Jachut

In the end, its how much you eat.
You can be thin and eat a diet of only rubbish. But you wont be healthy. You know that.
I have lost weight eating pretty much what I ate before being banded, including some bread. But I didnt eat entirely rubbish - I ate a good healthy base diet and then shoved in a lot of sugary carb foods on top of that. I've personally never had much of a problem with junk foods like Mcdonalds and KFC, I've never overeaten them or craved them unduly. But muffins, cakes, biscuits, that's another story.
So yes, I cut out those foods for the most part, but I do still eat them on occasion. If I go out for dinner, I'm not going to piss fart around ordering sauces to the side and quizzing the staff about whether there's butter in something. I just have what I fancy, and I dont eat a lot of it.
But my basic, everyday diet, what I eat 90% of the time is healthy. Its healthy, but I really dont believe in low carb Atkins style diets. I do eat bread and cereals and I eat good amounts of Protein but not HIGH Protein. So again, the next person here will tell me diet contravenes all their rules and I'll never lose weight. But I did and kept it off - so it comes down to calories in/calories out, I think.
Post op, I did exactly what I was told to do and ate really healthy foods too. I actually find it really hard to understand how just after surgery you can not be so bouyed up by enthusiasm, hope and determination that you find this period difficult. I found it really very easy. The hard part of wanting bad foods again came a lot later on. But everyone's different I guess. After the post op period, my doc actually HAS no real rules, the m.o. here in Australia tends to be eating a very normal everyday diet but only a lot less of it. Its about integrating the band into normal life, not about a bunch of rules that really swaps overeating for a life of imposed rules.

I cant tlk when im stuck, my voice goes all funny.

Well, the voice in my head is nowhere near as functional or healthy as one that questions whether a nice well covered BMI of 25 is healthy enough, a great achievement and easily maintainable. The voice in my head says "stop eating you fat pig, youi're disgusting, you're fat, lose more weight". I'm 5ft 10 and 145lb or so, give or take. I have been lower and I know I cant maintain it without a tight lapband and very small food intake, and that's not healthy forever. So I do have to stop here.
But people saying it annoys me. Cant they see my enormous thighs? Cant they see that I'll always be the 5ft 10 "big girl" and that I just want to shrink and shrink until I actually am 5ft 3 and cute and curvy? Cant they see that I've still got a few bulges and bits that arent perfect?
Obviously not. But I wish I could see myself how they see me.
Nonetheless I think people say it becuase you barely ever see anyone lose significant weight, enough to really change how they look. It freaks them out. They cant picture how you could lose anymore. People are bigger nowadays, they've lost sight of what "normal" looks like. We accept that after babies and when middle age hits, women are going to get squidgy. I know that me watching what I eat (and succeeding) and running or spinning every day gets right up several people's noses because it simply highlights to them that their own well cushioned rears and flabby tummies are a diect result of their own failure to maintain those same behaviours so they lash out at me for it.
I love the school I work out now. An entirely female staff with a male principal, most between 30 and 50 and at least 3/4 of us all really into fitness. We can sit and talk about who's doing the next fun run and who is a member of what gym and what classes they do and everyone eats well and its amazing. Nobody there knew me fat and nobody there tells me I'm too skinny.
Its really just the shock of seeing you actually shrink that prompts it I think.

Well, i might be, lol, i dont actually own any clothes with american sizing, my measurements are 36, 27, 38

If you're having symptoms that make you think you need to eat more, then obviously you should discuss that with your doctor.
But you're WAY better off unfilling a little and eating more healthy food - whole grains, fruits, veggies, Protein than trying to add calories the traditional way we're told to when we need to gain weight - with butter, cream etc added to meals. That's unhealthy.
There's also things like Ensure, Sustagen etc. I was told to take these products when I got so thin during chemo but I never did - sugary crap to my way of thinking, but my doctors all seemed to think they were great. Likewise a Protein shake between meals - made with skim milk - would add calories.

Well, you wont know till you try it, but it depends a bit on what your ideal weight (rather than your goal) is. I mean, if its 150lb or so, then you've got tons more to lose and your body will probably respond.
It also depends a lot on how tight you already are.
I've been down this road, getting tighter and tighter in the hopes of losing when you're already thin does not work.
But you must have some to lose at 240, and if you're not already in the green zone, then a fill is definitely the way to go.

I know Im no advocate the damn diet but for pete's sake, its Atkins, not ADKINS.

The reason you cant get a straight answer is because really, there isnt one. There's no such thing as overeating or undereating on one isolated day at a time, your weight is the sum total of your habits over a long periods of time.
And the bald truth is, if you eat less calories than you burn, over a long period of time, you lose weight, end of story. Doesnt matter if you eat carb or dont eat carbs, get 80 grams of Protein a day or not, get 30 grams of fibre or eat a lot or a little fat, or whether you make the deficit up entirely by dieting or by including exercise, if you eat less than you burn for sustained periods of time, you lose weight.
In fact, its probably entirely strange for your body when you DO count calories and eat roughly the same every day since in more normal circumstnaces, some days you eat more than others.
There's no such thing as a "perfect" calorie level for you.

The reason you cant get a straight answer is because really, there isnt one. There's no such thing as overeating or undereating on one isolated day at a time, your weight is the sum total of your habits over a long periods of time.
And the bald truth is, if you eat less calories than you burn, over a long period of time, you lose weight, end of story. Doesnt matter if you eat carb or dont eat carbs, get 80 grams of Protein a day or not, get 30 grams of fibre or eat a lot or a little fat, or whether you make the deficit up entirely by dieting or by including exercise, if you eat less than you burn for sustained periods of time, you lose weight.
In fact, its probably entirely strange for your body when you DO count calories and eat roughly the same every day since in more normal circumstnaces, some days you eat more than others.
There's no such thing as a "perfect" calorie level for you.

Well, you wont know till you try it, but it depends a bit on what your ideal weight (rather than your goal) is. I mean, if its 150lb or so, then you've got tons more to lose and your body will probably respond.
It also depends a lot on how tight you already are.
I've been down this road, getting tighter and tighter in the hopes of losing when you're already thin does not work.
But you must have some to lose at 240, and if you're not already in the green zone, then a fill is definitely the way to go.

I took the micropore tape off today to change it and dared a look at the scar. So pleased with it, it is lovely and neat - you see so many scars that a very uneven and lack symmetry online. Its a very straight scar due to the lack of skin I had to work with, and again, i say that pics dont do it justice! My tummy is so much neater than it was, even though I am not a lot smaller. Given that I heal up well and my scars tend to lose their colour very quickly and stay flat, I dont think the height of this scar is going to be a big problem. Still quite significantly swollen too, so I am anticipating a lot more improvement in terms of muscle definition and slimness.

Oh, wow, I will really miss Shirley. She was always so positive and determined. How awful for her family.

I didnt have one foot in the grave, and the cosmetic effect of this surgery was probably the largest factor in my decision - and I'm not ashamed of that. I hated how I looked, hated myself, was miserable. Now I'm proud of what I've achieved. I was a low BMI too, 36 at surgery but to me that was the fattest I had ever been and the fattest I ever wanted to become.
BUT - huge but - how many health problems have I forestalled by doing this? I still got cancer, but my colorectal surgeon said to me outright that the likelihood of a permanent colostomy if I hadnt lost all this weight was very very high - reason being that my cancer was low in the rectum, very difficult to access so far down in the pelvis. Yes, I have a nice wide, shallow pelvis that is a big factor, but being able to a) get into the area though a huge mound of abdominal fat and b ) stretch the remaining colon past all that flubber is very difficult in obese people.
High blood pressure, cholesterol and heart attacks run in my family, strongly. But my stats are perfect. They sure werent six years ago, not terrible, but not great either. My excellent fitness is the strongest factor I have going for me to prevent cancer recurrence - exercise is a huge preventative - I never could have achieved that without the band, it was a complete package for me.
My energy, my health, my ability to beat a deadly disease, I'm just not sure I would have even had the courage to go to my doctor to report that my bowel habits had changed because I was so ashamed and embarrassed of my body. I've had every man and his dog up my backside in the past two years, I've had to be naked on an operating table four or five times, I've had to have treatment every day for six weeks naked on the lower half in front of two very nice youg guys - all horrible invasive, traumatic but so so much more bearable because I wasnt totally consumed with thinking that THEY were thinking what a horrible fat old slug. It sounds so trivial in the face of how sick i was but it really realy mattered to me and made the whole thing easier. It could have all been so different, I could be sitting here today with a permanent colostomy hanging off my huge bulging gut, weighing god knows what now, I'm pretty sure in my old life the stress would have caused me a large weight gain. Instead I had the focus of keeping a strong hold of what I'd achieved and that got me through it, even though people thought I was insane to still be running and going to the gym whilst having chemo.
Nuff said, its life changing no matter WHAT your reasons for doing it.

Ive just reread his entire thing. Some of it was a long time ago! Im pissing myself laughing, my god i was a self righteous ****! I still believe Protein Shakes are crap food but why on earth did i care so much what others ate or did? And what was i doing that i had all this time to pissfart around on the internet spreading my gospel? Lol!

If you are not at optimum weight before a TT, and have fat inside your abdomen, you will still have a pot belly, a Tummy Tuck cant touch that . The only way to further flatten is to lose the weight!
I would equate the pain of a tt with a csection for sure but I was over my csection in a week, tt takes a lot longer!

See ive always felt some hunger, just much less than I did unbanded - and when I was too tight once, i was starving ll the time, my body KNEW it wasnt getting food. 800 is just too low for me and I would be hungry no matter how much fill I had.
The bnd works more for me b reducing jow much it takes to satisfy hunger, not by eliminating hunger. But I was never ever plagued by constant or inappropriate hunger pre band, i just ate all day regardless.

I have worn my port loud and proud for several years, and not let it stop me wearing a bikini. But i know what you mean, it does diminish the pleasure, mine was freaky. I also had a small but weird draping of loose skin over my belly button, but never enough to justify a Tummy Tuck.< /p>
Events transpired that i had a medically necessary tuck a few weeks ago to fix damage and scarring from recent surgery and my port was moved, and the back taken off it to reduce the profile. I eouldnt have believed that it coulf be hidden on my abdomen which had very little fat on it. But it is right ny my navel now in that natural pad of fat, instead of on the hollow sides of my belly.
It is really worth moving the port. All you cn see now is a very light mound and my new belly button is ever so slightly off centre, youd only notice if i stood still while you looked for it.

Yes, i was made fully aware that there was a possibility of band failure - most likely the balloon part, at some point in time but that I would hopefully get 20 years out of it. Ive been banded six and a half so far.
Im honestly not phased by the possibility of revision surgery, its minor surgery compared to the major lifesaving ones Ive had.

Sorry, saw it typed yet again this morning, amazing how many people do it. Just had to get it off my chest, lol.
Pehaps its because Im Australian and Microsoft American spelling also gets my goat?

eggs eggs and eggs.I love hardboiled eggs - hot, cold, on toast, on crackers, on a salad, as a snack.< /p>
I'm always just popping over the supermarket to buy the ingredients for another slow cooker creation. I love meals out of my slow cooker, moist, easy to eat, set and forget for the day. Today there's a huge vegetable lasagna bubbling away - fresh broccoli, cauli, mushrooms, zucchini, carrots and spinach, with a low fat ricotta cheese sauce, Tomato Pasta sauce and mozarella, mmmmm.
For work lunches I buy a variety of crackers, and dips like hummus, or basil pesto, and I just take the box and the dip to work and nibble at it every day.
I'm always buying Soup ingredients, too. I make loads of Soup, its my other work lunch staple. I fill them with Beans, fresh vegies etc. Made an awesome batch of pea and ham soup the other day - sooo healthy.

Depends on the 50, I mean, I was less than 50lb overweight for a very long part of my adult life, but I was ALWAYS going to get fatter. I wasnt that temporarily overweight by 30lb because I've just had a baby kinda person, I always battled and struggled not to be fatter. I was always solid as a child, never obese, but I just have never been that effortlessly thin, healthy person.
When I was banded, I had a BMI of 36 and needed ot lose about 80 to get to the top of my healthy weight range. I was absolutely desperate about my weight and getting fatter by the year. It was time to do something drastic.
Because it is very important to consider that the band will help you to KEEP that weight OFF for the rest of your life. Its not about losing weight, its about losing it once, for good. The band will help you lose it, but it will also help you keep it off. so if you've got 50 to lose and you've always struggled with your weight, then having WLS is probably a valid and even sensible choice for you. I'f youve packed it on in the past year but never particularly had trouble with your weight, then that doesnt mean you shouldnt or cant do it, but you may be able to do this on your own. Statistically 50lb is about the upper limit that people really can lose weight and keep off by themselves.
You need to be prepared for the fact though that statistically also, the band doesnt tend to result in 100% of excess weight lost. I lost 120% of mine though and not with undue effort or superior dieting skills or anything like that. I just lost that much. You also need to be prepared that the band doesnt work miracles, its still about food choices, discipline, exercise, and that for someone as light as you, slow and steady weight loss rather than spectacular transformations. But its all so much more doable with a band.
Visible ports? Hell yeah, lol. Mine stuck out like a sort thumb because I got my BMI down to 19/20, about the size of a walnut under my very slim tummy - until it was moved a couple of weeks ago (and altered by my plastic surgeon) during a Tummy Tuck and now its very much less visible, hardly noticeable. You can get a low profile port and you can think seriously about placement - mine is now right next to my belly button, where you tend to have that natural shapely pocket of padding - before it was in the hollow part of my belly up and to the left of my belly button - outside the rectus muscle contour so it was extremely visible. You will also have a couple of scars, they're barely noticeable after a couple of years though.
But all in all, I was a "lighter" patient, although I had more than 50 to lose and I would do this again 1000 times over, its literally changed my life.

True - and i nevr ever eat Soup with anything such as crackers, lol

Red how? If its getting a bit hot, swollen and red around the scar, keep an eye on it and watch out for infection.
The scars themselves - all scars tend to go through a process where they get worse before they get better. Right after surgery they dont look like much, then as the skin begins to heal, they get bigger and colour up with that ever so attractive red or purple hue for a few months, then after that they fade and flatten over a year or two.

I can eat it, but dont often want it, since it inexplicably tastes unsatifsying and not as nice as it smells when I have restriction.
When I unfilled last year for a surgery - bread tasted great again - got some fill in, didnt taste so good.
sometimes I really want a piece of toast and have it and really enjoy it. More often I make it, take a bite and feel nauseous, it just doesnt taste right. Its so weird.
I also really want to enjoy an apple, but that's another thing that although i can eat, it tastes wrong to me.

Sad but true. A dedication to diet and a big overhaul of your exercise could get you to where you want to go. Unfortunately once you reach that magic BMI weight loss gets very hard. It took me a couple of YEARS to lose that last big of weight that took me from an OK BMI of 25 down to the 20 I was really happy with. And it takes me an hour of running a day and fairly constant control of my diet to stay there.
Its just not easy whatever way you cut it. Sleeves bring their own problems - such as reflux and too much acid production and if you head over to verticalsleevetalk you will see that people complain about things like constantly making poor food choices or not having a "tight" enough sleeve and that they can eat too much.
Doesnt mean you cant/shouldnt do it, but its not likely to be a magic bullet. Just like thinking that going really really tight with your band rarely works to lose lots of weight fast.