B-52

In my opinion, Everyone looses weight post surgery...from the post surgery diet alone, not because of the band. I did, and then had my first fill of 4cc's 4 weeks after surgery.....the next fill was 4 weeks after that... Between my first and second fill I GAINED weight...the weight I lost from the post surgery diet began to come back. It was not until my second fill that I felt that the band began to make a difference, and it took three fills before I can say it was doing something significant. So for 12 weeks from surgery, it was a struggle...probably the hardest phase of this procedure. That's why it is referred to "Banders Hell" All I could do was hang in there and apply good old fashion diet principals, which I am not very good at. The reason I needed surgery after all. But I did get through it, took some time and some hard learned lessons, and now I can say it is the greatest thing I could have ever done...5 years and it can't be any better.

Whatever it is I may do, Aerobic Activity is #1...everything else is essential, but secondary.

I no longer worry about New Years resolutions, everyday is and should be a resolution... But considering all the junk I have been eating/drinking for the past few weeks, I am going to go on a 2 week "PaleoClense" to rid my body of all these toxins I have accumulated.... Have to wait till Jan 2nd though, New Years day is still a party day..... BTW, I have been going to one Health Club - Gym for over 5 years now, and every New Years the place is packed with all those committing themselves to one resolution or another....after a few weeks it starts to fall back towards normal again... That is what I think of New years resolutions...if you're going to do it, then do it...why wait till a certain day which comes but once a year....

Who ???

never mind...delete post

This was me, about 8 years ago? Surgery was 5 years ago. Diabetic, one heart attack. (for starters) You can see why. This is me, a few days ago (Christmas Eve) with my new Grandkids (twins) I will be 64 in 2 weeks. 100+ Lbs down, feel 1/2 my age.....little or no health issues. This is my favorite time of year...the parties started a few weeks ago. At least 3-4 that were work related, plus one my Wife gave for her employees and their families. Plus it seemed as though every hospital/clinic I went to for the past 2 weeks has had some sort of in-house luncheons, etc. Then there came Christmas eve, which is a big tradition for my family, then Christmas morning at my Daughters for a large brunch... Back to our house for our Christmas dinner that evening. Today we are off to my Brother-in-laws out of state for a full day... After this, comes New Years with dinners and full days of watching College football... I'm not so concerned about gaining weight, been here before since surgery and I know my Band and how to listen to it.....what I am concerned about is all the unhealthy things I would not normally eat, not to mention the huge spike in alcohol consumption. I do not believe in New Years resolutions, but come Jan. 2, I am going on a 14 day PaleoCleanse to rid my body of all these toxins.... Christmas comes but once a year....and with my new life that surgery has given me, I am enjoying it more now than ever....(I probably would not be here without it)

First of all...my problem was I could not control my appetie and eating...diets failed everytime because I had no self-control...as a last resort, my PCP recommended surgery...to do what I was incapable of doing myself.... THAT's why I had surgery...I expected a difference. Since then, I've never felt full in the classic sense....I simply do not want to eat anymore...and have no desire to eat. My tastes have totally changed, I do not get turned on by the smells/aromas of food. The sight of it does absolutely nothing. The only way I can explain it is like this......remember when you ate more than you should, say at Thanksgiving...so much you had to unbuckle your pants. If someone put another slice of pie in front of you, you would wave your hands and say "You got to be kidding, take it away....I cannot possibly eat one more thing...I don't ever want to look at food again!" Well, I feel that way all the time..but not as drastic. Not a physical feeling, but purey a mental thing...subtle thoughts, feelings......my brain is telling me I'm not hungry, I don't need to eat, I am more than full, I am satisfied ! Yet! I haven't eaten anything yet. I may not have eaten all day... I believe the presence of the band, adjusted, is sending my brain these signals. I can go to the grocery store and wander...not seeing anything that interests me...My tastes have changed dramatically, sometimes none at all... And this is coming from a guy who could not stop eating...all day long, like a machine! I could devour a large pizza all by myself..then go looking for a snack an hour later. When we go out to eat (which is often because both my wife and I work ridiculous long hours)..I try to order something nutritious, what I know I should be eating.....and after eating about a tenth, I put the fork down...I'm done, have no desire to continue....it's like a child playing with his vegetables....I bring home more than I eat. THIS to me...is the Green Zone.....First, No hunger, no cravings...completely under control. Second, portion control...it is impossible for me to overeat, and if for some strange reason I wanted to, I would get sick. So hunger control + portion control, = weight loss....weight loss until I reached what my body felt was a good place to be...then it leveled out and stayed. I know from years experience, everyone experiences things differently with the band...some are hungry and crave food all the time...some for hours between meals....and some, like me, 24/7 When I am busy, occupied in some endeavor like an outing, travel, etc...I can go forever without eating....it usually takes the people around me to start complaining about stopping to eat. But I am always diligent to get my daily Protein in, and always drinking Water.

For me, the thing about the lap band is/was, not only getting it adjusted to work properly, but getting myself adjusted to work with the band...it's is a perfect balance, and a lot of old habits and ways of doing things in terms of food have to go. I've been stuck so many times, all my fault and not the bands....lessons learned the hard way. Eventually the lessons become second nature and a new lifestyle emerges....

Congratulations....This thing DOES WORK! A word of caution....I have been here for 5 years and have noticed all too often Banders getting frustrated because they want results right away....it is adjustable, and it is a process...took me at least 3 months before the band started to do anything for me....some people more, some less. Listening to your Dr. is key, he/she has a treatment plan for you..... And learning the rules now helps a great deal, in the future you will need them.

Been banded 5 years, never had a full feeling...not in the true meaning of the word.

juice them and drink them!!!

I make my own smoothies every morning in the blender, with fresh fruit and almond milk... 35 - 40 grams of protein every day to start the day....getting the rest is easy. Not to mention the nutritional boost I get... Been doing that for almost 5 years now.

I lost 100%...and it has nothing to do with weight, BMI's, ...it is all about Body Fat% At one point my body fat % was so high, it clogged my arteries, hindered my circulation, and was my primary cause of my Heart Problems including one heart attack.....also Diabetes was out of control. Today, my body fat % in down in the "Athletic" range....it cannot possibly get any lower, I cannot lose any additional weight, being right where I should be....which means I am 100% successful. I never heard about what % one is expected to lose, or what is average.....I did hear about what % there was with failure...maybe that was the same thing.

My health club opens at 5am...and I'm usually there.....3 days a week, then weekends. After my workout, I can shower, shave, and get dressed for work right there...they also have a small restaurant - lunch counter where I can purchase a smoothie from the juice Bar for my Breakfast. I don't think it's crazy at all, but other people say I'm nuts.... People say they would be dead on their feet for the rest of the day...but I find just the opposite to be true. At 5am there is a large crowd doing the same, so I'm in good company.

I used to love to cook, but after surgery, hardly ever cook since surgery Can only eat a few ounces so a lot of preparation goes into something that can barely fill a saucer. Plus, food just does not interest me anymore, and lack of hunger - appetite probably feeds into it also. Both my wife and I work, sometimes long hours, so we simply pick something up on the way home. Last night was Chinese, and even then threw 3/4 of it out... We go out a lot, and always bring home plenty of food, enough for the next day...so that's 2 days without cooking right there....and if we go out say twice a week, then that's 4 days of food for me. I should add I only eat one main meal a day.

I'm a lap bander...when I come onto this website, I click "New Content" specifically under the "Lap Band" surgery type section.... 99% of the people posting in that section are anything but people with the Lap band... I don't know if the bleed over is intentional, or people do not enter their specific surgery type section.... I find when someone who has had the Lap band posts, the replies are from people with other surgeries, etc. There IS a difference...when I come across a post, and I see it is from some one who has had, say the sleeve, I do not participate....my experience is not with the sleeve so my input is misdirecting. The opposite is true. Then there are people who do not list what surgery they have had at all... I do understand there are "General" discussion areas, and there are specific "Surgery Type" sections.

Congratulations!!.....and people worry about how to stay motivated...all you need to do is look in the mirror! Your smile says it all!!!

Coming up on 5 years, as good today as it's ever been... Took 6-8 months to get settled in the Green Zone, (the only true hard part about this) after which it has been a dream come true. No hunger/cravings, temptations, inability to overeat...and most important, don't miss that old gluttonous lifestyle one bit. Cannot compare with what I now have. Not a single problem, complication. Not one. I live a normal life day to day without even thinking about what I'm eating, or do I need to "Diet" and loose a few pounds....be careful what I eat...I still enjoy things in life that Dieters would cringe at...and will never understand. I can put being fat and out of shape along with all the medical issues I had behind me and get on with my new life.... I sometimes wonder if I should have had the sleeve, etc, but hey...It does not get any better than this, and I can't argue with success.

There was a time I was embarrassed to get on the scale, also in denial as to what I would see...so I cannot tell you what my highest weight was since I would not get on the scale. But now, I get on the scale first thing every morning when I'm in the bathroom....then a second time at the gym...each time is an excuse for celebration...a positive reinforcement to say the least. Makes me feel good and ready to face the day...

I'm a 64 year old male, and I go back every 6-7 months...I have injections for my forehead, and fillers for my "Marionette" cheeks. I also go for regular facial traetments, microdermabrasion. Add to that regular workouts at the gym, plus being at an optimal weight...very low body fat %.... I meet with new patients everyday, and yes, image and first impressions are important

What makes you think there might be something wrong? You say that prior to your last fill, everything you put in your mouth you would hack back up....and yet, they went ahead and gave you another fill....and now you are getting stuck way less. This tells me two things...first, you're band is working. I would be more concerned if you could eat all you wanted with no feedback. Second, when one gets their band adjusted, one also has to learn to modify their eating habits to stay in harmony with the band...you learned that also, and realized it was not the band that was too tight, but the fact you were not chewing enough...probably more careful what types of food you eat also. You're Dr. feels it was that way also, and gave you yet another fill....and now there will be more lessons to learn... And meanwhile the weight will come off. My opinion, and that's all it is, my opinion, is that you are right on track...it is a learning process, and with these lessons comes a new lifestyle...and that to me was the only thing hard about this...learning to live all over again, breaking a lifetime of bad habits.

I've been here for 5 years and when reading some posts, I still feel clueless. Good luck, and know this...it does work.

You're band was super tight and you lost only 50 lbs?...after 8 years? Sorry, but I am not clearly understanding everything.... I am 5 years banded...I keep my band tight enough to restrict me from overeating, to restrict me from eating the wrong foods, and also restrict me from eating wrong, like a pig. (need to take it small and slow) If I challenge this, I will be miserable. So the band is forcing me to change my personal habits...fixes my brain, behavior modification. It has become a way of life, don't need to think about it anymore...don't need to tell or remind myself what I need to do or not to do...don't need strategies for the holidays or eating out.....it has become all matter of fact.... People call the band a "Tool"...I DO NOT! A tool is something I can take off the shelf, and use it however I wish to, then return it to the toolbox.... The band, is much more than that..it tells me what to do...step out of line, or try to fight it, and I will only be miserable.... But learn to fall in line and find that groove...HEAVEN! I cannot fully inderstand your situation, but if that was happening to me I would say I was fighting the band and what it was trying to do...the more I fight it, try to cheat it, the more inflamd and irritated it gets only makeing things worse making it ipossible to drink Water without issues.

Welcome....best decision I ever made, wish I had done it sooner. Just wanted to say hi. I'm a new member and was approved for the Lap Band surgery. I have my operation on Dec 16. I start my pre op diet on Dec 2. I am going through Smart Shape Weight Loss here in Canada. Hope to see you around! Martin Personally, I'm glad I did not find this website until after I had my surgery. It can be a blessing and a curse, positive enforcement and negative. But know this, this thing does work!! Best advice I can give is focus on the treatment plan your Dr. has for you...and don't get distracted by what others are doing...it's your life and you need to take care of yourself and your own.

I ask for a receipt for petty cash. Then go home and eat them all myself. This reminds me of the so called good old days of eating three apple fritters and feeling sad because there were no fritters left. Now if I choose to eat a fourth of a fritter it takes me twice as long to eat the fourth as it took to eat 3 fritters. Taking the time to enjoy food is a real blessing Would take me forever to eat a fourth of one also, plus the risk of getting stuck is great so I don't eat things like that anymoe..... Old days anything left laying around was not safe if I were there.... Love my band, and the behaviour modification that came along with it.