bandedandbashful

Americans spend a lot of money on eating out. It’s part of the how we live in our busy lives. Having bariatric surgery doesn’t mean you have to give up going out to eat. Having bariatric surgery means you have to be smart about eating out.


Americans spend a lot of money on eating out. It’s part of the how we live in our busy lives. Having bariatric surgery doesn’t mean you have to give up going out to eat. Having bariatric surgery means you have to be smart about eating out.
Plan ahead for what you will choose in the restaurant. Keep in mind what eating phase you are in and order what foods you can have. At times, a menu can overwhelm you if there are too many choices. If there is a menu online, review that before going the restaurant and see what choices are available. Write down a few choices on an index card and carry with you to the restaurant. Order from your card, not the menu. If you can’t find an appropriate and safe choice, ask the server for what you need. If the restaurant can’t make something you can have, then you need to avoid that restaurant.
Consider splitting a meal.This will help reduce the portions and the cost of the meal.You may be charged a plate fee, but the overall cost of the meal will be less.You can also ask for a to-go box when the server puts your food in front of you. Pack up the food immediately, which can prevent you from overeating. This food can be used for another meal.
Focus on the people around the table, not the food. You will eventually be able to find pleasure in eating out after surgery. Take the time to plan what you can eat. It’s the smart thing to do!

Thanks, guys! Yeah but what about the solid food I ate the day before surgery? Well, turned out okay: I went for a long walk this morning and then when I got back home it finally happened. I'm just glad to know that things are working and moving.

“Words are tears that have been written down. Tears are words that need to be shed.

Without them, joy loses all its brilliance and sadness has no end.” Paulo Coelho





Via Mary Jo Rapini’s food Addiction Group



Karen Askins Nov. 17, 2014


It all started out as another lie, not one intention to ever try-
Once again I wanted an easy fix, because I was up to my usual tricks.
I knew the words I needed to say, for her required signature to start me on the way-
This time surgery would be the lucky charm, hopefully there would no lasting harm.
She probably knew as well as I, that I was sick and would probably soon die-
If I didn't get myself together, and start making me a whole lot healthier.
I wanted to believe that it was only about food, not about everything that was affecting my mood-
But she said I was eating to not deal with life’s pain, adding up yearly to a significant weight gain.
I have always latched on to some current craze, the other surgeries, pills, diets, and starvation days-Maintenance was the problem that was never addressed, it would always come back quicker than I confessed.
Just twelve steps, how hard could that be? I decided to try and just kind of see-
So the first month I did as little as I could, of all the work I was told that I should.
Step two was the first time I wrote in the book, I thought I'd write anything- who was going to look?
What I found was not what had been expected, instead of a diet plan, it was like church resurrected.
Higher Power this and surrender to that, what did that have to do with being so fat?
Be of service, have faith, and listen to the call, meditation and prayer were suggested for all.
What was the problem? I did all of that, lots of pretty feathers sitting in my hat-
This would be a breeze once a month to meet, I could do this group and not miss a beat.
The women there were all nice enough, but they had problems that were really tough-
And then there was the tiny psychotherapist Mary Jo, what in the world could she possibly know?
The irony of it all was that I already knew in my heart, the two words I resisted from the very start-
After time was wasted denying the fact, I finally admitted that I was a Food Addict.
That in itself was enough to make me blue, but there were also my legs and hands severely cramping every night like on cue- One doctor said Vitamin deficiency, one RLS, and still another dehydration, all I knew was I couldn't take the horrible, all night sensation.
The doctor had me try several medications- finally Flexeril, it would dull the pain, and he said, “As needed, just refill”- It didn’t get better on 10 mg. once a day, but he finally got it right when he said with 40 they’d go away.
I didn’t hear any warnings about side effects, my other medications were not really checked-
My mind became a blur and life started getting worse, I blamed everyone, God, and mainly the step study as my curse.
For months I thought I was going to be like my grandmother, who had dementia worse than any other- She was functional one day and not lucid the next, that was me all because I didn't want my legs and hands to flex. When I could think straight, I was really on top of it, doing what I could to get my mind and body fit-But it was up and down around and back, my emotions were like a roller coaster track.
I felt so depressed and couldn't always comprehend right, but I was sure that I still had pretty good insight- Still trying to believe it was a food issue and really wanting to win that battle, to try and not make every plate, fork, and spoon rattle.
The “win” was bittersweet as my “perfect” life fell apart, and I hurt everyone I loved with all of my heart- There was no satisfaction with me as the boss, and my peace and happiness were at a complete loss.
Beating myself up and causing more pain, literally drove me completely insane-
It was all I could do to survive. I hated the way I was living; my husband kept saying that I was just barely existing.
I was brought to my senses several times along the way, obviously though, I was still there to play-
Panic attacks, totaling our truck, being paralyzed by fear, weren't even enough to see my way clear.
I think I knew that the medicine wasn’t good but kept taking each prescribed dose, and it turned who I was into someone different, someone very gross-
It made the original goal to deal with food addiction, a journey that was more like science fiction.
Here I am in Mexico where I was forced to stay, mortified to wake up in basically a “detox unit” yesterday- Where everyone must have thought I was a long time street druggie, until they figured out it was a legitimate prescription written just for me.
The doctor took away the Flexeril, allergy, asthma--all of my needed prescriptions, and the pain started back much to my aggravation- They brought in food- a lot of fattening Mexican stuff, and when I refused, the nurse threatened to get mean and tough.
She gave me IV’s and a bottle of Ensure, and yelled, “You eat or you drink this!” as I tried to keep my composure- It was bad enough this mess I was in, no way was I going to eat that junk and screw up surgery once again.
Doing last minute planning just two weeks before my son’s wedding I was forced to get aid, my family cried and yelled that I should I have known better, but mostly they prayed-
And within 24 hours of passing out cold, my mind felt almost clear, and I had to get bold.
With plenty of time here to sort it all through, I asked myself, “What in the world am I going to do?”
Then there on the table left by my husband in plain view, was Mary Jo on Facebook clearly coming through.
Yesterday, Sunday, Nov.16, her post spoke loudly and went straight to my heart, that is what made me decide I needed a fresh start- The picture screamed, “Be still- I’ve got this.” It was a message from God, and her added words stung like a lightning rod.
She wrote what I knew but needed to hear, it was hard for me to swallow, but I gave her my ear-
How could I ever have been so remiss? Her lecture ended with, “… trust God to be God, he’s got this- his promise.”
I am pretty sure that I have been given a choice, self-destruct or stop and listen to His voice-
It is now or never, and now is looking really good, for me to be honest and deal with what I should.
All the fertility treatments, my children being my husband’s family blood and not mine, my mom’s death, my friend Barbara dying on Flight 77 on 9/11--all of that and more over time-
To be strong for everyone else I always pushed away pain, and sucked down the food with no way to abstain.
For several months I was crying most of the time and not actually comprehending what was making it so tough, but I think I kept trying to get through it because I was afraid of even more bad stuff- The confusion in my head sometimes made me think I wanted to die, but I had enough snap to question if I would get the chance to look God in the eye.
So I read and studied when I could, but I would lose sight, I was in turmoil, and it was like I was in a life and death fight- To be truthful the cause wasn’t really food, nor 100% the medicine, and definitely not liquor, I know now the actual battle was over control between me and my creator.
Realizing way too late that I am ready to begin, the opportunity of a lifetime that is quickly coming to an end- Wanting what I had started the step study for- a plan of action, to keep myself from eating even if it means being in traction.
Mary Jo sent the answer to that and much more- what an idiot I have been, the wife, the mother, the one who everyone knew to be the “wonderful Christian”- Knowing much better, I had tried on my own to run the show, thinking I would eventually win- I guess like at a Las Vegas casino.
She told us that she had felt God’s love. Not me, I went to Hell, but both had experiences we can surely tell- Grateful I didn’t make it my final destination, because I was given a chance for a needed transformation. Being as old as I am and with the “good life” I have led, no way should I have gotten so close to being dead- The truth is I did it to myself trying to go solo, sending life as I knew it down to practically zero.
Mary Jo’s near death experience was a blessing to us all, she was sent back with a mission and accepted the call- To share God’s love, mercy, and grace, I can tell it’s authentic by the glow on her face. She told how it changed her own way of thinking, prayer, surrender, service, and love all linking- How she helps people and how she really cares, has inspired me to want to spend the rest of my life in His care.
I feel that now I have a new purpose for which I must live, with love unconditional to receive and more for me to give- I have to let go and to be sure of my intention, and not just use this experience and God as a brief intervention. It's the gift of relearning what life is really all about, that the 12 step study journey gave me without a doubt- Something I never thought I would ever need, because I was always living “perfectly” I knew indeed.
My inventories and amends were minor to compare, I needed a transplant or a full heart repair-
May Jo said she pleaded with God not to send her away, but if He hadn’t, I would have never had this day.
To know with 100% assurance, that I do have it in me for the endurance-
It's really about how I used to live but more recently kept struggling to concede, the hardest thing for me was “the faith of a mustard seed.”
The food addiction thing will be for all of my time, always aware of why I eat and on what I must dine- But that’s not the triumph of my battle when all is said and done, it is that I waved the white flag and allowed God back as number one.
I am thankful from the bottom of my heart, for the group and Mary Jo’s words that guided me toward a new start- The path I took was awful to trudge for a year, but the journey gave me my wings and brand new flight gear.
I took the long road with all the pot holes and detours, but I finally get it I know for sure-
There is a sense of clarity and my mind is peacefully at rest, I am only going forward and will give it my best. The replay button has to go; it has to be left behind, in order to get through each new day with a clear, sane mind- I have done some stupid (mostly recently) things in my life, but the worst thing I did was cut God out with a knife.
It is hard to believe that just a few days ago, I was so bitterly miserable from my head to my toe-
Feeling horrible to be imprisoned that way, but now I am free, because I was reminded that there is a better life with the one who really cares for me.
Strength and help for everyone else has always been there, but I never took time for myself to receive care- I don’t have all the answers nor can I say I’m not afraid, but I know I can trust that His loving hands on me are laid.
I truly believe with all of my heart and soul, that our group was brought together each one with a role- Dana, Kathryn, Anita, and I came with one common thread, to learn to keep food from running our head.
I learned a lot about them; sometimes more than I thought I needed to know, but God used them all to show me the way I should go-
And that life is uncertain and forever changing, and that He is the only constant with love and forgiveness so amazing.
Kathryn with her wit, humor, and wisdom to share, already knew there would be so much more for me there- She’s successfully been in recovery for an impressive amount of time, a real testament to me that being an addict is no crime. Anita Joy was given the perfect name, her face and her smile allude to why she came- To help bring that joy and light to the darkest place I could know, because she shares His love wherever she goes.
Dana sat beside me just beautiful to see, ten years younger but way ahead of me-
She shared her heart’s burden and taught me a lesson, about judgment and compassion sending me straight to confession.
We were a small group. I’m sure there could have been more, but God’s plan was for there to be only four- Who would have guessed that the answer to managing an addiction to food, would be to relearn from all of them that God is so good?
They never had a chance to know who I really was, since for more than half of our time together I was totally buzzed- They were too nice to say what my children and husband told, that for the definition of a fool I had broken the mold.
I can’t believe I didn’t stop what was happening and see, the very thing many of my friends have asked for help for their loved ones from me- To steer them away from what could destroy their mind, the only difference was theirs were bought on the street and prescribed were my kind.
I didn’t have an actual near-death experience, but as far as genuinely living, from that I was the farthest distance- The painful lesson I learned which I want to share with all, is that everything will fall into place, even managing a food addiction, when your life is lived listening to the Higher Power’s call.
Writing this all down was for my often annoying, analytical brain, attempting to make sense of it all and understand that my suffering doesn’t have to have been in vain- It will be here to remind me just in case I ever forget, and going backwards suddenly becomes a major threat.
I don't know what the future will bring, it’s too late now, but I wish from the beginning I had taken more advantage of this 12 step group thing- We are going to disband. Each one will go her way, but I will remember and thank God daily for them as I pray.
I wish there was a way to make the ones like me who will come through this group understand from day one, that the only way they will conquer the food addiction thing is to give the program and their Higher Power their all even though it may not seem like much fun-
Mary Jo, please tell them for me that whatever it is on their journey they may face, that their life is worth the fight and for them not to wait like I did to claim God’s marvelous grace.

Rene,
Thanks for this article! You make a lot of good points.
Breakfast is such an interesting topic. There is some research supporting your points, and breakfast is commonly believed to be crucial. But, there is research questioning a few things. For example, does breakfast eating cause those benefits, or does something else that influences people to eat breakfast also lead to the benefits you cite? And, is it better to eat breakfast and have lower hunger (but possibly higher caloric intake in the day) or be hungry but keep calories lower? And does And even, what is breakfast? Does the definition depend on when and how much you ate for dinner?
So, it seems to me that it comes back to the same thing it often does…eat right in the best way possible for you. If that means eating breakfast to keep you on track, reduce cravings, and hit your nutrient goals, go for it! Either way, keep calories in check and get enough Protein. Thanks for the food suggestions for healthy breakfasts – quick and easy!

I'm sorry but there is a lot of new data coming out on the subject of whether breakfast is necessary. We are not all the same. I never eat breakfast anymore because I'm not hungry until a little later in the day. For many people, breakfast triggers more eating and thus a higher calorie count for the day.

Breakfast means breaking the fast. If you fast too long, your body starts breaking down muscle mass for energy.


A common meal pattern seen with new patients is skipping breakfast. The most common reasons include lack of time and not being hungry. Once a patient starts eating breakfast, the lament is “I’m so hungry about an hour after breakfast!”
You are likely experiencing physiological hunger. If you go too long without eating, your body will start breaking down your muscle to convert to blood sugars. When you lose muscle mass, you burn fewer calories. Your muscle mass is like the idle on a car. When the idle is set high, the engine burns more energy. When the idle is set low, the engine needs less energy to run. Good muscle health is like having a higher idle set point for your body.
Skipping breakfast to lose weight backfires for two reasons. The first problem is that you lose muscle mass, which decreases your ability to burn calories. The second problem is that you will get too hungry by the next meal which leads to overeating. Eating too many calories at one time leads to storing fat. Research shows that starting your day with a high Protein meal leads to eating fewer calories throughout the day. A high protein breakfast can be eggs, light Greek style yogurt, low fat or fat free cottage cheese, string cheese or other low fat cheese, a high Protein Shake or high protein Cereal like Special K Protein or Kashi Go Lean with skim or low fat milk. Start eating a high protein breakfast within an hour after waking to get your metabolism started.

Me too. I just don't want to mess up a recipe. I'm not worried about the added fat from the whole egg. It has a lot of Protein which is what we banded people need.
I was banded in 2013, but did not follow the program at all and consequently lost a little at first but gained most of it back. I've been hard at this again for about 3 weeks, and I'm not quitting this time. Just want to do it all correctly, so I'm a little stressed out about finding the right foods to eat.

I am in the "eat the whole egg" camp.

Think you don’t have time to commit to losing weight and getting healthy? Think nobody has a less healthy relationship with food than you do? Then you haven’t met Robanne Robin. She’s a mother of 3, a motivational speaker, a diabetes prevention educator, and a weight loss and fitness coach for kids and adults. She’s also a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass patient.


A Lifelong Struggle with Food
Some weight loss surgery patients have nothing but memories of being obese. Robanne did struggle with food her entire life, but her ordeals included battles with anorexia and bulimia as well as childhood obesity and morbid obesity as an adult. By the time she was 37, she had high blood pressure and diabetes, and had two trips to the ER. She was close to giving up. That was at a weight of 300 pounds.
The Decision and Her Surgery
Robanne knew her health was the result of her weight. She researched the various WLS possibilities and felt Roux-en-Y was the best option for her because of the long-term success rate. Also, she had a friend that had lost 100 lb. after RNY.
She got her surgery in 2009 with Dr. Brenda Cacucci at the St. Vincent Bariatric Center of Excellence, in Carmel, Indiana.
A Personal Decision with Family Support
The decision for Robanne was personal. She explains she had enough on her mind at the time of her surgery, and was not in a place to be able to justify her decision to friends and family. So, she only told them about the surgery after she got it done. She also did not want to deal with judgmental people, since she was scared and uncertain at the time.
Her friends and family were supportive when she told them. She says her children “were particularly excited that ‘mommy would be able to jump on the trampoline with them some day.’” Now she says she is “strong enough to believe in my path,” and her results show it. She lost 150 lbs. and now weighs 150.
Overcoming the Challenges and Becoming a Dancer
Robanne faced the same challenges many WLS patients can relate to. It was tough to get in her dietary supplements and drink her Protein Shakes. In the beginning, exercise was a serious challenge – so much so that she tried to convince herself she didn’t need to exercise.
Luckily, she went to a group exercise cardio class, which happened to be a hip-hop dance class. She was too embarrassed to quit, so she stayed in class…and says it was the best thing that could have happened! That class changed her life.
She loved it, and learned that exercise could be fun and not dreadful. But she took it much further. Robanne worked at it, and now teaches seven hip-hop classes a week. She leads group exercise classes for the Obesity Action Coalition's national conference. Look for her at their next conference in San Antonio in August!
Robanne’s also been selected as a national national spokesperson for the Y.. She’s appearing in a national commercial rolling out this year. It is currently on the air in Seattle, WA and starting to pop up across the country, and you can take a look on
.


Tips from the Top
Anyone who’s lost and been able to keep off half her body weight probably has a lot of good advice, and Robanne is very willing to share it. First, she says to try new things. If you’ve been sedentary and overweight for years, she says, how do you know what you like? So try everything!
Also, “keep it real.” You’re not in the best possible shape right after surgery, so just work up to the tougher workouts instead of jumping right in. You don’t want to get hurt, burned out, or discouraged. Fitness is about being strong and pursuing health, not about a single number on the scale.< /p>
Another piece of advice comes in the form of one of her favorite quotes. "Start by doing what is necessary, then do what is possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible"--St. Francis of Assisi.
And finally, stay focused. Robanne says, “Every day, I recommit to do what it takes to stay successful.”
A Day in the Life
What does a typical day look like for 6-year WLS veteran who’s lost half her body weight?
Something like this, at least for Robanne.
Coffee...with cream.
Breakfast: 1-2 packets of plain, heart healthy instant oatmeal sweetened with Splenda.
First morning snack: Greek yogurt.
Late morning snack: 1-2 hard-boiled eggs
Lunch: some kind of chicken (usually grilled), on a bed of mixed vegetables (usually salad). She uses salsa for dressing.
First afternoon snack: something crunchy like Skinny Pop popcorn.< br> Second afternoon snack: a slice of cheese, and handful of turkey, or some kind of lean Protein.< br> Dinner: lean protein, 1/3 cup brown rice and broccoli or a small salad.< br> Every other day: a Protein Shake.< br> Plenty of Water.< br>
Robanne says she’s a creature of habit and keeps eating what she likes. The key for her is snacking on protein instead of carbs for the most part. She splurges on occasion on something like a cookie or something chocolate. But, she says, eating too much sugar and refined carbs makes her feel less bad. She sticks to whole grain carbs instead of white.
And exercise? This hip hop instructor is no slouch! She teaches 6-7 classes a week, including 2 days with 2 classes each. She also does weight training to keep up her muscle mass. She has 2 days off each week.
More from Robanne
If you want to learn more about Robanne, take a look at her Get Your Strong On site. It details her work in motivational speaking, weight loss coaching, and promoting corporate and kids fitness. You can also check out her inspirational video called “
.”Robanne wrote her story in a book, “Half My Size,” which she’s offering at a discount for BariatricPal members. You can order yours for $10 each with free shipping! The book is her story along with the lessons she learned for overcoming obstacles.
And for more ways to connect with Robanne…check out her bariatric motivation page on Facebook and give her hip-hop workouts a try!

I can't just talk the talk..I have to walk the walk. Between a new relationship and my trip to London, I've put back a few pounds. I'm not going to go crazy thinking about the weight I've gained or worry to death about taking them off...I have the tool and frame of mind to do so. But in order to be accountable, I revised my ticker to show my current weight and not my lowest weight.
I wonder if Alex can provide a means of being able to show the fluctuations we in maintenance go through. I think it's important to see not just those who regain all or much of it back, but those who gain and lose throughout.
I remind myself that even naturally thin folk don't maintain the same weight all the time. I'm pretty sure that if they see a gain of a few pounds, they don't panic..they just do what needs to be done to shed those pounds and go about their business. I for one am trying to do just that. I expect to revise my ticker as those extra pounds come off.

As one who struggles with getting enough Water, I understand! My nutritionist just this week told me about MiO drops. You add them to the Water, and it works much like Crystal Light. I am not a fan of Crystal Light, but the MiO Orchard Apple is delicious. The berry Pomegranate is good too. She did tell me not to use the MiO Energy drops.
http://www.makeitmio.com/~/media/Makeitmio/com/Images/Carousel/hero_home_Energy.jpg
My goal is to drink 32 ounces of plain water and 32 ounces of flavored. Hoping that breaking it enough with variety will help.

Restriction is a myth, and it’s time to stop believing in it. The adjustable gastric band isn’t all about restriction after all. It’s all about satiety.


I tend to talk about satiety a lot. Why? Because recognizing satiety is absolutely crucial to our weight loss success and good health, no matter what bariatric surgery we have. Satiety is the sensation of having eaten enough food.< /em> Understanding satiety is so important to weight loss success that I’m dividing up what I have to say into three Satiety 101 articles. This is the first of the three.

Let’s start by asking an important question: do you think that your properly-adjusted band will restrict how much you can eat, so you take in fewer calories and lose weight? I realize that someone – perhaps more than one person (perhaps even your very own bariatric surgeon) may have told you that the adjustable gastric band works by creating a small stomach pouch that restricts how much you can eat. But I’m here to tell you, it’s a lot more complicated than that, and to go on thinking of the band as a “restrictive” method does bariatric patients a disservice.

The notion of restriction is a myth, a holdover from earlier times, before the band’s function and effects were fully understood. Now, after nearly 30 years of clinical use and studies, band manufacturers and bariatric surgeons are beginning to see that the old idea of the band’s “restrictive” mechanism is not only incorrect, but can cause a host of unpleasant and sometimes dangerous side effects and complications (such as band slips, esophageal dilation and achalasia, pouch dilation, and disappointing weight loss), and some of those complications can cause permanent damage.

If you swallow a few bites of barium-coated food (doesn’t that sound yummy?), fluoroscopy will show that food passes through the upper stomach pouch, right past the band, and into the lower stomach pouch within in minutes of each swallow you take, so that you can go on eating just like you did as a pre-op: fast and furious (when food doesn’t make that trip a quick one, it may mean that the band is too tight and needs Fluid removed from it). That quick trip also means that you can eat far more food than you need, just like you did as a pre-op. Finally, the bariatric medical community is beginning to see that instead of being restrictive, the band works by reducing physical hunger (the need to eat) and appetite (the desire to eat), and by creating early and prolonged satiety, so that the patient, not the band, can reduce her/his food intake.

Now, let me re-state that from the point of view of someone who lived with a Lap-Band® for five wonderful years. It’s up to you, not your band, to make the band work for you. Your band is an inert, expensive piece of plastic that doesn’t limit how much you eat. It doesn’t know your name or that you hate broccoli. It’s not going to leap out of your mouth and throw your forkful of food on the floor when it’s time for you to stop eating. It’s not going to sound an alarm or start flashing red lights. It’s not going to shout, “Jean McMillan! Stop eating right this minute!” (Yeesh! In that last scenario, the band sounded an awful lot like my mom!)

Seriously, though. One of your jobs as a successful bandster is to learn when and how to stop eating, all by yourself. The “how” to stop is a big topic, not just for WLS patients but for every human trying to lose weight and avoid wasting precious resources like food, and far beyond the scope of this article. So for now, let’s concentrate on the “when” to stop eating part. We’ll do that in the second article in the Satiety 101 series: Satiated vs Stuffed, so stay tuned!

This is the first in the Satiety 101 series of articles.

Living with an adjustable gastric band is a partnership; it takes effort, compliance and conviction to live in a successful "team" effort.


You’ve made a commitment to adjustable gastric banding surgery, because you need to improve your overall present and future health. Sounds manageable, shouldn’t be too difficult; the results following bariatric surgery, 1 year, 3 years and so on, will be worth it. So, you have the surgery and, for awhile, it seems like magic, weight is coming off slowly but surely and you are working hard to move toward greater health goals day by day. If all goes well, you will have few bumps in the road, right? Well, that’s the hope, not always the reality.
I can tell you this; you are not alone on this journey and you will probably experience a good degree of success with your adjustable gastric band even if you are faced with a struggle from time to time. The challenges and rewards of surgery go hand in hand. The challenges of all patients remain virtually the same: how do we combine all the team professionals, support services, along with family and friends, to make this surgery work for you? It may help to look at the big picture for a moment and remind ourselves of the common issues that weight loss surgery patients may be facing along the way.
Here are some common challenges that bariatric patients may encounter at any point in the post-operative journey:
YOUR HABITS ARE TOUGH TO BREAK: You are human and make mistakes; you have habits and memories of the way food is woven into your life over the years.
YOU ARE BECOMING COMPLACENT: You are very motivated as a surgery patient at the beginning, then become complacent and lose motivation over time, after losing a large amount of weight.
YOU'RE OFF TRACK: You experience daily life stress that distracts you from your post surgery lifestyle priorities and commitment to better health.
YOU ARE AFRAID TO BE JUDGED: You have gained weight back now that you are 3 or more years post surgery but are embarrassed to reconnect with your surgeon and supports in your bariatric community, patients and professionals alike.

In addition to team professional support from your bariatric surgery program here are a few things to consider:
CONVICTION: Support and encouragement from family, friends and mentors. Those who have a vested interest in you and your success are the key people who help you post surgery and beyond. Try not to hear all or nothing of what others may say; seek what is helpful to you and leave the rest. Time and education help reassure those around you that your decision to have surgery is a sound one.
CONSISTENCY: Staying on a regular schedule with the surgeon’s office consists of regular lap band fills every 6 weeks or more, follow up visits with the nutritionist, regular blood work and support group attendance are ways to promote best results with your adjustable gastric band.
SHARING AND RECEIVING: Many patients find the use of individual therapy helpful or a group setting to reinforce continuous learning and lifestyle improvements. This would be recommended in addition to program support group attendance.
ONLINE SUPPORT SYSTEMS: Online resources are very helpful as an addition to program as well as personal support.

So here are the essential issues of bariatric living:
Your consistent awareness of these issues will increase the effectiveness of your weight loss “tool” so you can maintain a long and happy partnership with it.
It is an emotional adjustment at times and requires perseverance.
You will bicker, even fight at times (with your band) and say things you will regret.

Just remember, the band can be very flexible at times and allow you make mistakes but it cannot help you if you do not help yourself. That’s what life partners are supposed to do, right? They provide consistent support through all the ups and downs of life, through good times and bad.
You will have a long and prosperous relationship with your gastric band if you work as a team; isn’t that really the goal, after all?

You're a daily inspiration to me and many others here. You're always encouraging and it helps me to be kinder to myself. One of the things you always say to newbies is "good for you for choosing you".
You deserve all the joy that your WLS success brings. You are rocking this!!

Weight Loss Surgery was such an out of the blue decision for me -- I'm not even sure exactly how it came about. We live in the boonies, I don't watch TV, and I didn't know any one else with a LapBand (or any other WLS). I am kind of a health food type and had never been an overnight patient in the hospital before. I guess I heard that a cousin's doctor had recommended this for him and so I started digging into the research. Almost right away I realized I was the perfect candidate. I think what this means is that I was READY. I had spent two decades dieting and working every weight loss angle under the sun, yet I always put the weight back on again plus a little more. Each year I was a little heavier, and since I'm in my fifties it was really starting to add up. I ate well, just too much. Now I eat well, just in much smaller portions and at appropriate intervals. What a difference this makes over time.
Here I am today 75 pounds down from when I started 17 months ago. I honestly can't believe it. Next month at a year and a half I hope to be able to report 80. It's been a long winter and I have not been exercising as much as I'd like. I know from experience that for me the exercise is really the magic ingredient. I hate the gym and as soon as this sleet and snow clears off I can't wait to resume outdoor walking again. Last year I bought a bike and I look forward to that. I have arthritis and being able to do these things is a real gift. So much easier without carrying around all that extra weight!
The scale is the scale and sometimes it doesn't budge. I tend to lose some and then hover a long while around a particular number for a while. This can be frustrating but I've learned that it is okay, that the scale will eventually move. Meanwhile, its all about the pants, the pants. I have gone from 18 jeans down to size 10 in the same brand. Right now I have a pair of size 10 jeans in another brand that I picked up on sale and they are way too tight. But I'm going to get into those jeans over time -- and I also have a couple of pair of linen pants in my closet. I try them all on from time to time and that helps keep me motivated. It's all about the pants, the pants.....
Determining a goal weight is hard -- I guess I will know when I get there (and I know I'm not there yet). I'm fairly tall and don't want to be "skinny" -- I like my curves. For now I am thinking 155 might be a good weight for me and I am thrilled to be just 22 pounds away from that goal as of this morning. Oh my goodness, I am so happy!

Hi there, my body takes a little while to settle in after a fill and there can be variations day to day. Sounds like you are learning how to listen to your body, which is such a great thing. I am learning that hunger is not my enemy. The band helps me slow down, listen and make good choices. The links below in my signature really helped me understand how it works -- maybe they will help you, too. I must have read the Simpson pieces a hundred times to get the message through my head, the Lapband is not about restriction. So, no, we don't want to be too tight, we want the signaling to be happening for satiety.....you are doing great! Good for you working with your medical professionals over time to get your band right where it should be. It is a process.

So I had my first fill today,
I had 4.5ml put into a 10ml band, the nurse said I should sit in the waiting room for 15 minutes and drink 2 cups of Water before I leave to make sure everything is ok, so I start to drink the water and can instantly feel that it's not going down smoothly, had to go back in and had 1ml removed, but now I feel like I've hardly got any restriction at all, I'm so surprised at how much difference that 1ml made and now feel that I'll be waiting another few weeks before I see any significant weight loss ????.
Anyone think I'll be able to take more of a fill in a few weeks?

If you are having trouble motivating when it comes to exercise, try taking classes. They helped me tremendously because I enjoyed the social aspect of getting to meet the others in the class and it helped to make me feel an obligation to get to those classes. Especially when I started to make friends and they would ask if I was OK if I didn't get to a class. Guilt is a powerful motivator..lol. I take Water exercise classes by the way. Great way to move around with minimal discomfort as the Water keeps you buoyant.

Hey there, hope you're doing better today ! Im glad you have a Dr.s appt today, tell him/her everything you told us so he can help you. I will say getting banded was the smartest and best thing I could of done for myself. But you definetly have to go through stages (foodwise) to be sucessful, but remember those stages are TEMPORARY ! NOT forever ! And yes , you must walk ! I have dealt with depression too, its.not. fun., and no its not a "pity party" , but walking did help me both mentally and with weight loss. With following the food rules ( not. hard, to.do.) and walking and swimming, (easy!) the weight started coming right off ! You.can. do. this ! Come back here for more support if needed, have a good day !!

Within the first few months after Lap Band Surgery, I was EXTREMLEY unhappy, frustrated, disillusioned and downright ANGRY!...you name it....after all the hype and preparation I was convinced I wasted my time and money, and this was just more weight loss hype.
30 days after surgery after coming off the post op diet, I started to gain weight! My hunger was as strong as ever.....When I expressed my displeasure to the people at the Bariatric surgical center, they started to lecture me and give me handouts about counting calories, weighing portions with a food scale, watching out for carbs, etc, etc....
That's all well and fine...but that is EXACTLY what I did with the countless diet programs I tried in the past, and failed at!
I DIDN'T need surgery to do all that again! I can't tell you how angry I was!!! It was all Hype just like all the promises everyone else claimed....
Fortunately, my Dr. took to the time, sat me down, and using the "Yellow-Green-Red" chart, explained to me the process....showed me what his goal was for me, getting me into the "Green" zone....explained it took time, a series of adjustments. And with each fill minor changes will happen where I will need to adjust to in ways of what and how I eat...
Those so called "Rules" will start to make sense and have practical application, so start learning them now.
My Dr. was aggressive with my fills, maybe because I was an unhappy customer, but the first fill was 4cc's, then 2 more after that 4 weeks apart.
So, 12 weeks after surgery, I had my final fill...and got into the Green Zone...it was not easy, and from what I have read here many people would have backed done sooner being concerned about stuck episodes ( I had numerous every day) saying they were too tight, when in reality, with me, it was not the band too tight, it was me learning to eat a whole new way and give up the old way. Learning to live within the Green Zone was very hard, and took another 6 months...I'm still learning little tricks here and there.
I can now say, THIS is the best thing I could have ever done...once I got through that adjustment phase, both for me and the band, I can say it is a Breeze! EASIEST thing I could do!!
I have lost ALL my excess weight and at a normal weight - body fat %....I have no hunger/cravings (that was my biggest problem) and most times don't even think about food or eating....
I go about my business day to day and don't think about my band that much anymore, and don't worry about loosing weight, or ever gaining it back!
Granted, that early learning phase was absolutely HELL.....but once I got through that, it has been absolutely HEAVEN!
I do not consider it a "Tool", but corrective surgery....change! It was not at first, but now it is the "Magic Bullet", a "Cure all"
It has been over 4-1/2 years, and I have not had a single problem....I did have a stage where I could not keep anything down, but like I said above ...it was a learning phase. Not the band's fault.
The band is adjustable, and everyone feels for themselves where they should be and how it should be...everyone with the Lap band has complete control of their future, success or not.
Many Dr.'s are not doing the Lap band as much as before, because of everything I said above....with other surgeries, there is no adjustments, etc...it just is....now start to learn to live with it!

I'm a little over two years post op and throughout this journey I've constantly struggled with finding that LINE where I'm always mindful of my choices but yet don't obsess over them, where I can live my new life but my new life doesn't control or change every aspect of ME. So, a few months ago I decided to take a HUGE step out of my comfort zone and chose to let my "new norm" do it's thing which to me meant not coming on this site, not counting calories, not journaling my food, you know the things I thought healthy people didn't worry themselves with.
This was a huge eye opener for me! During my hands off approach I flexed 5lbs which isn't the end of the world, it doesn't mean I failed, it just means that I need more accountability in my life then what some others may require to maintain a life-long healthy lifestyle.
Lessons Learned:
The hands-off approach isn't right for ME!!!!
I HAVE to hold myself accountable!
I can't do whatever I want; I can't eat whatever I want; I can't act like I've never had a weight problem; I can't stop doing my part and expect I'm going to stay where I'm at for the long term.
I'm only as good as my plan so living without one means DISASTER! Throwing everything into the wind made the lines and my perspective blurry, it got me off course.
I HAVE to remember to stick to the basics!!!! When I get off course I have to get back to the basics. They're what got me where I am today and they're going to be what keeps me here.
Through all of this my band was still true to me and continued to do it's thing it's ME who stopped doing my part, the part that made ME get to where I am now and maintain it for over a year!
I have to journal my food so I can see those less than perfect choices glaring back at me, not for punishment but for a reminder of what I need to do to get back on track.
I have to have an idea of the calories, grams of Protein and oz. of Water I've consumed. I don't have to be exact about it but I have to have an idea.
We all need encouragement and what a better place to get it than from a site filled with others who are going through the same journey and can relate to all of your victories and struggles.
Be true to yourself.
Know your strengths and weaknesses!
I'm getting these Damn 5lbs off:-)
The point of my post is to say it's ok to still be figuring out your course no matter how far along you are in your journey. I've read on here over and over about people who just live their new life without counting calories or journaling and they have a history of GREAT sustainable success but I can't so now when I read these posts I don't have to wonder if this is something I should be doing, I've been there done that it doesn't work for me, I know what does, stick with it.
This little band around my stomach has done amazing things in my life!!!! It's removed the weight of an entire adult person from my 5'1" frame, (I've lost more than I weigh). I'm healthy and I feel better then I have in my ENTIRE life. I look forward to new experiences, I no longer have to worry if the airplane seatbelt is going to fasten or if I'm going to fit in a space, I can play and run and keep up with my kids and our busy lives. I could go on and on but at the end of the day this is the one of the BEST decisions I've made in my life.
Stay the course and fight the fight. If you fall get up, brush yourself off and be better than you were before!!!!

@@jenn1 Hairless you say! You give me hope.
Oh please Lord make it so! I can't wait to get reacquainted with the parts of my body I haven't even been able to reach or see for the last 20 years!

so many things......
We now sit in booths again also,
Not being SOB with showering or walking to the bathroom and back
Painting my own toenails
wipe my butt (TMI) I know but it was starting to become an issue
Walking into the convience store and embarrased because all I was buying was chips, doughnuts and soda and it was all for me!!
Ordering a "normal" size meal and taking 3/4 of it home for 3 additional meals.
getting out of a chair without grunting.
Any many more

@OKCPirate that's one of mine too - cutting my own toenails!
Walking into a clothes shop and not pushing everything to the side so I can get to the biggest sizes straight away (oh and not hearing across the shop, "We don't do large sizes".
Kate

So this morning after taking a shower, and elbow deep in my usual routine of slathering on the lotion, and slapping on the baby powder, in hopes of reducing friction, I thought, I can't wait until I don't have to do this anymore after I lose the weight.
What fat related routines, patterns, or things are you hoping to leave behind after surgery?
PS: Johnson & Johnson stock is really going to take a plunge after I stop buying the lotion and powder.