Cazzy

8 days from 1 year, woot, woot!

8 days from 1 yr banded

Your stomach internally is surrounded by fat as you lose weight ( internal fat ) the band losens and your stomach shrinks .. imagine a normal belt like on a dress or skirt, as u lose weight u need to put the belt on the next hole, same with the band u lose weight band losens and u need a fill to tighten it..

Hi Jim, I know how you feel. I have around 200 to lose too. There are people on here who have lost more than that, like Cazzy, and they are great inspirations to me. I think if you believe you can do it, you can. Good luck!

I like the thick girls.

What I used to do all Night takes me all night to do!

I have just been clearing out some old clothes and omg was i really that big, i cant believe that they actually used to fit me ( size30 UK) and some were even tight i am mortified that i had to spend so much money on trying to look ok, I am making sure they go to a good cause but i will NEVER wear anything like that size again !
Gratz to all of you wearing 'normal' sizes now

I found this years ago, and while it sounds crazy, I always listen to what it says lol.
1. Thou shalt consume thy Protein first, followed by thy veggies and fruits. If thou, then hast any room left thou shalt comusme thy carbs lastly!
2. Thou shalt take the tiniest of bites, placing thy fork and thy spoon upon thine table, that thou shalt have more time between bites to savor that which thou hast eaten, and allow thy stomach adequate time to inform thy brain of thine fullness.
3. Thou shalt chew and chew and when thou has done so, thou shalt chew some more, lest thy band rise up and smite thee,causing in thy chest great pain, and spewing forth.
4. Thou shalt drink of thy Water, copiously, consuming all that has been recommended to thee, that thou mayest be spared the pangs of hunger and dehydration, and thou shalt thus, also keep thy kidneys well flushed, that thou shalt not develop stones to aggrieve thee.
5. Thou shalt exercise in a manner that thou mayest choose, of thine own accord, providing that thou art faithful to thine execise regimen,that thou shalt not falter on thy journey to thine smaller self.
6. Thou shalt honor thy band and maintain it well, that it shalt be a steadfast friend to thee throughout thine entire life. Thou wilt,from time to time, as thou hast been told, obtain for it the fills that it needest that it may then help thee in thy hours of need, keeping it always in perfect adjustment for thine benefit.
7. Thou shalt not worry and gnash thy teeth, becoming aggrieved at those times when thy losses seemingly stop and thy weight remaineth constant, remembering then that thou tookest long to acquire thine pounds, and that thy pounds must then take time for loss.
8. Thou shalt maintain a log or dairy of thine measurements, that thou mayest truly perceive the effect of they band when thine scale doth pause in it's downward progress.
9. Thou shalt join into and participate within thy local support community, for without the input, experience and love of they fellow bandsters, thou shalt have a much more difficult time in thy journey, and when thou art well upon thy road, thou shalt then likewise assist those who followest in thine footsteps that they too might be successful in their own diminishment.
10. Thou shalt beware of thine " soft calories syndrome", keeping always in thy mind that thou canst thus sabotage thine efforts and thine investment and lead thee then therefore into depression and guilt. As once stated "Just because thou canst, it meaneth not that thou shouldith".

I LOVE food! But my relationship to food has changed. Yes their will be foods you can't eat anymore. It may even feel unfair, but then one day you will do something and realize, "Holly ****! I can do that now!" For me it was when I was walking to a bus stop and had to run to catch the bus. I realized I Could! I wasn't out of breath, my ankles did not hurt, and no one was watching the fat guy trying to catch the bus. I still love food and sometimes I really miss bread. But I refuse to ever be the fat guy running for the bus again. Also, if you want to make a bucket list, make it for all the new places and positions your going to have sex once you lose the weight. Cause great sex is so much better than bread.

I started out at 400lbs on a lapband, people like those in your support group are not even worth listening too if they cant even 'support you' I along with many others on this site started out heavier than you are and look how well we are doing. Its YOUR decision and your surgeons and no one elses. Good luck !

Its amazing how much different information and opinions are around concerning what we should eat and what we shouldnt, if you lose weight and are eating what could be considered a healthy diet, then why not continue. Not everyone is the same and our bodies will react in different ways to different foods, i wish i was someone who could just eat small portions of normal food but it just doesn't work for me. I have my band and it helps me but i dont eat food that i know will stop 'me' losing weight. I suppose it could be said that i am on a diet, but its 'my' diet its not a prescribed one, the information i was given i took as helpful not an absolute. I eat 1000 calories a day made up of protien and veggies and some low fat and low carb food and fizzy Water, i dont eat any bread products or cheese products at all or any processed food other than weight watchers Tomato Soup. I drink as many cups of tea or coffee as i like with skimmed milk. I do eat a small amount of fruit normally some berries in sugar free Jello, if i eat anything that i consider 'naughty' like maple Syrup its a teaspoonfull in plain low fat yoghurt/fromage frais. I also eat oat bran, which i add to yoghurt. For me this works and i stick at it and have done for the past year, to me this isnt a diet its now my normal food.
As Jachut said
'You dont need a nutritionist to do well with a lapband. We are not idiots, we are perfectly capable of researching various styles of eating/diet and working out what works well for us. There's no magic to it, eat less than you burn and you will lose weight, but for many people, low carb works, and for others its not necessary.'
Common sense rules

Gratz to you and your bro my other half he lost 72lbs and no band, just eating bigger portions of what i eat, so our healthy lifestyle has now benefited both of us and hopefully our 20 yrs together will now become 40 yrs or even more. Its good to know that you can help others make the the decision to change their lives too.

Gratz to you and your bro my other half he lost 72lbs and no band, just eating bigger portions of what i eat, so our healthy lifestyle has now benefited both of us and hopefully our 20 yrs together will now become 40 yrs or even more. Its good to know that you can help others make the the decision to change their lives too.

I started out at 400lbs on a lapband, people like those in your support group are not even worth listening too if they cant even 'support you' I along with many others on this site started out heavier than you are and look how well we are doing. Its YOUR decision and your surgeons and no one elses. Good luck !

It must be really hard coping with depression and trying to keep up with the bandwagon life and i do feel for you all and hope you all do better with help and support. What i want to emphasise is that, if anyone of us starts gaining weight, whatever the reason, get back to the doctor and tell them. The reason why most of us are overweight is that we hid our feelings, hid ourselves away, were afraid of being judged, afraid to ask for help when we need it. You have to stop falling into pattens of behaviour that led you to be overweight and use the band as a means to start changing your life. Dieting alone will give u a temporary weight loss but it wont last, seeking help and support when things arent working out will help sustain you on the right road. It like having a car thats going wrong , do u take it to the garage before the car gets worse and possibly much more to repair, or just leave it, keep driving and hope that nasty noise you hear is gonna just disappear.. you do know the right answer
Surgeons and doctors see people struggling all the time, mostly its our own insecurities that make us think they will be disappointed, annoyed, judgemental. Give them a chance to earn their fees and prove their worth and go to them and ask for the help u need, just dont leave it so long that u undo all the good work u have done ..

I am 7cc in a 14 cc band, i eat around 3 oz Protein and a good portion of 2 green veg, i dont get hungry in between meals as the veg and protein last me around 4 hours.
I lost around 14lbs a month with eating around 1000 calories a day and exercising every day, including cycling around 6 miles a day. Its been hard work to keep exercising but i have to otherwise i just dont lose weight .

Today is my 1 yr anniversary of being banded.
Has it been hard work, yes it has, would i do it again aboslutely 100% !
I wish all new bandsters good luck in their Quest for success and hope they can also post a 1 yr 'doing well' post !

Today is my 1 yr anniversary of being banded.
Has it been hard work, yes it has, would i do it again aboslutely 100% !
I wish all new bandsters good luck in their Quest for success and hope they can also post a 1 yr 'doing well' post !

Guess i beat the averages you have been quoted to me if you have the right mind set and are prepared to put the work in then it 'should' work for you and how hard u work and restrictions you place on yourself will help you beat those averages too. I know the averages sound a little low to you but to me this was a decision for the rest of my life , if it took 2 or 3 yrs to lose all the weight that i needed too i was prepared to do it. I researched the band and bypass and was much happier with the complications that could arise from a band than what can happen with a bypass.
Do your homework and reach an informed decision based on all the factors, how fast you lose the weight is pretty low on the list really, how long have u been overweight compared to maybe taking 2 years to lose it, if i only had 100 lbs to lose it would have taken me 6 months so it can be done faster
Good luck and do what you need to do that will give you the best outcome in the long term !

Guess i beat the averages you have been quoted to me if you have the right mind set and are prepared to put the work in then it 'should' work for you and how hard u work and restrictions you place on yourself will help you beat those averages too. I know the averages sound a little low to you but to me this was a decision for the rest of my life , if it took 2 or 3 yrs to lose all the weight that i needed too i was prepared to do it. I researched the band and bypass and was much happier with the complications that could arise from a band than what can happen with a bypass.
Do your homework and reach an informed decision based on all the factors, how fast you lose the weight is pretty low on the list really, how long have u been overweight compared to maybe taking 2 years to lose it, if i only had 100 lbs to lose it would have taken me 6 months so it can be done faster
Good luck and do what you need to do that will give you the best outcome in the long term !

It is not 'luck' my dear it is dam hard work. Its not luck that watches what i eat, its not luck that makes me control portion sizes and its not luck that makes me cycle 8 miles a day .. its me and my band.
I have worked really hard over the past year to lose the amount of weight i have and to dismiss this as just being 'luck' i find quite offensive to be honest.

I think you may find it useful to read a British article on the band fluffy
http://www.bospa.org/Information.aspx?Page=2
I quote directly from that report..
Risks and Side Effects
Fortunately, complications are rare but it is important you learn about the potential problems before you decide to proceed with the surgery.
Firstly, being obese makes any surgery more risky. Anaesthetics are more difficult, and obesity–related diseases that you may have can add further complications. Statistics show the death rate associated with gastric band insertion to be about 1 in 2,000 operations. The most common cause of death is the development of a blood clot in the lungs (pulmonary embolism).
Occasionally patients may develop other complications at the time of operation such as an infection in the lungs, stomach or at the site where the reservoir is placed under the skin, which may delay recovery.
The placement of the gastric band laparoscopically helps to reduce the risk of complications, and the team who manage your surgery and anaesthetic are specially trained in the treatment of obese patients. They will monitor you closely in the period immediately following your surgery, and take a range of measures to prevent complications from arising, including giving you medications to help prevent vomiting (and dislodging the band) and blood clots and getting you up and about soon after the operation.
Overall, international studies suggest that 1 in 10 people with a gastric band will need a further operation at some time in the future. This may be due to:
Slippage. Months or even years after the operation, there is always the risk that the stomach will move up through the band and the upper pouch will become enlarged. The band can be re–fixed in the correct position.
Erosion. Very slowly, and particularly if the balloon is tightly inflated, the band can work its way into or through the wall of the stomach and cease to be effective. In this case the band would be removed and and replaced if possible.
Leakage. This may be due to damage of the reservoir or tubing if fills are not carried out with extreme care or if two of the band components come apart. Again, this would necessitate replacement of the damaged component.
Infection of the reservoir/port or tubing. It may need to be resited or replaced if the infection persists and in the case of severe infections which have been resistant to antibiotic treatment, the band may have to be removed.

The band itself is made of silicone and there are no known side effects to this material inside the body. However, you do have to bear in mind the possibility that some time in the future your band may need to be replaced simply because it has worn out or newer, better bands have been developed to replace current ones (hip replacement prostheses are replaced for these reasons). If you have a lesser known brand of gastric band from a small company, they may not be around in 20 years time when you need your band replacing.
Some people will fail (lose less than 25% of the excess weight) with a gastric band and in these cases, the surgeon may advise that a gastric bypass operation is performed. However, don’t give up too soon on your band if you are one of these people – experience in Australia shows that it can take a full 2 years for people to get their heads around how to live effectively with their gastric band, and when they do, they start to lose weight.
The most common cause of the worst risk which is death comes from pulmonary embolism which is a result of any surgery, the lapband and sleeve gastrectomy actually are the safest forms of WLS its bypass surgery which carries a 1:200 death risk ( according to statistics) resulting from complications of the bypass, this is not the case for lap bands.
Of course you are entitled to your opinions
Healthy informative discussion is good, but the US is only 1 country and if you really want to start down the line of facts and figures then you need to look at things on a more global basis.

Thanks
we have a saying here in the UK too .. a bad workman always blames his tools..

In 8 days i will have been banded a year and I LOVE MY BAND .. Everyone here loses weight in a different way and at different rates but what is common to all of us is that we have to change the way or what we eat. Some will manage with smaller portions, some will manage with counting calories some will manage with incresed exercise. What is apparent is that if you start putting on weight and whatever you are doing isnt working something needs to change

I am trying to compile a rough guide of do's and don'ts for success with a lapband. I know not everyone will have the same experiences but i would welcome any helpful input.
The list so far :
Do's
Make losing this weight the priority in your life.
Make the scales your friend not your enemy.
Be determined that you will not get sidetracked from getting to your goal.
Try to get as much Protein from fresh food as you can, fish, chicken and turkey are good, some vegetables are too like frozen peas, then milk products like 0 fat yoghurt, 0 fat cottage cheese and skimmed milk.
Become your own expert.
Learn from mistakes, like what food sticks and what food you can eat.
Do as much exercise as you can, find what works for you then stick to it, every day without fail, push yourself a little further each week.
Burn more calories than you eat.
Follow your nutritionist’s/dietician’s and surgeon's advice.
Use your own common sense, everything in moderation works well.
Make a sharp knife and a teaspoon your essential items.
Eat what your body needs not what your mind tells you
Keep yourself hydrated.
Dont's.
Eat as little processed food as possible.
Dont eat anything that is white ( bread, Pasta, rice etc) too high carbs and calories.
Dont test the band to see the limits of what you can and cant eat.
Dont buy food that will tempt you, if its not in the home u cant eat it .
Dont try to cheat, the only person who will pay for it is you.
Dont let yourself down.
Dont eat junk food as a treat, find another treat !
Dont get stressed or impatient, things may take longer than u want.
Dont make life difficult for yourself, have food in the freezer that you can eat, plan meals ahead of time.
Dont eat with your mind or eyes, eat what your body needs.
Don’t fixate on what you can’t eat, concentrate on what you can eat.
Thanks