B-52

Who's Goal??? I had my goals, met them, and kept right on loosing.....until my body reached It's goal.... I remember asking my Dr. what happens when I reach MY Goal....he explained it to me this way: This is not a diet that when I reach a goal I can decide to stop/start it...it is a permanent lifestyle change brought on by surgery and not that of my doing....as long as I am living this "New Normal" lifestyle, my body will loose the fat and adjust until it reaches it's "New Normal"...which is exactly as it has done.... I can get a body analysis, and see that all excess body fat has gone, and I am now in a normal range (Little better actually) in other words, there is nothing left to loose....I have "Leveled out" So, Congratulations....but accepting this new life with the band, things will continue whether we want it or not.... I suppose one could get Fluid taken out of their band, allowing them to eat as before....but not me...

AMEN...there it is....

First, you are too new to this to be worrying about these "Green Zone" perks.... Follow your Dr.'s protocol for the post surgery adjustment phase.... I have NEVER felt full after being banded, 3 years ago...as someone has said, if you feel full then something is not correct... For me, I simply cannot, do not want to eat...it is pure MENTAL, nothing physical....for instance, last night we went to dinner...I order twin stuffed lobster tails....I ate the crab stuffing off one lobster tail, and that was it!!! I simply did not want to continue...I did not want to eat...it was a mental block....and as good as I know it is...It was not the least appealing, had no taste...... I have everything from last night in the fridge, I'll warm it up for dinner tonight.... I could go into why that happens to me, but not now.... CORRECTION.....I have felt full....but not from eating...from drinking.... that goes right thru my band and bloats my stomach, like the old days....I should also add, that after 3 years my normal stomach has shrunk considerably and cannot hold near as much liquid at one time, as it used to....but that is not the band, nor food - eating.....and I never drink while eating...before, during or after....always on a empty stomach.

You explained what is happening right in your statement....she eats anything, anytime she wants, band friendly or not.....and almost always vomits.... The band is there to CHANGE US...we had bad eating habits, that made us obese and unhealthy, and traditional dieting could not solve the problem for me......I had surgery to turn that around...to do what I could not do on my own....if I do not change my bad ways, then I am FIGHTING THE BAND...and the band will always win...if I continue to fight the band, it will only end in disaster...... The correct term is not vomiting, but I get what you mean....I learned to live with the band, let the band be the boss...not me...that is why I do not call it a tool....and in return I am 100% successful and have not vomited, as you say, in over 2 years....I don't fight it. I adapted and changed.... Of course, I could get Fluid taken out of my band, and then I could eat whatever and whenever I wanted....then I would be in control...but history has shown, over the last 35 years, that when I'm in control of my weight loss, it does not work....

What are you doing to burn `1000 calories? Also, I believe your body will store fat, as you say, but only initially...kind of like "Circling the wagons" as a defense......then it will cave and realize it needs to "give it up to survive".......but then, that's my opinion and I am not a NUT...

I go to red lobster from time to time...there is nothing on the menu I care for....BUT they always have the fresh catch of the day...and can always order fresh fish such as cod, mahi, etc, cooked to order..baked, grilled.... Once I eat the fish I dot have room for the sides....and usually I can't finish the entire fish... I'll also order the live lobster now and then also...that they also have to cook fresh, to order.

I do not understand, nor necessarily agree with the many theories as to why chewing gum is frowned upon by some... I will say, I'm not a gum chewer, and have not since surgery 3 years ago.... BUT the other day, I bought some purely for fresh breath reasons... As I was driving along in my car, chewing away, something strange began to happen...I started to get that feeling I get when I am getting stuck...or more like when you start to "Slime", but I was not stuck, could swallow Water just fine.... Don't know why that happened...perhaps it was some kind primitive reflex response??? Excess saliva??...Anyway, I threw the gum away....did not care for the way I started to feel... Maybe it was too much air...anyway, for me, it was another lesson learned from experience....

Scrubs are not that expensive and you can get them just about anywhere...I wear them around the house like PJ's...

Yep....it's up and down, day to day...even hour to hour sometimes.......just go with it.... Went to dinner last night, did not feel like eating anything....brought it all home and will heat it up later...

I had a appointment with my surgeon exactly 1 week after my surgeon, for him to check my incisions, etc....it was then, 1 week after surgery, he cleared me to go back to the gym, soak in the tub, swim, anything I wanted to do...only to be careful of heavy lifting...only light to mild...

WOW...I love the wisdom in this thread...very practicable and simple indeed...

If I understand you correctly, your weight loss has been very slow over the last 2 years, and then stalled out altogether, and you feel you need to eat more to loose more weight, to the point you will have Fluid taken out of your band, so you can eat more, to achieve your weight loss... I know what you mean about stalling...I have been within the same 5 lb range for 2 years now....I had/have developed a new lifestyle, new habits with eating differently....something I will carry on with for the rest of my life....with that new lifestyle, my body steadily lost weight - FAT, until there was nothing left to loose, in the way of excess body fat...and I have now leveled out at a good place...cannot loose, or gain any more, other that that normal daily fluctuation always within the same 5 lbs... But back to your question.....I am very active...run 5 miles a day, plus weights, etc....I did so to burn calories (and to get healthy)...to use my stored fat as my energy source...I always exercised on a empty stomach, very first thing in the morning....(google it)...and was very careful so as not to replace what I just managed to burn off...so only a low cal high Protein "Recovery" shake.. I'm one of those "Old School" people who believe I have to burn more calories per day than I consume per day in order for the body to be forced to use my fat stores for energy... If I were to eat more, then I would need to exercise more to compensate....thus the old school expression..."I'm need to take a walk to work off that very nice meal" This is VERY UNSCIENTIFIC, but I used to watch movies where they show Prisoners of War, just skin and bones, and very sickly...and I would wonder what they would look like if their captors gave them all the daily protein and Water they needed???

I can see the wisdom in his approach....too often people are comparing what the other person has or is doing...when all that really matters is if you are satisfied with the procedure...loosing weight, hunger, etc....

Sure...why not? I have been banded 3 years, and have went through it a few times....it's good for you...

I agree, it's not something you want to do...

I used to go into the bathroom, and drink some water...does not take much....sure enough, since it has no where to go, it will all come back up and out...may take more than one to clear it all out....I usually felt pretty good afterwards....

Gym at 6am...did not feel like running, and only did 30 minutes on the elliptical, no weights or anything else......then I spent almost an hour in the hot top with my i-pod.....it was one of those days, it felt so good and I needed some down time......back on Sunday morning after resting all day today......

Lately I have been hearing the phrase that WLS is personalized to each individual, and I could not agree more.... It's "Personalized" because the band is adjustable....my band is not like your band as is the other person's band... If I never had a fill, or when I was just starting out, I could eat and drink anything as though I did not even have the surgery...it was all about will power and classic dieting... As my band got adjusted, things began to change, and become unique TO ME, and NO ONE ELSE....what other people experience is unique to themselves and no one one else....sure there are some common things.... People need to realize that there is no concrete answer to questions such as drinking with meals, eating rice, breads, etc...experiencing hunger/cravings, and portion control....because everyone's band is different from everyone else s... That's why when someone asks a question, you are going to get 100 different answers.... I read posts, and see the person was banded within a month or so, even within a year sometimes, and I will avoid giving my response because it is night and day.....where I am at, and what my band does is no where near what the new person is experiencing, and things I may say, well I might as well be talking about visiting Mars or something....will not make much sense....and only confuse many people.... Only things I can say sometimes is "Yes, I've been there and yes, it does pass, it does get better...things do progress" And the only thing we have in common is that we all have to follow our Dr.'s treatment plan, and not what someone we never met on the internet tells us to do....and even our Dr.'s advice will differ from one another's...is one Dr right and the other wrong? My only pet peeve, after saying all the above...is when people come on here and say "THIS is the ONLY way"..."It's my way or no way" Do it THIS WAY or you will be sorry!!! How can people say that? It may be true FOR THEM.....and that is good! Share your experiences....that's what it's all about,,,,,But sometimes people will make a definitive statement about something that can never happen or will not happen, and I'm sitting here scratching me head thinking I have personally experienced the exact opposite....??? Someone may post here stating that the way they became successful was by standing on their heads for 30 minutes after every meal....may even provide a You-Tube from some Yoga instructor, etc....refer to a book or 2.... I have no problem with this person sharing their experiences, I find it informative, and perhaps entertaining., and enjoy reading everyone's different ways they have found happiness and success.......I may even try it myself and see for myself the results..or I may not.... BUT As soon as this person comes on here and starts telling everyone THIS is what you MUST do if you want to be successful, or else you are asking for certain doom...medical problems..... Saying To loose weight and be successful...YOU MUST stand on your head for 30 minutes after every meal, OR ELSE!!! It Is the ONLY WAY! Now I have a problem....I lost my weight and never stood on my head....yet this person is telling everyone this is what you HAVE to to, this is the ONLY way it works.... There are are a lot of new people here looking for guidance...and they're being told they must stand on their heads for 30 minutes after every meal? I cannot let this go by unchallenged.... Ok, my so much for my coffee induced morning rant...off to the gym....Hey IT'S FRIDAY!!!!

It took me 1 year to reach MY GOAL, but I continued loosing until I hit rock bottom...that place were my body felt was the goal, not me...anything more would be unhealthy because it would not be fat loss...right now I have a very low body fat % in the "Fit" range.... I have not lost, nor gained any weigh in almost 2 years now...everything just leveled out on it's own....

If it works for you, then great...but I was once told these apps have very little in common with obese people on a weight loss program involving something as drastic as surgery.... I've even talked with NUTS at work...and when I asked what about people who have had WLS, their remarks were that is a whole different ball game and different set of rules.... But like I said...if it works for someone, the it works...and that's all that really matters...success. Myself, I hit a wall when I was tracking everything with one of those apps....it was a breakthrough when I stopped worrying about that and concentrated on learning to live and listen to my band....

Hang in there...it's only going to get more interesting....

Not herbal life, just 100% whey Protein...then I add ANYTHING to it I am in the mood for, and my imagination can come up with... I've been making smoothies with 2 shots of Espresso and goats milk lately... High protein, high energy smoothies and juice drinks are really starting to become the health craze lately...it does not surprise me you went to a class on it...my wife and daughter went to one recently also at Williams & Sonoma.... A lot of my friends are into it now also....and to think...I have been doing it for Breakfast every day since being banded 3 years ago....

Regardless of what I have been told..I cannot drink while eating...and this is solely from personal experience... If I have food sitting there, slowly passing through a narrow opening....introducing fluids will only add to the volume in my pouch...and having no where to go...it comes right back up...not to mention the associated pain, probably from stretching the pouch.... Now imagine carbonated drinks!!!!...can you say explosion??? I can see a band slip happening there.... I drink carbonated drinks...Pellagrino, beer, etc....but ALWAYS on a empty stomach, never within hours of eating anything...before or after... I can drink right up to when I begin to eat...as far as after, I usually wait at least 10-15 minutes, then test it with a little sip...I can tell immediately if there is food still there or not...I have had to wait as long as 45 minutes.... Again I use the funnel example...food is sitting there waiting to pass through that narrow passage...then you pour Water into the funnel...where is is going to go? Personally, I never bought into the "Wash it down" theory...never fixed a clogged kitchen sink by adding water either.... But all this is just me....and what I have learned for myself...everyone will have different experiences I'm sure...and I can live with that...

My Health Club opens at 5 am M-F, 6am on weekends...I am there at 5:30am, ready to go...except on Mondays when I am in a "Advanced Training" class..(*Bootcamp") on Mondays that starts at 5:30am...it's always crowded...men and women. I'm a morning person anyway...I like to workout before I have eaten anything, and when my energy levels are at the highest...when I go after work, I am somewhat tired, and don't get as good a workout in...although I have gone twice a day...morning and after work on occasion. The health club I belong to has lockers...so I change into my workout clothes after I get there, bed head and all.....afterwards, I sit in the sauna/steam room, can shave, shower, brush my teeth, put on fresh clothes and head to work... I can also purchase one of the many different freshly made smoothie for breakfast there....or a fresh veggie juice...but I go Protein. The place is more crowded than one would think at that hour...same faces every day so I get to know many... Most people are professionals, Dr.'s, Lawyers, one or two judges I'm aware of, and even one State Senator...and they leave the gym wearing suits and ties for work...and the women I've seen leaving are dressed very professional also. You have our group at 5-6am....at 8 am the "Seniors" start showing up.....during the day it is all women...Homemakers I imagine., they use the daycare.......then you have the after work crowd, starting at 3pm......in the evening, after 6pm, you have all the Rif-Raf...the "Lounge Lizards".

Just curious - if you didn't tell anyone, who took you home from the hospital? Or did you spend the night? Well, obviously my Wife and kids know, Duh...., as well as a few close family members....but as far as the general public...it's none of their business and I did not want the bother explaining, or defending myself....