B-52

Make sure, after taking a break, that the pre-tests you have already taken don't expire and you have to repeat them.
I had to repeat one at the last minute (2 days before surgery) and one other, we found a loophole we could use even though the primary test had time expired.

Lots of good questions.
First, people call the band a "Tool". I personally do not understand this concept because a tool is something that makes work easier. Being banded has not been work for me. Well, maybe yes in the early stages.
To me, the band was "surgical intervention" that, were diets have failed me in the past, this is a foreign object wrapped around my stomach and adjusted (tightened) that prevents me from doing something that I tend to do.
And that is overeating. Period. Simple.
The 2nd thing the band does for me, is it stimulates certain nerves signaling the brain that I am not hungry. Notice I did not say "Full". There is a difference between the 2.
Example: Yesterday was thanksgiving. I sat at the table and ate till I felt full. Which was very early, eating very little because of the band and the pouch.
Today, as I am typing this, I have not had a single thing to eat yet today (other than coffee and some water) and I am not hungry. I even went to the gym this am, so I should be hungry enough to eat a very large Breakfast. But I don't feel like eating. That's the band talking to my brain! Also keep in mind it took me 4 months past surgery to start to get these results. It was not instant.
So yes, as you say, diets have failed before. They failed because WE have to do the work with discipline. That is why I needed to have my stomach banded! Because I could not do it.
Also, keep in mind as you read all the posts on this board.
As with any "Bell Curve" you will have people on both ends. Those who have had the surgery and never need a adjustment (fill) and loose weight just fine, and at the other end there are those where everything went wrong for whatever reason. But then there is the large bulge (bell) in the middle where the majority are.

So, according to last 2 posts, all this "Surgery" and other stuff is a waste of time?? And after 1-2 years it is as though you have never been banded?
No appetite suppression? No band restriction with Portion Control? No lessons, lifestyle changes learned?
Sounds like diets I have been on before, where I loose weight only to have it come roaring back!
I want to be a loser, but not that kind!
Why waste my time! I should start thinking about having this thing removed and go back to a life of diabetes, coronary artery disease, $$ per month for Rx drugs, XXX clothes.
I was getting ready to head to the gym this am, but after reading this good news, why bother?
Me and thousands of other people have been duped!
My wife and I, after I loose an additional 15-20lbs, were researching surgery to have these "Love Handles" removed. But now I am loosing all my motivation knowing I will be a failure in 2 years.
There's a lot of people on the "Reached your personal goal???" thread in for a rude awakening!
I'm really bummed!!

Lots of good questions.
First, people call the band a "Tool". I personally do not understand this concept because a tool is something that makes work easier. Being banded has not been work for me. Well, maybe yes in the early stages.
To me, the band was "surgical intervention" that, were diets have failed me in the past, this is a foreign object wrapped around my stomach and adjusted (tightened) that prevents me from doing something that I tend to do.
And that is overeating. Period. Simple.
The 2nd thing the band does for me, is it stimulates certain nerves signaling the brain that I am not hungry. Notice I did not say "Full". There is a difference between the 2.
Example: Yesterday was thanksgiving. I sat at the table and ate till I felt full. Which was very early, eating very little because of the band and the pouch.
Today, as I am typing this, I have not had a single thing to eat yet today (other than coffee and some water) and I am not hungry. I even went to the gym this am, so I should be hungry enough to eat a very large Breakfast. But I don't feel like eating. That's the band talking to my brain! Also keep in mind it took me 4 months past surgery to start to get these results. It was not instant.
So yes, as you say, diets have failed before. They failed because WE have to do the work with discipline. That is why I needed to have my stomach banded! Because I could not do it.
Also, keep in mind as you read all the posts on this board.
As with any "Bell Curve" you will have people on both ends. Those who have had the surgery and never need a adjustment (fill) and loose weight just fine, and at the other end there are those where everything went wrong for whatever reason. But then there is the large bulge (bell) in the middle where the majority are.

Hi I'm Jerry,
Before I got banded I studied and researched to learn all I could about the band. I have been overweight most of my life and I'm willing to bet that there are very few people who can tell me something that I haven't heard about the dangers of being overweight. When my life started to go downhill I decided I had to stop, reality slapped me in the face when I found out that I was 564 pounds and all the ailments that they warned me about were becoming part of my life. I went to the local hospital seminar about the gastric surgeries, It was then that I decided that I was going for it. I had to go through all the preliminary things which took about 8 months and finally this past August 24, 2011 I had my surgery.
It took me 10 months to have the surgery and in that time I had lost about 100 pounds. I had a rapid weight loss when I had my surgery which caused my body to plateau for about 8 weeks after surgery. I'm finally losing again but I know that I still have a long way to go and I'm going to help anyone I can to not go where I have been.

In my case, the band is forcing me to change my eating habits. It has become 2nd nature because of lessons learned over and over again.
Example: Today, all I have eaten so far is a Protein shake for Breakfast, then went to the gym. After noon, as we are getting ready to sit down and watch some football on TV, my son says he is going out for Chinese take out, and do I want anything. I said sure, get me a small Lo-Mein, and some Spare Ribs.
Now before being banded, I could have gulped down the entire thing, along with a Coke. Well I had ONE RIB, and maybe 2 swallows of Lo-Mein. My band started screaming at me! I am finished with lunch.
dinner won't be so bad, as long as I choose the correct foods to eat.
I cannot over eat if I wanted to. It is physically impossible because of this thing wrapped around my stomach! I am not sure how I could fail.
I have tried dozens and dozens of diets and failed because I have no will power and discipline to see them through. With those I failed every one!
The band took care of that. Lets face it, surgical option is for people who cannot loose weight by standard diets alone. I believe everyone here is a failure when it comes to dieting with will power alone.
It is the EASIEST way to loose weight!

Sounds like your band is doing it's job. I may or may not say you are too tight.
I would say it sounds like you are not making the right food choices. Perhaps you have picked up some bad habits, and have learned the little secrets to eating around the band. Increasing your chances of getting stuck, and vomiting.
You may need to get self-motivated again.
IF it was me I would go on a straight liquid diet for 2-3 days, then mushies, then solids.
In other words, go back to what new bandsters have to learn during their post-op learning period from the start. (what I call boot camp - basic training)
Proper food selection, calorie counting, meeting daily Protein goals(and fiber) and getting plenty of Water.
If someone wants to cheat the band, they can. At the risk of getting sick all the time.

Exercise is beneficial for many reasons, but to be more specific to your topic:
It all depends upon how much weight you need to loose. There are people who have a lot of weight to loose and they will loose more then the next person whether they exercise more or less.
Then there are those whose fat that they want to loose is not so conspicuous from the outside. The fat is more within the muscles rather than an outer layer.. Think of a poor cut of steak that is heavily marbled with fat. Only strenuous exercise will get at that fat, even if it means building muscle.
I have 15 lbs to go to my goal, and I know I am one of those people. My skin is tight over my belly, legs and arms. You can see the muscles and veins when I lift weights. So where is the remaining weight (fat) I have to loose? Marbled within the muscle layers I'm sure.

This is the "Learning Curve". You have to learn new eating habits. For me it was the hard way, getting stuck many times before I started to finally get it. Now I can glance at food and know what is safe and what is off limits. Also, there are foods that are off limits to me, but I read here from many other people who eat the same foods with no problem. You just have to learn foir yourself as you get more restriction in the band and head towards the green zone.

Yes but just think of all the compliments you are going to get from all those people you have not seen for a while.
That in itself will motivate anybody!
With every food I love on the table, I am determined to at least TASTE everything there. I'll start with the sliders first and work my way up to the stuffing.

Gee.....and I was happy just being overweight (as opposed to being morbidly obese then obese)
Congrats! I hope to be there soon.

You'll Shoot Your Eye Out Kid!!!!

No, but with a tight band I have learned to do it by necessity. I can feel the food and can tell when it has safely passed through the band. Sometimes longer than 30 seconds.
Eating too fast will overload the pouch, and is a sure way to get stuck.
I also put the fork down.

Been away from my computer for few days. Opened my e-mail and down came a long list of new posts from this website, and ALL were NEGATIVE!
WHAT A DRAG!
Then I find a post from a person who is considering the surgery but having 2nd thoughts because of all the info he/she is reading here. THAT got to me!

So I need to vent.

First, I have to give disclosure that what I say is only from my own personal experiences, and of course, everyone should follow what their Dr. says, not a stranger.

I LOVE my band. It is the best thing I have ever done, and without a doubt has changed my life and probably saved it too.
It is doing everything that I had hoped and imagined it would do! And I can honestly say I do not have one single complaint or problem!

People say it is a "Tool" that you use and with a little hard work and determination you can make it work. Well, sorry, I have been on more diets that I can remember and this is the EASIEST weight loss
experience I have ever imagined. I have undergone major bariatric surgery and had a foreign object put inside me to change my eating habits...and that is exactly what it is doing. The main discipline for
me is making wise food choices. And for that there is a learning curve!

First, it has controlled and curbed my hunger. There are times when I know it's time to eat and I just don't feel like it.
Second, when I do eat, the amount of food I can eat is very, very small! I could not overeat if I wanted to!
Recently people here have stated they dread the thought of Thanksgiving and not overeating and ruining their progress. My only anxiety is that I WON"T be able to eat my favorite foods! I've thought this through and think I am going to at least have a "Taste" of everything on the table. But I will have to save the stuffing for last because that's not going to work at all.

I still go out to my favorite restaurants. I drink coffee all hours of the day. I enjoy an alcohol drink now and then. I don't measure/weigh my food. There is just so much that will fit in my pouch. If I did weigh/measure what I ate I am sure I would find it to be proportional to what I should be allowed. In other words I can't overeat no matter how much I may want to!
My Diabetes is completely reversed! At one point I was taking 60 units of Lantus at bedtime, plus oral meds during the day with meals. NO MORE! GONE!
I now go to the gym and workout like a madman. Not because I have to, but because the things I can now do are amazing (to me) and I can't wait to get back and do it again!
I wear clothes that are "Normal" sized. Bought 2 winter coats that are MEDIUMS!

I have not had a fill since May. I tell my Dr. everything I am doing. He says I am in a good place, exactly where I should be, in the Green Zone. Go and enjoy your life and I will see you in 3 months.
I have to say it continues to get better every week as more old habits die away and new habits are learned and become second nature.

I get up and go to work and come home everyday. There are days I do not even think about being banded. (like having bridgework)

I need to say it took me 4 months from surgery to get to this place, where things started to fall in place. THAT was when my weight loss journey began. NOT when I had the surgery.
And like I said, it keeps on getting better.

There. I'll get off my soapbox now.

Careful!!!! Once you start you'll get addicted and won't be able to stop!
Just kidding....enjoy yourself and your new life!!

Been away from my computer for few days. Opened my e-mail and down came a long list of new posts from this website, and ALL were NEGATIVE!
WHAT A DRAG!
Then I find a post from a person who is considering the surgery but having 2nd thoughts because of all the info he/she is reading here. THAT got to me!

So I need to vent.

First, I have to give disclosure that what I say is only from my own personal experiences, and of course, everyone should follow what their Dr. says, not a stranger.

I LOVE my band. It is the best thing I have ever done, and without a doubt has changed my life and probably saved it too.
It is doing everything that I had hoped and imagined it would do! And I can honestly say I do not have one single complaint or problem!

People say it is a "Tool" that you use and with a little hard work and determination you can make it work. Well, sorry, I have been on more diets that I can remember and this is the EASIEST weight loss
experience I have ever imagined. I have undergone major bariatric surgery and had a foreign object put inside me to change my eating habits...and that is exactly what it is doing. The main discipline for
me is making wise food choices. And for that there is a learning curve!

First, it has controlled and curbed my hunger. There are times when I know it's time to eat and I just don't feel like it.
Second, when I do eat, the amount of food I can eat is very, very small! I could not overeat if I wanted to!
Recently people here have stated they dread the thought of Thanksgiving and not overeating and ruining their progress. My only anxiety is that I WON"T be able to eat my favorite foods! I've thought this through and think I am going to at least have a "Taste" of everything on the table. But I will have to save the stuffing for last because that's not going to work at all.

I still go out to my favorite restaurants. I drink coffee all hours of the day. I enjoy an alcohol drink now and then. I don't measure/weigh my food. There is just so much that will fit in my pouch. If I did weigh/measure what I ate I am sure I would find it to be proportional to what I should be allowed. In other words I can't overeat no matter how much I may want to!
My Diabetes is completely reversed! At one point I was taking 60 units of Lantus at bedtime, plus oral meds during the day with meals. NO MORE! GONE!
I now go to the gym and workout like a madman. Not because I have to, but because the things I can now do are amazing (to me) and I can't wait to get back and do it again!
I wear clothes that are "Normal" sized. Bought 2 winter coats that are MEDIUMS!

I have not had a fill since May. I tell my Dr. everything I am doing. He says I am in a good place, exactly where I should be, in the Green Zone. Go and enjoy your life and I will see you in 3 months.
I have to say it continues to get better every week as more old habits die away and new habits are learned and become second nature.

I get up and go to work and come home everyday. There are days I do not even think about being banded. (like having bridgework)

I need to say it took me 4 months from surgery to get to this place, where things started to fall in place. THAT was when my weight loss journey began. NOT when I had the surgery.
And like I said, it keeps on getting better.

There. I'll get off my soapbox now.

Been away from my computer for few days. Opened my e-mail and down came a long list of new posts from this website, and ALL were NEGATIVE!
WHAT A DRAG!
Then I find a post from a person who is considering the surgery but having 2nd thoughts because of all the info he/she is reading here. THAT got to me!

So I need to vent.

First, I have to give disclosure that what I say is only from my own personal experiences, and of course, everyone should follow what their Dr. says, not a stranger.

I LOVE my band. It is the best thing I have ever done, and without a doubt has changed my life and probably saved it too.
It is doing everything that I had hoped and imagined it would do! And I can honestly say I do not have one single complaint or problem!

People say it is a "Tool" that you use and with a little hard work and determination you can make it work. Well, sorry, I have been on more diets that I can remember and this is the EASIEST weight loss
experience I have ever imagined. I have undergone major bariatric surgery and had a foreign object put inside me to change my eating habits...and that is exactly what it is doing. The main discipline for
me is making wise food choices. And for that there is a learning curve!

First, it has controlled and curbed my hunger. There are times when I know it's time to eat and I just don't feel like it.
Second, when I do eat, the amount of food I can eat is very, very small! I could not overeat if I wanted to!
Recently people here have stated they dread the thought of Thanksgiving and not overeating and ruining their progress. My only anxiety is that I WON"T be able to eat my favorite foods! I've thought this through and think I am going to at least have a "Taste" of everything on the table. But I will have to save the stuffing for last because that's not going to work at all.

I still go out to my favorite restaurants. I drink coffee all hours of the day. I enjoy an alcohol drink now and then. I don't measure/weigh my food. There is just so much that will fit in my pouch. If I did weigh/measure what I ate I am sure I would find it to be proportional to what I should be allowed. In other words I can't overeat no matter how much I may want to!
My Diabetes is completely reversed! At one point I was taking 60 units of Lantus at bedtime, plus oral meds during the day with meals. NO MORE! GONE!
I now go to the gym and workout like a madman. Not because I have to, but because the things I can now do are amazing (to me) and I can't wait to get back and do it again!
I wear clothes that are "Normal" sized. Bought 2 winter coats that are MEDIUMS!

I have not had a fill since May. I tell my Dr. everything I am doing. He says I am in a good place, exactly where I should be, in the Green Zone. Go and enjoy your life and I will see you in 3 months.
I have to say it continues to get better every week as more old habits die away and new habits are learned and become second nature.

I get up and go to work and come home everyday. There are days I do not even think about being banded. (like having bridgework)

I need to say it took me 4 months from surgery to get to this place, where things started to fall in place. THAT was when my weight loss journey began. NOT when I had the surgery.
And like I said, it keeps on getting better.

There. I'll get off my soapbox now.

Been away from my computer for few days. Opened my e-mail and down came a long list of new posts from this website, and ALL were NEGATIVE!
WHAT A DRAG!
Then I find a post from a person who is considering the surgery but having 2nd thoughts because of all the info he/she is reading here. THAT got to me!

So I need to vent.

First, I have to give disclosure that what I say is only from my own personal experiences, and of course, everyone should follow what their Dr. says, not a stranger.

I LOVE my band. It is the best thing I have ever done, and without a doubt has changed my life and probably saved it too.
It is doing everything that I had hoped and imagined it would do! And I can honestly say I do not have one single complaint or problem!

People say it is a "Tool" that you use and with a little hard work and determination you can make it work. Well, sorry, I have been on more diets that I can remember and this is the EASIEST weight loss
experience I have ever imagined. I have undergone major bariatric surgery and had a foreign object put inside me to change my eating habits...and that is exactly what it is doing. The main discipline for
me is making wise food choices. And for that there is a learning curve!

First, it has controlled and curbed my hunger. There are times when I know it's time to eat and I just don't feel like it.
Second, when I do eat, the amount of food I can eat is very, very small! I could not overeat if I wanted to!
Recently people here have stated they dread the thought of Thanksgiving and not overeating and ruining their progress. My only anxiety is that I WON"T be able to eat my favorite foods! I've thought this through and think I am going to at least have a "Taste" of everything on the table. But I will have to save the stuffing for last because that's not going to work at all.

I still go out to my favorite restaurants. I drink coffee all hours of the day. I enjoy an alcohol drink now and then. I don't measure/weigh my food. There is just so much that will fit in my pouch. If I did weigh/measure what I ate I am sure I would find it to be proportional to what I should be allowed. In other words I can't overeat no matter how much I may want to!
My Diabetes is completely reversed! At one point I was taking 60 units of Lantus at bedtime, plus oral meds during the day with meals. NO MORE! GONE!
I now go to the gym and workout like a madman. Not because I have to, but because the things I can now do are amazing (to me) and I can't wait to get back and do it again!
I wear clothes that are "Normal" sized. Bought 2 winter coats that are MEDIUMS!

I have not had a fill since May. I tell my Dr. everything I am doing. He says I am in a good place, exactly where I should be, in the Green Zone. Go and enjoy your life and I will see you in 3 months.
I have to say it continues to get better every week as more old habits die away and new habits are learned and become second nature.

I get up and go to work and come home everyday. There are days I do not even think about being banded. (like having bridgework)

I need to say it took me 4 months from surgery to get to this place, where things started to fall in place. THAT was when my weight loss journey began. NOT when I had the surgery.
And like I said, it keeps on getting better.

There. I'll get off my soapbox now.

Final 15 pounds to goal!

I don't think people here ever give medical advice, but it is a place for people to share their personal experiences.
Read enough posts and you begin to see common issues.

Somebody asks a question, no matter what the issue, if I have experienced it I will tell of MY experiences. Not based upon what others have said, or what you-tube I have seen, etc.
It is also a good support group. The first week post-op for me I just wanted to hear from other people who have gone, and going through the same thing.

Also, I am not one of those who freak out and call my Dr. for every little pain, twinge, or whatever.

I don't think people here ever give medical advice, but it is a place for people to share their personal experiences.
Read enough posts and you begin to see common issues.

Somebody asks a question, no matter what the issue, if I have experienced it I will tell of MY experiences. Not based upon what others have said, or what you-tube I have seen, etc.
It is also a good support group. The first week post-op for me I just wanted to hear from other people who have gone, and going through the same thing.

Also, I am not one of those who freak out and call my Dr. for every little pain, twinge, or whatever.

I don't think people here ever give medical advice, but it is a place for people to share their personal experiences.
Read enough posts and you begin to see common issues.

Somebody asks a question, no matter what the issue, if I have experienced it I will tell of MY experiences. Not based upon what others have said, or what you-tube I have seen, etc.
It is also a good support group. The first week post-op for me I just wanted to hear from other people who have gone, and going through the same thing.

Also, I am not one of those who freak out and call my Dr. for every little pain, twinge, or whatever.

I work with pediatrics and conduct / attend clinics in different hospitals and other facilities every day of the week.
When a appointment is made, a time slot, space, and the time of various healthcare professionals is set aside just for you.
You are asked to give at least 24 hr notification if you can't make it.
When there is a "No Show" , as you did, then there is wasted time (and money) and someone else who could have used your slot.
Imagine a hair dresser in a salon who depends upon her appointments showing up.
All I'm saying is be happy they got you an appointment when they did. You are probably at the bottom of their list. Would not expect any special treatment right now.

Welcome to the club. It was your first episode, and trust me, it will not be your last. It's all part of being banded.
Yes. It is a learning experience, and over time, you will have to adapt to an entire new way of eating. I hope you've learned a few things from this episode.
In my case, I would say Burger Kings and other such places are 99.9% off limits. Wendy's Chili works good for a quick lunch but that's about it.
I can't eat a burger patty, meat is too tough! For that matter, I don't eat much red meat at all lately.

Drinking something (anything) while being stuck is not recommended, unless you are prepared for what will happen next.
If stuck, nothing can pass, or passes real slow. Thus the sliming begins. Drink anything and it has no where to go, will add to the sliming
process so to speak, and it will all come up almost instantly.

I have been stuck more times than I can remember, but not at all in the past month or so because I have adapted new eating habits, food choices, etc. I have learned the hard way.
My Dr. laughs at me when I tell him my experiences.

When I have gotten stuck, I would sip some Water while standing over the sink to get rid of it quickly rather than dragging it on.

IMO I find it very hard, if not impossible to stretch your pouch.
My band is very tight, and I like it that way. Makes it very easy to manage what, and how I eat. In my case the food does sit in the pouch, and passes through the
band very slowly, depending on the type of food I am eating. I can feel it with every swallow.
I have to put the fork down between swallows and allow the food to go through. Eat to quickly, or too much, and the food accumulates and I am in pain, or stuck.
Drinking fluids while eating will only compound the issue.

Having said that, in order to stretch your pouch, you would first of all need a certain level of restriction for food to accumulate in the pouch.
When this happens, you will know it. Too much and you are in a great deal of discomfort, and perhaps pain.
To stretch your pouch, if possible, you would have to over do it from this point. I can tell you from personal experience it is not a pleasant thing to do.
The food has no where to go, but back up from where it came!! The slimeing will begin! Not to mention the pain you may experience. Someone here described it as swallowing a golfball, and having it sit there!

So, like I said, if it where possible, it would be very hard to do, IMO.

As a side note, all these little things they teach you to do: Chewing, waiting between swallows, drinking while eating, etc, etc, I have now found to happen naturally because of the level of restriction I have.
Many people will say I am too tight. But everything I was told before the surgery is now reality.

There is a way to work around and cheat the band, but I will never give anyone here any ideas, so I will never talk about it.