never needed another fill.... That was well over three years ago, and it still is the same as it was on my last fill.... If your hunger returns, don't get upset..it is only your first fill and you are getting a taste of what it can be like, eventually...

I have found, for myself, the band is the band is the band...it is a constant regardless of where I am, or what I am feeling... if I was in a traditional diet, then yes, just as every diet I have ever been on, everything made me, or gave me the excuse to, eat.... last night everyone from my office went out to dinner...all paid for, as much as you want to eat and drink.... I had a few drinks, and picked at all the different appetizers ....by the time came to order the main course, I passed...I could not possibly eat anything else.... I did order a cup of Soup, a slider if you will, and i could not finish that either.... But then that's me and my band...I in no way advocate the way other people find their success....it is adjustable to suit each individual....

I'm coming up on 4 years soon, and every now and then the same will happen to me...,however, for me, the band itself will hold me in check and make it impossible to over indulge...so the feelings pass, and over time become less and less...sort of behavior modification.... But I am one of the few who depends upon my band to do the work I could never do through my own determination and will power....tried it many times in the past, failed every single time....so my PCP finally referred me to this surgery, which is the only thing that has ever truly worked...... I know many people here are afraid of slipping back to their old ways, and speaking for myself only, I still cannot understand that could happen to myself, unless something happened where I would need to get my band un-filled... I read many stories like that here....where people have gotten off track, and it always appears to e that somewhere in their story they had the Fluid removed, for whatever reason....

My Dr. did not care what I did to loose weight pre-surgery, as long as I lost "X" amount of pounds. Just happened to be that the protein Shake way is the most efficient....

What does your Dr. say? Surely after all that He/She must have some thoughts...

Why are they not good for you???

I'm over 3 years out, soon to be 4..and still I am not hungry, no appetite...could care less about food.... But it is Imperative I get my daily protein in, no matter what! Or bad things will begin to happen....

They are doing their best to do YOU and everyone else who needs bariatric Surgery a favor....my office would be THRILLED if we did not have to deal with insurance co.'s , all the red tape, for the type of services we provide......... But no one, who is ethical, wants to see anybody have to spend their own money when they are paying premiums to the insurance co. Would not be able to sleep at night knowing they did not, or should not have to pay out of pocket for something the insurance co. would have. Plus is sets a presidence....Insurance companies will look for any excuse and reason NOT to pay for something.....and it is up to the providers to fight and force the Insurance co.'s to recognize that a particular procedure should be recognized, accepted and the cost covered..... I attended a conference once where the speaker was very adamant and insisted people stop writing costs off, stop giving freebies.....it only lets the insurance co.'s off the hook, whereas the insurance companies have to learn, have to forced to cover the cost....and that only takes a lot of unhappy people, not getting the medical care they need, complaining to all the politicians, etc,...demanding change.... I know it's tough, but insurance co.'s, and the lawmakers, have to realize that people are going to die, or go broke unless they accept the Dx and pay for the cure - treatment. This all sounds silly for one individual who wants to pay $$, but it is what is happening today in the healthcare industry....and Obama care....don't get me started......what advocates fought for for as long as 30 years, and slowly got recognition for, has or will be erased and they will have to start over from scratch with a new healthcare system....

The port is attached to the abdominal muscle wall...(or at least it is supposed to be), under all the fat, then skin.... Once all the belly fat is gone, and my stomach muscles got hard as rocks, it sits there right under the skin, for the whole world to see....as big as day. Can even see the tubing coming out the side for a few nches before it goes deep.... It actually looks like a lolly-pop under my skin. Have to be careful not to wear too tight shirts.....but at the gym everyone can see it...fortunately no one has ever commented. I can run my finger over it, and feel every single nook and cranny.... If you click my Avatar Picture to see the larger one in my profile, you can see my port right above my right hand....and that picture is small...

As a Bander....I wish I could have told myself not to take the first 4-6 months as though that's the way it was going to be...RELAX.....it's only a phase of adjustments to get through, as hellish as it is, it will get easier and easier.... I wish someone, anyone would have told me that....

It will change for the better - best...Then Magnify 100 times...and it just keeps getting better.... Words alone cannot do it justice....like you're "Born Again" Sorry. I'm not a Sleever, but I'm with the Band.....and between you and me, I do ANYTHING I want....(but i had to learn my lessons first) And only the long term veterans, whats left of them, knows what I mean....