Daddyof4

The Professor, you are awesome; your posts are inspiring. Your last post was on my 4 year bandiversary but I haven't done as well as you. I lost my focus after two (successful) back surgeries but I am currently on Day 4 of the 5 day band test. My weight has started back in the right direction and I feel motivated to keep it up! It doesn't hurt that the local pool has opened either. I was 285 on the day of my surgery, was 220 after the second back surgery and was back up to 255. This morning I was 248! Here we go!

Just one thing???
Cured my insatiable appetite - hunger, reversed 99% of all my co-morbidities, returned me to the weight I was in high school (45 years ago), became very active - athletic, raised my self-esteem and self-image, more successful in business,
Should I go on??? I could.....
Bottom Line, turned my life around, saved my life, at a point where it was all seriously going downhill due to obesity, too much fat in my system.
I'm 64-1/2 years old and I feel and act like I'm 35-40.
Was banded Jan 2011, never had a problem (other than me getting in the way)

I just checked your blog....I see a lot of similarities between you and me...mainly body types
The fat you are carrying is different from other people...call it masculine?...yes, I was 270lbs + before lap band surgery, and I am only 5'8"...and as fat and out of shape I was, I was still a man who did the things a man does....cut grass, cut down trees, build things like decks, paint the house, install new windows, worked on the car,.....in other words I was not a lazy blob of Jello....
And like me, you will not have any issues with excess skin like you read about here all the time...
My stomach is as hard as a drum!
Simple terms, we are fat because we cannot stop overeating....in spite of all the mumbo-jumbo physco-babble people try to rationalize their short comings to, , it all comes down to how much we eat versus how much we burn off...
I watch TV shows, movies where they show WW2 POW's from the work camps all skin and bones...ghastly images....but I have to think, what would they look like if they were given 80 grams of Protein, Vitamins, and unlimited Water???
Years ago I had a Dr. flat out tell me "You're fat because you eat like a pig"..."want to loose weight? STOP eating so much"...Yes, very simple...Problem was I could not stop eating...I was in love with eating...I tried to stop 100's of times and simply could not.....
Hence...Weight loss surgery as a last resort...and yes, the Band now does what I could not do on my own...it limits my portions, prevents me from overeating, and takes away my hunger and desire for food...I too eat like a bird....What more can I ask for???
Example: The other day I bought a dozen Buffalo Wings....I could only eat 4 out of the 12...I think I had a little cole slaw...but that's it...could not eat any more.
In the old days those 12 wings would be an appetizer before my main meal....
I should also say, I eat ice cream and Hershey bars...just not enough to feed 10 people...I also drink beer from time to time when at a back yard picnic or a ball game...there a lot of things I eat that people on diets would never dream possible....that's because I am not on any diet...i simply (thanks to the band) eat less...a lot less, than what I used to. Like a Bird!
And over a 24 hr period, it is ridiculously a small amount...there are days I eat more, and there are days I may not eat at all....
There are also foods I will never eat again, primarily because they don't go down well with the band. As it turns out, most of the are not that good for me in the first place...like Pasta or flour based foods such as breads, rolls, dounuts, etc.
So now that my eating is totally under control, it is time to BURN off that fat I have been carrying around for no good reason.
We are hunters-gatherers...and excess food we gather we store as fat to be used for those times of famine when there is no food to gather.....
When I exercise (which is a lot) I am focused on burning that fat I have stored away as my energy source....so I work out on an empty stomach....other than Water and my morning coffee....but no food prior to working out....WHY? I need energy to exercise, and I am using that auxiliary fuel tank as opposed what I just ate 1 hr ago.
If I eat before exercising, then I burn off what I just ate...NOT what I have stored away. that would remain untouched.
That approach for me, has worked....I have burned off ALL EXCESS FAT....I have a very low body fat %, leaving behind muscle and skin....you can see every vein in my arms and legs....
So, as a man (I'm 63 BTW) it all comes down to Eating less, and working harder!
And when you exercise, you should be drenched in sweat!
Sorry for ranting on, but it's how I feel....other people on this forum have different views, but if they are happy and successful then that's all that matters....me, I could not be happier...once the band got that eating under control, then everything else got VERY EASY....just have to work my butt off at the gym.
And yes...there is a difference between women and men when it comes to loosing weight...and the majority of posts you read here are from women....but every now and then I see a hard working woman, focused on that "Hard Body" coming from obesity, and I am impressed.

Greg, I just posted in the men's room almost the exact same problem and dates you are experiencing. I'm headed in for an adjustment fill with no X-ray next week and hope to get back on the horse. I've decided to start respecting my band and all the effort I've put into it over the last 5 years and let it do what I wanted it to do. Restrict the foods to that I eat to ones that will fuel my body rather then just take up space. I've spent the last 2 years trying to find things to eat as I enjoy eating rather then eating the things I know I can and should eat. I'm back to being excited about the band and the future rather then pissed off that I can't eat what I want. Come and join me for the rest of the summer and let's see how we can do. I'm getting up 45 minutes early to do 30 minutes on the treadmill. My goal is to go .25 of a mile further every week in that same time. I'll start off walking this week and try to finish with a walk/sprint combo by the end of the summer.

The ex-banders are so vociferous in their posts -- I find that very off-putting (stop scaring me with your one bad experience!) and of course I worry about new people who are just trying to get info. I'm very glad there was Lapband Talk when I was researching as I was able to see the whole gambit. I found the successful people and followed them. That's you, B-52. We need a thread for banders -- CG had one going for so long but she's not on here anymore. Just a place to check in and say hey, I'm going to the gym or whatever. Successful banders not defending our choices but just the day-to-day.

Been on this forum a while....I did leave for a while, about a year....it started to get to me and I had enough.
When I first had my surgery, and found this site, (Lapband Talk)...there were many veterans I considered my mentors, and followed their personal testimony's with interest...
But they are all gone......left.
I noticed there are many other people who are doing well that just "Drop off the Radar"...did they have a major setback? Failure?
Speaking from own feelings, I don't think so......bottom line, successful people simply do not fit in here, and don't have much in common....other than once upon a time they were beginners also.
*****I am 100% successful...lost ALL possible weight.
*****I finished this weight loss journey...done ...completed...reached my destination with a new life, a new outlook on what and how I eat, along with a love of exercise....
*****I have no hunger, no cravings, could care less about food or eating...a complete reversal from pre-surgery days.
*****I will never Diet again, I eat what I want, NOT avoiding life's pleasures such as ice cream, Beer/alcohol, chips, etc, etc.
*****I have no fear of overeating, the band sees to that...I have tried to overeat and find it impossible...does not matter where I'm at, vacation, a party, holiday dinner, venues may change but my surgery is a constant.....
*****As a person with Lap band surgery, I cannot comprehend the notion of "Getting off track"....or the need to re-focus and start over....as long as the band does not have any issues,. I have NO FEAR of ever gaining the weight back!
******I have NEVER had a single issue with my band...the beginning "learning Phase" was tough, VERY Tough...but once that was past, it has been the EASIEST thing I could have ever done.....I don't even think about it!
Bottom line, ALL my medical issues ( and there were many) have all been reversed or gone....I did have a heart attack, and that damage to the heart muscle is permanent..but tests show new arteries have branched out by-passing the damaged one...
I can on and on......
Having said all the above, sounds pretty good, right? YET...in a environment of negativity, I'm the odd ball here....I'm the one who has to make excuses...TOTALLY out of sync.
So why stick around? Because of all the negativity I feel SOMEONE has to stay in place and show people that this can and does work....
YET, by simply sharing your own life story, it hurts other people's feelings? They feel bullied???
It's no wonder successful veterans move on.
It got to me once and I left for a while, and it's starting to get to me again...
I see patients and families everyday in Clinic who are experiencing catastrophic medical situations, 10 times worse than anyone here is experiencing...(best of my knowledge) and I deal in Pediatrics so I see kids as early as 12 months old, whose lives will never be easy..... and yet I do not find anywhere as near, if any, negativity as is found on this forum....
It's crazy....either you want it or you don't....

My post will sound like an echo but I wish I had done this at age 35 instead of at age 55. The band helped me lose 50 pounds and keep most of it off - I had lost that much weight on Atkins way back when but put it all back on and more.
I remember seeing the graph at the orientation seminar that showed that at three years the amount of weight lost was the same no matter which surgery you had. Since the weight comes off faster with it, I'd have the sleeve if I could do it again.
That said, no regrets about this but am trying to get back on track and resume losing.

Hey LOL, I'm in exactly the same place you are. 3 years out and staying at 45 pounds lost. A year "off" for back surgery (successful) and I'm ready to get back on track. With summer and my new back I am able to do some exercising - tennis and swimming - an 11-year-old coach does wonders. Good luck to you.

While the new site is a bit difficult to follow and I do miss the old forma, this forum has been very helpful.

After six years I come and go and if I stay away to long I can count on hearing from Alex twice a year on my birthday and my lap band joining anniversary.

When I do stay away it is usually when I start to go back to my old stinking thinking avoidance ways, and coming back is one way to stay focused.

While I do not pretend to be a good bandster and probably will never reach my goal weiight keeping off over a hundred pounds for almost 5 years is quite the accomplishment.

Whether people come and go on this forum is truly their choice.

Hey all,
I have been touch and go on these forums for the past month and half but mostly due to the holidays, vacation and work commitments leading up to vacation. I am also committed to this site because I believe in paying it forward. If I can reach just one person and provide a little inspiration or helpful advice then it is well worth it. I have met some wonderful people here and the support you've all given me is invaluable.
I am sad some have left but understand things change and nothing ever stays the same.
I think we can agree we've all had concerns about the forum and the changes but one thing I will say is I have never heard Alex make one negative comment or tell people if you don't like it leave. Instead I have heard him and his team ask how or what he can do to make this place feel more like home.
I will stick with this place and I don't mind reading and answering the same questions over and over. There was a time when I lost and people helped me along the way...

i started this thread.......to ask those considering leaving.not too
i need the support as do many others......
glad to hear your not going no where tmf...as if you did, who would get put on a time out??

I hear ya! I'm on my kindle app now and navigating old threads is nearly impossible!! This vet will be here till they kick me off. I don't post as much as I did in the past but I do seek out the frustrated bandsters.
Tmf

Thanks Alex.
Hanging!

When I read a post by jfc193 part of his personal message really spoke to me. He says he "recommitted" at 250. That is something I need to do.
I lost 55 pounds in the six months after surgery (May 21, 2012) and have not lost another ounce! I've gained and lost the same 2 or 3 pounds but have been pretty much on a plateau for a year. I know I'm failing my band (from Missy's recent thread) with poor food choices and eating too quickly and continuing to eat after feeling full and I've not exercised (excuses include hurting foot, leg pain, etc.) but I need some way to kick my butt back into gear. I'd like to ask Joe, "How did you go about recommitting?" I'd appreciate advice on this from anyone else too.

When I read a post by jfc193 part of his personal message really spoke to me. He says he "recommitted" at 250. That is something I need to do.
I lost 55 pounds in the six months after surgery (May 21, 2012) and have not lost another ounce! I've gained and lost the same 2 or 3 pounds but have been pretty much on a plateau for a year. I know I'm failing my band (from Missy's recent thread) with poor food choices and eating too quickly and continuing to eat after feeling full and I've not exercised (excuses include hurting foot, leg pain, etc.) but I need some way to kick my butt back into gear. I'd like to ask Joe, "How did you go about recommitting?" I'd appreciate advice on this from anyone else too.

When I read a post by jfc193 part of his personal message really spoke to me. He says he "recommitted" at 250. That is something I need to do.
I lost 55 pounds in the six months after surgery (May 21, 2012) and have not lost another ounce! I've gained and lost the same 2 or 3 pounds but have been pretty much on a plateau for a year. I know I'm failing my band (from Missy's recent thread) with poor food choices and eating too quickly and continuing to eat after feeling full and I've not exercised (excuses include hurting foot, leg pain, etc.) but I need some way to kick my butt back into gear. I'd like to ask Joe, "How did you go about recommitting?" I'd appreciate advice on this from anyone else too.

When I read a post by jfc193 part of his personal message really spoke to me. He says he "recommitted" at 250. That is something I need to do.
I lost 55 pounds in the six months after surgery (May 21, 2012) and have not lost another ounce! I've gained and lost the same 2 or 3 pounds but have been pretty much on a plateau for a year. I know I'm failing my band (from Missy's recent thread) with poor food choices and eating too quickly and continuing to eat after feeling full and I've not exercised (excuses include hurting foot, leg pain, etc.) but I need some way to kick my butt back into gear. I'd like to ask Joe, "How did you go about recommitting?" I'd appreciate advice on this from anyone else too.

When I read a post by jfc193 part of his personal message really spoke to me. He says he "recommitted" at 250. That is something I need to do.
I lost 55 pounds in the six months after surgery (May 21, 2012) and have not lost another ounce! I've gained and lost the same 2 or 3 pounds but have been pretty much on a plateau for a year. I know I'm failing my band (from Missy's recent thread) with poor food choices and eating too quickly and continuing to eat after feeling full and I've not exercised (excuses include hurting foot, leg pain, etc.) but I need some way to kick my butt back into gear. I'd like to ask Joe, "How did you go about recommitting?" I'd appreciate advice on this from anyone else too.

When I read a post by jfc193 part of his personal message really spoke to me. He says he "recommitted" at 250. That is something I need to do.
I lost 55 pounds in the six months after surgery (May 21, 2012) and have not lost another ounce! I've gained and lost the same 2 or 3 pounds but have been pretty much on a plateau for a year. I know I'm failing my band (from Missy's recent thread) with poor food choices and eating too quickly and continuing to eat after feeling full and I've not exercised (excuses include hurting foot, leg pain, etc.) but I need some way to kick my butt back into gear. I'd like to ask Joe, "How did you go about recommitting?" I'd appreciate advice on this from anyone else too.

Last week my stomach growled so loudly that the cat jumped up from a sound sleep and stared around the room for the monster!

Hello Northern Virginians!! Our section of the Commonwealth seems very under-represented here. I live in Falls Church, work in Alexandria and see Dr. Moazzez at Bluepoint Surgical at Fair Oaks. I was banded May 21, 2012 and have had some success with the new way of eating but have not yet figured out how to add the exercise part. I'm looking for ideas on how to incorporate something into my schedule. I have a weird problem where my legs and feet start to tingle and begin to go numb so walking is not a great option but I need to do SOMETHING! The plan for treatment is first to lose some weight and see if that helps before going the back MRI - surgery route.
I've also not been able to get to the support groups in Fair Oaks so finding local bandsters would be great.
Looking forward to hearing from you all.
Bob

I can't resist - the best scale is the one that shows your weight dropping!

Quick update - After my third fill (October 2012) I got stuck with everything I ate (7.2 cc in 14 cc band). I toughed it out for a while but then had 0.3 cc removed in December and 0.5 cc removed in March. I gained about 8 pounds back during this time. I was eating a lot of potato chips since they did not get stuck. Last week I got filled back up to 7.2, stopped buying and eating the chips and the scale shows 3 pounds lower this morning! I'm hoping my time in the wilderness is over.
At the first information session the doctor talked about the addictive nature of food and how some bandsters end up substituting one addiction for another, mentioning alcohol. I never thought I'd have a potato chip addiction! Cold turkey got me off it and now I don't go near them at the store for fear they will jump into my basket.
Thanks for all your posts - they're very encouraging.

I've pretty much resigned myself to think that gurgling is just old food working it's way down the line it has nothing to do with whether I actually need to replace that food yet.

I took some "After" Pic's last week.
Started with a 54" waist... now 30"
I wore the jeans the day of my surgery.
Tom, Toronto
Banded July 6 06
Wt. Loss: 160 lbs