Melissa76tx

Yes...don't wait to start exercising!! Incorporate it now and it will become a habit that makes you feel guilty when you don't do it. Replace the obsession of food with the obsession with exercise. I wish I would have done this from the beginning. I love kettlebells. Cardio and strength all in one. Definitely gets the heart rate up

When you started your bariatric surgery journey, did you realize how much work would be involved at every stage of the trip down the Bandwagon trail?


As much as you might wish otherwise, the work that produces weight loss success and lifetime maintenance is hard, especially when you’re already worn out from health problems and from lugging all that excess weight around and from one diet failure after another. You have bariatric surgery hoping that it will make weight loss easier. What’s the point of surgery if you have to take on this tough job and never retire from it?
THE WORK ETHIC
I don’t hear the term “Protestant work ethic” used much these days, but I heard it a lot while growing up in the 1950’s & 1960’s in a Protestant home with hard-working parents. The Cliffs Notes version of the phrase is this: you must demonstrate your deservingness for salvation through hard work and frugality. That’s a big job, performed not only for the God who can save you but also fellow humans who play God by judging your performance.
Religious beliefs aside, my personal belief is that hard work benefits the individual as well as the society in which she or he functions. The same principle applies to the work ethic of life after weight loss surgery.
IS BAND SUCCESS TOO HARD?
Every WLS patient is understandably irritated when a clueless acquaintance declares that “weight loss surgery is taking the easy way out”, but an opposite belief floats around in the bariatric community: that weight loss with the adjustable gastric band takes too much work. So which is it? Too easy, or too hard? Does doing something hard automatically earn you ethical or moral brownie points? Does doing something easy automatically brand you as lazy?
I agree that success with the adjustable gastric band takes a lot of work, and I’m not convinced that success with other bariatric procedures is much easier, since regardless of what happens in the operating room, we’re all dealing with the same chronic and incurable disease – obesity. But for the sake of this discussion, let’s assume that a team of scientists in Switzerland (historically a neutral country, even when war was being waged everywhere else in Europe) has studied this matter and can somehow prove that success with the band is indeed harder than any other procedure. For the sake of this discussion, let’s say that band success is hard.
It’s hard, sure, but is it too hard?
THE VALUE OF WORK
I don’t ever want to think I’m afraid of hard work. Nor do I want to believe that my attitude makes me morally superior to someone else, but it seems to me that there is something intrinsically good about hard work. How else can I keep myself moving forward, toward a better (and perhaps easier) life? I can’t rely on good luck to make my journey easier. Raffle prizes and lottery tickets aren’t going to pay the bills and keep (healthy) food on the table.
The thorough pre- and post-op education I received from my bariatric surgeon and his staff made it clear to me that I was going to have to work hard, and make some hard lifestyle changes, in order to succeed with my band. I knew from the outset that I was taking on a big job. I was going to have to learn a lot, take responsibility for my health, and do some things I’d really rather not (like exercise) in order to make my band surgery a success.
I realize that may make me sound like an insufferable paragon of virtue, so let me add an important and seemingly contradictory statement about myself: the reason I chose to have bariatric surgery was that losing weight “on my own” had been so difficult. I most certainly wanted to take the easier path to a healthy weight. I had spent 30 years messing around with weight loss “the hard way”, and not only was it hard, it was spectacularly unsuccessful. I was ready for a different, “easier,” and longer-lasting approach.
DIVISION OF LABOR
There’s nothing wrong with avoiding some hard work. My personal resources of time, energy, and knowledge are tremendous but not infinite, so in order to stay healthy and sane, I have to prioritize tasks and spend my resources on them wisely. In my family – the small community created by my husband, 10 rescue dogs, and 3 rescue cats – we also prioritize, so that the person assigned to each task has the better chance of doing it properly and finishing it. This is why I do not attempt to change the oil in my car, my husband does not attempt to sew draperies, and our dogs are in charge of the audio portion of our security alert system (for a demonstration of that, get yourself to Memphis, then drive north until you hear barking).
But…there’s always a “but”…the purpose of weight loss surgery is to improve your health and your life. Why should someone else – your surgeon, your nutritionist, your personal trainer, your spouse or your hamster – be in charge of something that essentially belongs to you? Of course you need help from all those people (or critters), but if you’re a mentally competent adult, shouldn’t you be the team captain who keeps everyone focused on winning the game? If you don’t want to be the captain, is that because you secretly want an excuse or a scapegoat when and if you lose the game? That kind of thinking – a basic assumption that you’re going to fail no matter what – is such a huge issue that I’ll have to save it for another article. For now, please just nod your head and smile when I tell you that you can win at weight loss.
PAIN & SUFFERING
A corollary of the “I’ve suffered too much from obesity” view is “therefore I deserve to lose weight without any suffering at all.” I don’t happen to believe that I deserve to have every wish of mine granted, be it weight loss, fame, fortune, or naturally curly hair, without any exertion on my part, just because I’ve suffered, or even just because I’m alive. I find it satisfying to work for something I want or need, to earn it myself and thank myself for it.
On the other hand, I don’t mean that I think we must all suffer in the sense of acute or chronic physical pain or inconvenience that entirely disrupts our lives. I mean instead that long-term weight loss success is going to require us to take a few side trips out of our comfort zones. You know the comfort zone, don’t you? At its center is your favorite armchair, a month’s supply of Reese’s Peanut Butter cups on the table beside you and the TV remote in your hand.
So our WLS success may involve an excursion into the Unknown. For example, if we’ve never tried lifting weights, we don’t know how difficult or painful that might be, but if we don’t give it a try, we’ll never know and never benefit from doing it. There’s a 50/50 chance that we might actually like it.
And sooner or later, we’re going to have to tolerate the discomfort of uncertainty, confusion, impatience, frustration, inconvenience, and/or disappointment. That kind of discomfort rarely lasts forever, though. I can testify that learning how to parallel park a car was not a fun experience and that I flunked my first driver’s test because of my parking ineptitude, but a year or so later, I had forgotten how hard it was and parked my car in whatever type of (legal) parking spot I wanted with skill that by then I took for granted.
Here’s another example: the first time I participate in a step aerobics class, I fell off the step twice and had to wonder if I was ever going to get the hang of it, never mind enjoy it. Since I was too proud to give up and walk out while the rest of the class sneered at my failure, I stuck it out to the end of class, at which point it seemed vaguely possible that I might do better if I tried it at least one more time. So I went back to another class, and another one, and eventually found myself hooked on it. Now it isn’t just exercise (work), it’s fun (play). If you had snatched the Reese’s peanut butter cup out of my pre-op hand and told me to get my fat butt over to the gym for a step aerobics class, I would have laughed out loud.
BUT WHAT IF?
But what if your journey on the Bandwagon stalls, or your wagon rolls off a cliff, despite all your effort? What-ifs and coulda-shouldas aren’t going to do much to fix that wagon’s broken wheel, so what can you do to get yourself moving again? I highly recommend a LBT article (by me, of course) entitled, “When Your Bandwagon Stalls.” The article won’t solve all your problems, but it may help you look at them in a new and more effective way. After that, the hard work (of course) is up to you. Click here to check it out: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/page/index.html/_/plateaus-and-regain/when-your-bandwagon-stalls-r130
Unfortunately, hard work is not absolutely, positively guaranteed to produce success, but I’m convinced that it does improve your chances of success. It will lead you out of the desert of failure and into a jungle where every exotic flower smells of success. It will increase your knowledge and wisdom so that when the time comes to evaluate, regroup, and choose a new path if necessary, you can make a good decision. Decision making will be the topic of a future article, so stay tuned!

I use straws with no problems. Can't even remember what my doc said about it, if anything.

absolutely call your doctor...never take things like this as a minor issue...when blood is involved and you are also vomiting, make that phone call!! prayers going your way and hope all is well

absolutely call your doctor...never take things like this as a minor issue...when blood is involved and you are also vomiting, make that phone call!! prayers going your way and hope all is well

absolutely call your doctor...never take things like this as a minor issue...when blood is involved and you are also vomiting, make that phone call!! prayers going your way and hope all is well

I use the smaller utensils,plates, bowls and that definitely helps me keep my portions in check. I have never thought of using chopsticks, but I think it is a great idea...will have to try that soon. I'm in Texas too..lol..so I understood your "foreign language"

a wonderful article.

15 lbs in 12 days is amazing!! What is your diet and what changes have you made in your lifestyle? I'm always looking for new ideas

I've seen these at GNC.. just the chocolate and vanilla ones though. I definitely agree about the flavor. They are the best I've had and have no after taste at all. I fell in love with the banana and the Cookies and cream. I put mine in the freezer and it's almost like having a malt.

Wow, that is awesome!!! You are extremely fortunate and blessed. I had no insurance at the time of surgery, so everything was out of pocket. I wouldn't change a thing though. Definitely worth every penny!

If I'm at a restaurant and get a glass of Water, I always take the table salt and pepper and pour some into my water. I'm not sure if people have ever noticed me doing this or not..I'm sure if they have, they think I'm nuts...lol. That is the only way I can keep from having a drink at the table.

1st off. You were barely just banded. Mostly everyone loses a ton at 1st, but as your stomach starts to heal, you start to lose less because you have less restriction. 1st off you are eating Soups and such. you NEED to eat actual food, food. Eating Soup is not going to do you much good other than fill you up with a bunch of salt. They won't do anything for you as far as "restriction" goes. The band works based on the type of food you eat. That's why there are foods known as "slider" foods. And soups and stuff are obviously "slider" foods. When I eat, I get full on things like chicken, veggies etc...I am 10 months out and have lost 70 pounds. Some people within 10 months have lost 120 some have lost 30. We are ALL different. The last 3 months for me I have been nearly at the same weight and just barely started losing again. it was partially my fault for not eating the right foods and not exercising. I also hit many plateaus along my journey so far with the last being the longest.

You look absolutely stunning!! Thank you so much for sharing your journey. Congratulations not only on the weight loss, but the regain of your health back. You definitely can't put a price on that. Enjoy the summer in your swim suit

Losing any weight before you get to your green zone is awesome! The dietician can shove it. My surgeon said he didn't care if I gained weight during the first couple of months. If I could lose weight without a band, I'd have done it. As far as he was concerned without proper fill, I didn't have a band.
Lap Band's website says we can expect 1-2 pounds per week loss. It does not stipulate male vs. female rates of loss. You are doing just right.
This is your journey, not hers. You do not need to starve to lose what she says you should be losing. This is a life-time event. You WILL get there. Enjoy the journey, be proud that you didn't let her send you into a binge, that is awesome!!

Some feel that it does exist others (like me) say no. It just doesn't make since to me. I work in healthcare and just can't see where its possible.
However, I do think everyones body is different. Some bodies I think work more effiently than others and don't require as many calories. My body must be REAL effient because if I ate 1200....and didn't work my butt off exercising, I would gain weight. But I know I'm not quite the average. I was on a 1200 calorie day limit for years and still gained about 1/2-3/4 a pound a month. Since December I have religiously kept my calories to less than 900 and for the last 5 weeks have been less than 800 (all but 3 days) and have only lost 30 pounds...this includes pre-op and 4 weeks of post-op.
It crazy how our bodies are different....but I would STRONGLY suggest that you don't eat the 2000 calories a day. Maybe normal people can eat this much and not gain weight, but most with weight issues would probably gain.
I would suggest you start at the 1200 calories and give it a good try....if you aren't seeing progress, then I would drop it down to 1000 and try again. Hopefully that you will do it for you. Plus I would consider doing a high Protein low carb diet.....it seem to work well for a lot of bansters (including me).
Good luck.
Oh...ps.....be careful counting your exercise calories from my fitness pal. I noticed it was giving me credit for burning way more calories than I had. (i put in that I did the elliptical for 30 minutes and it gave me credit for something like 550 calories...where my actual machine only gave me 240. ( I have a high-end machine....so I believe it over myfitnesspal)
I know 30 pounds is nothing to sneeze at, but thats only about 2 pounds a week.....thus the reason I decided to get the lap band I'm hoping with a few fills I will be satisfied with only eating 800-900 calories and not feel like I'm on a diet all the time.

First and foremost, this is not written to offend anyone or upset anyone. I log in daily every morning for motivation. I understand that not everyone is a complete success with the lap band. However, I believe that if they look deep inside and evaluate the situation, they will see that the majority of the time the fault lies within. Of course there will be some where the band simply didn't work, but I believe that is the first excuse people throw when they don't see the weight coming off and staying off as they hope for. We all are different and will all lose weight at different speeds. I'm 17 months post op and have been a slow but steady loser. I'd be lying if I said that I didn't want it lose it very fast. But for me, slow and steady seems to be the way my body and the band are working and I'm good with that. Every pound lost is one pound the right direction. However, for the people who say that they hate it...that their doctor lied to them... that they want it taken out and gone...can you do it without it?? If so, why in the world did you get it in the first place? From my experience, this is so much more of a mental journey than a physical one. If you absolutely hate your band and wish you have never done the surgery, that is your decision and I will respect that. However, I just don't want to continually read over and over again that the band failed someone. It is a simple medical device, that is all.

First and foremost, this is not written to offend anyone or upset anyone. I log in daily every morning for motivation. I understand that not everyone is a complete success with the lap band. However, I believe that if they look deep inside and evaluate the situation, they will see that the majority of the time the fault lies within. Of course there will be some where the band simply didn't work, but I believe that is the first excuse people throw when they don't see the weight coming off and staying off as they hope for. We all are different and will all lose weight at different speeds. I'm 17 months post op and have been a slow but steady loser. I'd be lying if I said that I didn't want it lose it very fast. But for me, slow and steady seems to be the way my body and the band are working and I'm good with that. Every pound lost is one pound the right direction. However, for the people who say that they hate it...that their doctor lied to them... that they want it taken out and gone...can you do it without it?? If so, why in the world did you get it in the first place? From my experience, this is so much more of a mental journey than a physical one. If you absolutely hate your band and wish you have never done the surgery, that is your decision and I will respect that. However, I just don't want to continually read over and over again that the band failed someone. It is a simple medical device, that is all.

First and foremost, this is not written to offend anyone or upset anyone. I log in daily every morning for motivation. I understand that not everyone is a complete success with the lap band. However, I believe that if they look deep inside and evaluate the situation, they will see that the majority of the time the fault lies within. Of course there will be some where the band simply didn't work, but I believe that is the first excuse people throw when they don't see the weight coming off and staying off as they hope for. We all are different and will all lose weight at different speeds. I'm 17 months post op and have been a slow but steady loser. I'd be lying if I said that I didn't want it lose it very fast. But for me, slow and steady seems to be the way my body and the band are working and I'm good with that. Every pound lost is one pound the right direction. However, for the people who say that they hate it...that their doctor lied to them... that they want it taken out and gone...can you do it without it?? If so, why in the world did you get it in the first place? From my experience, this is so much more of a mental journey than a physical one. If you absolutely hate your band and wish you have never done the surgery, that is your decision and I will respect that. However, I just don't want to continually read over and over again that the band failed someone. It is a simple medical device, that is all.

First and foremost, this is not written to offend anyone or upset anyone. I log in daily every morning for motivation. I understand that not everyone is a complete success with the lap band. However, I believe that if they look deep inside and evaluate the situation, they will see that the majority of the time the fault lies within. Of course there will be some where the band simply didn't work, but I believe that is the first excuse people throw when they don't see the weight coming off and staying off as they hope for. We all are different and will all lose weight at different speeds. I'm 17 months post op and have been a slow but steady loser. I'd be lying if I said that I didn't want it lose it very fast. But for me, slow and steady seems to be the way my body and the band are working and I'm good with that. Every pound lost is one pound the right direction. However, for the people who say that they hate it...that their doctor lied to them... that they want it taken out and gone...can you do it without it?? If so, why in the world did you get it in the first place? From my experience, this is so much more of a mental journey than a physical one. If you absolutely hate your band and wish you have never done the surgery, that is your decision and I will respect that. However, I just don't want to continually read over and over again that the band failed someone. It is a simple medical device, that is all.

First and foremost, this is not written to offend anyone or upset anyone. I log in daily every morning for motivation. I understand that not everyone is a complete success with the lap band. However, I believe that if they look deep inside and evaluate the situation, they will see that the majority of the time the fault lies within. Of course there will be some where the band simply didn't work, but I believe that is the first excuse people throw when they don't see the weight coming off and staying off as they hope for. We all are different and will all lose weight at different speeds. I'm 17 months post op and have been a slow but steady loser. I'd be lying if I said that I didn't want it lose it very fast. But for me, slow and steady seems to be the way my body and the band are working and I'm good with that. Every pound lost is one pound the right direction. However, for the people who say that they hate it...that their doctor lied to them... that they want it taken out and gone...can you do it without it?? If so, why in the world did you get it in the first place? From my experience, this is so much more of a mental journey than a physical one. If you absolutely hate your band and wish you have never done the surgery, that is your decision and I will respect that. However, I just don't want to continually read over and over again that the band failed someone. It is a simple medical device, that is all.

First and foremost, this is not written to offend anyone or upset anyone. I log in daily every morning for motivation. I understand that not everyone is a complete success with the lap band. However, I believe that if they look deep inside and evaluate the situation, they will see that the majority of the time the fault lies within. Of course there will be some where the band simply didn't work, but I believe that is the first excuse people throw when they don't see the weight coming off and staying off as they hope for. We all are different and will all lose weight at different speeds. I'm 17 months post op and have been a slow but steady loser. I'd be lying if I said that I didn't want it lose it very fast. But for me, slow and steady seems to be the way my body and the band are working and I'm good with that. Every pound lost is one pound the right direction. However, for the people who say that they hate it...that their doctor lied to them... that they want it taken out and gone...can you do it without it?? If so, why in the world did you get it in the first place? From my experience, this is so much more of a mental journey than a physical one. If you absolutely hate your band and wish you have never done the surgery, that is your decision and I will respect that. However, I just don't want to continually read over and over again that the band failed someone. It is a simple medical device, that is all.

First and foremost, this is not written to offend anyone or upset anyone. I log in daily every morning for motivation. I understand that not everyone is a complete success with the lap band. However, I believe that if they look deep inside and evaluate the situation, they will see that the majority of the time the fault lies within. Of course there will be some where the band simply didn't work, but I believe that is the first excuse people throw when they don't see the weight coming off and staying off as they hope for. We all are different and will all lose weight at different speeds. I'm 17 months post op and have been a slow but steady loser. I'd be lying if I said that I didn't want it lose it very fast. But for me, slow and steady seems to be the way my body and the band are working and I'm good with that. Every pound lost is one pound the right direction. However, for the people who say that they hate it...that their doctor lied to them... that they want it taken out and gone...can you do it without it?? If so, why in the world did you get it in the first place? From my experience, this is so much more of a mental journey than a physical one. If you absolutely hate your band and wish you have never done the surgery, that is your decision and I will respect that. However, I just don't want to continually read over and over again that the band failed someone. It is a simple medical device, that is all.

First and foremost, this is not written to offend anyone or upset anyone. I log in daily every morning for motivation. I understand that not everyone is a complete success with the lap band. However, I believe that if they look deep inside and evaluate the situation, they will see that the majority of the time the fault lies within. Of course there will be some where the band simply didn't work, but I believe that is the first excuse people throw when they don't see the weight coming off and staying off as they hope for. We all are different and will all lose weight at different speeds. I'm 17 months post op and have been a slow but steady loser. I'd be lying if I said that I didn't want it lose it very fast. But for me, slow and steady seems to be the way my body and the band are working and I'm good with that. Every pound lost is one pound the right direction. However, for the people who say that they hate it...that their doctor lied to them... that they want it taken out and gone...can you do it without it?? If so, why in the world did you get it in the first place? From my experience, this is so much more of a mental journey than a physical one. If you absolutely hate your band and wish you have never done the surgery, that is your decision and I will respect that. However, I just don't want to continually read over and over again that the band failed someone. It is a simple medical device, that is all.

Keep your head up!! You can do it. You've done it before and will keep succeeding. One pound lost is a pound in the right direction. Just take things one day at a time and when you get to see your doctor, be completely honest and open hearted with him/her. It sounds like a good fill will get you back on track if you don't ever feel full. I went thru a time when I wouldn't eat at work because I didn't really feel hungry, but once I was at home in the evenings I couldn't find anything to make me feel full. I agree with spacing out several small meals during the day. If nothing else it will help keep your blood sugar stabilized and help with the sugar cravings.