Jachut

I think you've been too tight, hopefully that's all it is. Its really hard to keep a proper mentality as to how much we shoudl eat. I feel like you describe, keep thinking I'm eating too much, maybe a fill is needed. But really, my weight is steady. We are not supposed to starve forever, just becuase you have a band doesnt mean you shouldnt be able to eat what a normal weight person will be able to eat! For me, 2000 calories a day at my height and activity level is very reasonable. In my head though, that's absolutely overeating - I mean I eat that much, but I think I'm a pig. You do not need to be tight to maintain, you have to at some point let your new habits and lifestyle take over and dont rely on restriction to eat reasonably.

I think really I did what Jack is suggesting - I found normal weight through a lot of cardio whilst eating normal amounts of carbs/protein and about 1500 a day. it suited me, I didnt find it hard, I love my running and it wasnt insane, just an hour a day (8 to 10kms). I dont do as well on more strength trainign workouts, I mean I do it because its good for my body, but my main focus was and always will be cardio. It burns insane fat for me and makes weight control really easy. I dont put on a lot of muscle, I dont have that sort of body, relying on having muscle to burn calories just isnt a good strategy for me personally. Then you could try the low carb route. I think the thing is, different things suit different bodies and you have to settle on what works for you.

You're not crazy, in fact this is probably the best possible way to get ALL of that last 60lb off. I started running at about 30lb down and I could not believe the difference not having that 30lb made to what I could do. I meant to start the couch to 5K and I ran the whole damn way! Well, staggered and shuffled but it wasnt a walk, it was definitely a jog. I was so elated by that NSV, I never looked back. If you start slow, run every second day, do not under any circumstances allow yourself to jump in boots and all so that you burn out or get injured you'll be fine. that was always my problem with exercise, I do love it and I was athletic and I would always start WAY too ambitiously and just not be able to keep going due to sheer exhaustion. Make yourself do it slowly and when you run make yourself run slower than your natural pace (its hard!) - this is how you build up a super aerobic base so that you can work on the fast stuff later. But all you need to run a 10k is a good aerobic base and you can build that pretty darn quickly. Very best of luck!

For me (I have an older 4cc band) it wasnt that way, it was more a matter of each fill caused me to fill up a bit more quickly which was just right for me at the time. I didnt have to find a 'sweet spot', I lost weight at 1cc for a while, and then that dwindled so I want to 1.5cc and that started off weight loss again and then a bit longer and that had dwindled. So as my body needed less and less calories to lose weight, I had a bit more fill, but I lost steadily throughout. I have been at 2.7cc for the longest time, but truth be told, when I eat carefully and follow the rules, as I have been doing lately (have to have an ufill for a surgery and have been being ah, careful), I've lost an almost alarming amount of weight taking my BMI down to 20. So truth be told, what I call my "sweet spot" or long term maintenance restriction is really only a level of restriction that allows me to eat small enough meals that I can afford to eat a lot of treats - wine, Cookies, chocolate *guilty shrug*. when I eat as I should, this is too much restriction for maintenance although I never have "tight" symptoms such as vomiting, getting stuck, being unable to eat foods like bread etc. So you really need to be honest about what you're eating and focus on eating the right things, not on eating only half a cup of food at a time. Its a fine and shifting balance and all about what you can manage, not about a number or a particular level.

Its completely normal to lose restriction fast with first fills, it happens less fast as you get closer to your ideal restriction.

Definitely, I go back once or twice a year. I've had top up fills and now I need an unfill for another surgery, I will go in in a week or two to discuss it - whether they want to unfill me all at once, or take me down gradually over the next month, what I can expect, how I should manage things, when I can be refilled. I want my mind put at rest over this, although truth be told, I think I will be absolutely fine with no fill. But that's what my doc is for, and I dont feel that just because I'm at goal I can forget I have a lapband inside me, I want it there, healthy and sound and part of that is keeping on top of things like regular check ups.

I've had my band for five years now, with absolutely no problems. Long term health, hmmmmm. Interesting issue. I have to admit, that having a band long term, I've tended to make really good food choices for meals, and then fit in the calories for maintenance around those meals - I dont limit butter, cream, carbs, biscuits, sweets but I get away with eating moderate amounts of them because my meals are small. That, in my book, is not great. Its a downside. I can eat whatever the hell I want with this level of Fluid in my band but what I should do is have less fluid and eat way more fresh fruit, vegies and wholegrains. I dont eat as much of those as I think is ideal. I have to unfill my band for a surgery soon, and I'm terrified, though realistically, I think I'll be able to refill it within weeks. But I have come to realise how dependent I am on it - I think Im giving it too much credit, but I am truly going to try to put back as little fluid as possible and really improve the amounts of fruits and vegies I eat. I do think long term nutrition suffers somewhat with a band, its just natural that you come to not fancy foods that block you up and those foods for me are the healthy ones. Over time, it is much easier to eat crap and I have always had to fight this, pretty successfully, but its still a fight. When my band is unfilled, do I want to go straight out and eat a big mac? Not at all. I cannot wait for a healthy salad roll! I cant wait to eat an apple easily again. I've worked very hard to improve eating habits and very hard to get extremely fit and make running a part of my life. I hope it stands me in good stead. Enough waffling, but having to unfill really makes you take stock of where you are at in this journey and I've just learned that it always pays to stay vigilant. Problem wise though, I've simply never had issues. I lost weight, not fast, but steadily, I got to a BMI of 21, I've maintained that for three years. Its been a fabulous decision for me and I'm even a little bit confident that I could probably do without it if it came to that. I think I've learned enough about myself, my eating habits and how to control them. In past weeks I've been scared of this unfill and I've even half wished I had a sleeve so that nobody could make me unfill it. It only needs to be unfilled in case i swell up or I need a nasogastric tube or something. But that's the only real downside.

Well said as usual. Its just so important to give food its proper place. There's no problem with eating chips, occasionally and in moderation, but you have to first concentrate on what you need - and even their our own personal philosophies differ. Really, and I mean REALLY think about whether you want something. I'm a no restrictions eat what I like kinda dieter, but I dont eat at every whim. If I really truly want something, I can usually distinguish that from just grabbing and shoving it in my mouth - which after five years banded I am still prone to doing. No food is truly bad or evil even if its not nutrionally fabulous. It only becomes bad when you let it have power over you.

I really need to include wholegrains to feel full for a long time. They fill that stomach space (my band isnt tight) and give me lasting satisfaction - Protein and vegies just doesnt cut it for me. I need to add bread, Pasta or rice. Luckily that's not affected my weight loss at all.

We shall see, my band will have fill in it only for a few more weeks and then I have to empty it in preparation for a major surgery - and it will probably have to remain unfilled for 4 months or so. I am "hoping" like heck that my appetite doesnt pick up, I honestly cant tell anymore whether I rely on restriction (my band is pretty loose, I mean I can eat bread) or whether I have just settled with eating habits that suit me and keep my weight stable. Either way, I will be out running the minute I am recovered enough to do so and I am making more effort to count calories so that I actually know what I am eating calorie wise - it seems to be about 2000 a day. I figure, SURELY I can stick to 2000 a day without fill. At the moment, I do that by grazing, I figure if my meals get bigger then I ban in between meal eating. That is just ONE rule to stick to. Either way, I'm scared sh*tless but I think I'm probably understimating myself and overestimating my band.

Just get back on track and put it behind you, this stage is very hard. At least cruskits chew to mush, you would probably be right eating those, they're pretty much a mushy food. I can eat about 10 cruskits with butter and vegemite!

I havent heard of it specifically, but five years out my band is still a changeable thing. Restriction varies day by day, week by week and month by month.

I think this is spot on, people just arent used to seeing anyone who isnt at least a bit overweight these days. I look at teenage girls and think I almost drove myself mad trying t lose weight because I thought I was huge (and compared to my petite pals, at a BMI of about 28, I was big enough for doctors to be concerned) and these girls now are fatter than I ever was and they are NORMAL. They're the same as all their friends and they dress to show off their "curves" which to me are not curves at all but rolls of fat. Like Lellow, I go by what people who never knew me as overweight think. Most people would say I'm lucky to be naturally thin (ha!) but they wouldnt ever describe me as really skinny or suspect that I have an eating disorder.

With a bowel prep its clear liquids so no, you wouldnt do Optifast that day. Stick to clears - Water, broth, apple juice. Its not strictly necessary for band surgery because they dont actually do anything to your bowel but different surgeons like different things.

I lost 120% of my excess weight (meaning I went right down past the top of my healthy weight range to lower in that range) which just about doubles the 60% statistic. Did I work ridiculously hard? No. I just eat sensibly and well (I dont low carb, so that's not strictly necessary) and I get an hour's hard cardio most days. That's all I've done. You'd be surprised how many people get banded and then wait for it to work. That's why the statistics are so depressing. If you're willing to eat properly and exercise, there's no reason you cant get to your proper weight.

I'd lose tons of weight eating that, processed food is not good for you and I'd quit it but I really believe weight loss is about calories and little more, so there is a puzzling equation that's just not working out there. I'd really quit the treat days, obviously its just too much at this point in time. You work out a lot, I'd be tempted to try eating just a bit more healthy food on a daily basis rather than alcohol at the weekends. And you might just lose very slowly, but weight loss is STILL weight lost, no matter how much or little it is.

I dont know that I walk any different, I find sleeping on my side hard, my knees are too bony and they hurt! I certainly sleep more comfortably. I still overestimate the amount of space I take up and think I wont fit in places I fit easily too.

Its all to do with what you've been used to doing and how much of a change it is for your body at first, and then later on it becomes more about intensity and time. I think adding handweights will not add much more of a burn and you run the risk of injury too as it is important to maintain good form. Personally, for me, I was already well able to walk 5 miles or so in an hour before banding, so I started out with light jogging and progressed over a year to a six mile run or so a day - about an hour's moderately intense exercise. I now add in boot camp sessions and interval runs etc for more intensity and variety. For most people, I think a solid five mile walk in an hour should be enough for weight control and will probably result in good loss for many. If you want to use weights, you're better off adding in a couple of dedicated sessions a week as well as your walks.

I just cant believe how many people in the world there seem to be that think its OK to do this. Everyone here knows how blunt I can be but I would NEVER say something like that to someone. I might think it, I mean we all know people who have literally done nothing about their weight ever and then think this will be a magic solution. But you would always be encouraging, polite and even hopeful for them no matter what you privately thought, wouldnt you? You might even gossip behind someone's back about it, but not to their face. My mum did this a little, but that was genuine concern and worry, if you're sure its not that, I'd just ignore it and realise you're doing this for YOU and not many other people's opinions really matter.

You're looking fabulous!

I had surgery in the morning and was able to get onto my side and lie that way for short periods by that night - I was SO sick of lying on my back. I went home to sleep in bed, I didnt need a recliner or anything. It took a few nights to be able to easily and comfortably lie on my side, it hurt a bit like my stomach was hanging unsupported in there.

Collarbones are beautiful!

I've been taking childrens chewables too since there are NO adult ones here that I can find, however, having been diagnosed with rectal cancer recently and reading up on the importance of antioxidants and selenium, I realise that the children's Vitamin completely misses out some trace nutrients that most adult ones have, selenium being the primary one. I've decided to stop being a big baby and just take the big adult pill. I dont get stuck on them, I just hate taking pills and gag and carry on like a wimp. Adults need adult Vitamins I think.

It sounds like things are going great. Its understandable that you would be nervous, you've had some traumatic experiences in the past. I have not been banded and pregnant but I have been pregnant and lost significant weight. On purpose, with the blessing of my doctor because I was 220 odd pounds when I conceived and I had had preeclampsia twice before. I did NOT want to pile on weight, although in the ironic way these things go, that is not the way my body tends to react to pregnancy. Statistically, gaining weight during pregnancy within normal limits is associated with a healthy pregnancy. That's only a statistic. As my doc pointed out for me, the baby needs nutrition, not fat. You need to take in adequate carbs, Protein, Vitamins and minerals, you do not necessarily need to take in a lot of extra calories and gain fat. You can gain the average weight during pregnancy by eating Big Mac's or ice cream and pickles or whatever(in fact most women do!) and you have not done one single thing to increase your odds of a healthy baby whereas you can eat perfectly, not gain weight and have done brilliant things for your baby. If you are sure you're eating the recommended intakes of various foods and you are supplementing well, dont let minor weight loss worry you, if its getting a bit out of control, supplement with somethign healthy like a fruit smoothie, made with some milk, some fruit, even a bit of cream or full fat yogurt. That packs in calories AND nutrition (I wouldnt turn to artificial foods like shakes at this time, if you want to go that way go for a weight gain supplement without all the artificial ingredients). If you really cant eat enough, the unfill a bit, you'll probably get tighter and need to eventually. good luck!

It can vary for me, some months I notice nothing, but I have had probably less than 20 pb's in 5 years with the band and I would say they've ALL happened in the couple of days before my period starts. Its quite a noticeable pattern.