B-52

You will only know if you continue.....may be nothing, may be a lesson learned the hard way...either way, you'll know... And then you may receive a lesson (or not) what it's like to eat too much...or to get stuck...all sorts of things to learn... For me it is something entirely different....What you have described, for me that is a signal to put the fork down, take a pause.......could be as long as 1-2 minutes...then see what happens when I continue...then I'll know...

Agreed.....people will say they are successful with such diets...but have you ever noticed that it is all they talk about? DIETING? and having to loose those extra pounds before summer? It's a life long obsession!!! I for one am thrilled that I have been set free from all that garbage, once and for all......DIET is just a four letter word...

First...congratulations!!!! Second...Whose Goal? Reason I bring it up, is that I have had, met, and surpassed goals.... I asked my Dr. numerous times what happens when I reach MY Goal.... He explained to me that this is not a diet that I can turn on/off, decide to go back, etc...it is a permanent lifestyle change...with a new permanent way of eating....therefore, as long as I stay within that lifestyle, my body will continue to loose and then Stop when it reaches what it considers to be where it should be.... And that is exactly what has happened...I have not gained, nor lost weight in 2 years....and I continue living this new life along with it's new habits...I cannot go backwards, gain weight again, etc, unless the band should change...get Fluid taken out for example.... Again, congratulations....

It's hard to say over the internet...what you consider solid foods...there are some solid foods I will never eat again.... My last fill, it took me about 2 weeks for things to settle down...and there was more going on than just food choices......

Every year about this time all the weight-loss promises advertise on TV for everyone's new Years resolutions.... Over the last 30 years, I have been on every Diet under the sun...many were very good, medically supervised diets... I failed at every one of them, sometimes gaining more weight back than I started, and my hunger/cravings doubled... Lets face it...that's why we needed surgery...only surgical intervention was able to do what traditional diets could never do for me...

I had my surgery 3 years ago....I'm a bander... I go to the gym at lest 5 days a week, always first thing in the morning..before 6am.... I run 5 miles on the treadmill, then do weights 3 days a week.... I also attend a "Advanced Training" class (aka Bootcamp) on Monday mornings at 5:30am... I am one who likes to work out on a empty stomach...being fat, I have been storing fat all this fat as an energy source for those coming days of "Famine" when food is scarce and I don't starve...being a "Hunter-gatherer" When I am working out, I believe I am drawing upon that stored energy source...not anything I have just eaten...I concentrate on burning fat.... Been doing that consistently for 3 years, never had a issue with lack of energy...and can now say I have burned off ALL my excess body fat...my body fat % is now within the "Fit - Athletic" range.... After my workouts, I will have a high Protein Recovery shake... So now, since I don't have the stored energy source, I need to take a least one protein shot before heading to the gym... I should add, I'm 62 years old...

I eat shrimp, but have to be very careful...same with lobster and crab...no matter how well you chew, the texture is still the same....and when I do eat it, I can't eat very much....also, melted cheese is on my "No" list...and chicken has to be very tender...not overcooked.... Anyway, everyone is a little different depending upon your band.... Sounds to me, that getting stuck on the shrimp traumatized (irritated) your band a little and then the chicken and cheese may have compounded it.... I have not gotten stuck in over 2-1/2 years, but when I did...sometimes 2-3 times a day...(I'm a slow learner and hard headed)...I eventually learned to take it easy for at least 24 hours afterward....liquids and only the softest - mushiest of foods to give the band a chance to recover... As a general maintenance measure...I'll do all liquids for at least 2 days, every 6-8 weeks or so...also depending on whether I feel my pouch has dilated any... If you twist your ankle, you need to stay off it a bit...not continue to walk on it.... The Dr. removed Fluid fro the band, not because there may have been too much...but because that is his way to give it a rest....

There is always the question...do you meet the standards to qualify to have your insurance cover the cost? Generally they are looking for a certain BMI threshold, unless you have serious co morbidities that only weight loss can fix....

BMI's are not scientific, and only gives a general look..... My BMI says I am overweight, and says I should be 10 lbs lighter..... I have Body Analysis done from time to time...one of the things it tells you is "Body Fat %"....How much of your total weight is comprised of fat....I am at a very low range...in the "Fit" or "Athletic" range, yet BMI says I'm 10 lbs overweight!!! I remember a football player for the Patriots...a star running back....who I noticed was the same height as me...yet weighed 20 lbs more than me....that means he was Obese????? I'd like to see anyone call this guy Obese..or even overweight to his face.... BTW, in the years before I had WLS, and was learning all the dieting tricks...one thing my Dr.'s all said was "Stay Away From Fast food Places...forever!!!!

My first appointment post-op was 1 week after surgery...know what? They did not even weight me.... Just wanted to know if I had any complaints, checked my incisions, looked for infections, etc...made sure I understood the post-op diet protocol, released me to "Soak" and go back to the gym.....made an appointment for 4 weeks later...THEN it was "Game On"...let the fun begin...

"no active processes" in the brain??? I was told that my whole life by people who were not Dr.'s and didn't need an MRI to prove it....

No...sorry...came out the wrong way, it was 6am and probably did not have my coffee yet....again, sorry...

Sorry for the bad news..... Can only speak for my experience....been banded for 3 years, have been through all sorts of life's situations, good and bad... One thing I have learned is that for me...the band is a constant...aside from little variations throughout the day. like the morning for example, my band does not change....

What do you mean when you say you "Feel Restriction"?

What type of surgery??? I'm a bander...I was released to "Soak" 1 week after surgery...that included swimming and the whirlpool... BUT...as already mentioned...why not ask your Dr.? A simple phone call will work...

There are basically 2 types of body fat.....subcutaneous, under the skin.....and visceral, surrounding the organs.... Visceral, IMO is a killer, and the hardest to get rid of.....the only way I know of to get rid of it is to work the entire body....and the only way to do,that is to exercise.... For me, the way I got rid of it was by running.....running is one of the best exercises to work the entire body at the some time....also got rid of all the subcutaneous fat also..... You can burn a calories by burning the food you just ate, or you can burn calories by using stored fat.....I prefer the stored fat route.....

Behavior Modification....learning new habits for a New Lifestyle..... Of course, one can always get some fluid taken out and eat anyway and anything they want....

Am I correct to say you just had surgery??? In the early stages you're on your own, subject to the same pitfalls you had before the surgery....and let's face it...we all did what your describing....that's why we had surgery.... Hang in there, this is the toughest part of this journey...things will eventually get better and easier....took me 4-6 months...and even then there were many lessons still to be learned.... Reason for liquids, is precautionary....everything you went through could traumatize your band...need to give it a rest...same as you would if you sprained your ankle... I go all liquids for various reasons every 6 weeks or so....

I cannot live without coffee...if it's good fresh coffee, such as starbucks...then BLACK...will take espresso when I can....I never experienced any complications... I drink all hours of the day...even before bedtime...no problems for me...I'm a coffee fanatic... I do not condone it....but I had coffee the evening I came home from surgery....told my Dr. a week later at my post-op appointment...he shook his head and laughed.... But like someone previously said, all Dr.'s have there own treatment plans... But again, it is important you follow YOUR Dr.'s treatment plan....

Very Well said....you obviously "Get It" It is after all, really very simple....getting there can be difficult for some, but a new lifestyle is the key... Like you said, so much so you don't even think about it.... I hope many people read your success story.... And your right...many successful veterans do not come here anymore....there is not much to gain, the majority of people here are just starting out.... When I first came here 3 years ago, there were many successful veterans who posts I would follow intently...I do not see any of them anymore...does not mean they are still not successful, just moving on enjoying their new life...

I was attracted by the Title of your Post...Loose weight Fast! My health problems were severe, my family history bleak...loosing both my Brother and sister to problems directly related to obesity.... I was told by my PCP to loose weight Fast...or else! And that was not an exaggeration on his part...I actually sat in his office and talked about whether I had made arrangements, was my Wife taken care of financially, etc...etc.... So in the end...I don't give a Rat's you know what, people can think whatever they want......I'm alive, and have never been better in over 35 years....it saved my life.... And yes...once I got through that initial first few months of adjustments...both for me and the band...it did become easy...and still is.... I don't need to make excuses or apologies to anyone for going through this...the proof speaks for itself....

Everyone here has attempted and made up their minds at one point or another to get on a diet program, and exercise to better themselves.... There are many people in the world who are very successful at it....there are others that needed surgery.... I have tried dieting with every program under the sun for 30 years...I am one that needed surgery to do what I was unable to do....If I could do it myself, then I would not have had surgery...surgery forced me to change my ways, forced me to eat differently, and ultimately forced me into a new lifestyle...a lifestyle that today, after 3 years, I do not even think about it that much anymore.... But that's me....I have many friends who will never need surgery, they live a healthy lifestyle without it....

But you can find inner peace and satisfaction by saying to yourself " I Love NOT being fat, but healthy and fit, thanks to this WLS" When people are confronted with the truth (just by you standing there) they can get very defensive...they feel cornered.... You can point the way, show people the doors that are now unlocked...but you can't force them...everyone makes their own decisions...and some people are either too afraid to take that step, or too comfortable in their own mire....and we all live with the consequences.... It's not your problem.....

Each individual is different..whether or not your band is doing anything, and whether or not you are counting calories and dieting..... .I love Chinese food, get it all the time, or at least once a week....Thai and Vietnamese food also.... Bring it home, go through and pick out the things I can eat, throw the rest away...so I only eat about a 1/4 of what I purchased... For starters, I cannot eat rice anymore, have not in about 3 years......nor do I eat meat....shrimp is tricky also....many vegetables are not band friendly for me either... I also have a WOK and do my own stir-frys at home all the time....

I needed to do a 6 month medically supervised diet....with that, I needed to have weekly weigh-ins, along with face to face counseling....complete with progress notes, charts and graphs, etc, etc...to have submitted to my insurance... My PCP was willing to help any way he can...but it really was more than he could do efficiently... So I went to w weight loss center...run by a medical staff....had to pay out of pocket about $100 a week.... They did put together a very impressive report, complete with everything needed to show the insurance co.... BTW, Like any diet, I did well within the first phases, then eventually failed at the whole thing....a lot of money down the drain, but it did do it's purpose...showed the Insurance Co...for the record, signed off by a Dr.,..that I have tried and failed at traditional dieting....and that Surgery will be the only avenue for successful weight loss.... If I was good at dieting, why would I need surgery? And that 6 month program proved I am not good at it!