lellow

I loved it so much I did it twice. Once where I lost all my excess weight and kept it off fro 3 years, and then again when my band started leaking. Got a new one and am back in maintenance.

Catfish, you are an inspiration and proof that believing in yourself and your band is what you need to be successful, even if results don't happen immediately. I am amazed by your success, but also knowing your commitment, am not surprised by it. Congratulations to someone I consider to be one of the more inspirational people on this board.

They're actually right. Eating soft foods because you can't eat solids means you definitely aren't ready to be even tighter. The band works best if you can eat solid Protein because that's what's going to keep the hunger away for 3 - 4 hours. If you're eating soft food, you're eating 'around the band'. If you can't eat anything BUT soft foods, you're showing signs of being too restricted and another fill is the last thing you need right now. The band isn't supposed to be so tight that all you can ingest are things that 'pass' through the band. Being at that point is actually counter-productive to weight loss. If you can't eat solid food, you need to communicate this with your medical team and discuss options.

It's interesting this view about aftercare. It's one I know I share. I have had conversations with fellow Australian banders and I think we universally believe that one of the reasons Australian patients are generally successful with the band is because our aftercare is subsidised by the government as part of our Medicare scheme. I pay about $20 out of pocket every time I see my surgeon, Medicare pays the rest. It gives banders no excuse to NOT seek out and receive aftercare, as often as they need to. I get in to see my doctor within a week or two of calling. If I need to see him urgently, I get in the same day. Yes, the band can be high maintenance, and therefore having good aftercare is absolutely critical. I can go back and forth as often as I need to in order to get the right level of restriction for me. That's absolutely priceless, imo.

Yeah, see that concerns me because the red zone is too tight, and can often cause complications such as dilation. So the fact that he thinks being in the red is a good idea, to me, means you're probably not getting the right sort of advice from him on what will work best with the band. I can eat 1 cup of solid protein relatively easily, i.e. I chew well and it is all gone in about 10 mins. And despite not trying to lose, I'm still losing, so I know I'm probably at a good level of restriction, even though anecdoctally I would say I'm probably in the 'lime' zone. I can eat bread, pasta and most carbs easily too. So I still personally think you may be too tight. I dunno, just my opinion. :/

It's crazy isn't it that we think if we're tight enough to not be able to eat, it must mean we will lose. It honestly doesn't work that way, from my experience. You should be able to eat hard Protein easily, these are the things that will keep you from being hungry for hours. When at the right fill level, I eat one meal of a cup of chicken and I don't even feel like eating again for 5 hours. That's when it works best, when you're at that perfect spot, and you can eat good food that will provide satisfaction! This is a chart that explains the green zone. I actually think you're in the red zone and it's hard to lose in the red zone!

Heya sunny, I'm not as long term banded as you (5 years now) but due to a leak that hung around for 15 months, I put on weight as well. I've now gotten a replacement band and am learning from scratch the 'bandster lifestyle' of formal exercise, band portions and finding a good fill level for me. Happy to chat anytime about 'getting back into it' and the challenges the 2nd time around.

I aimed big. I wanted to lose 10lbs a months. I didn't to start with but as I got more fills I started to. To do that, I exercised, I ate well, I focussed and I worked at it. Once I got to my green zone, I was actually already almost to goal weight. Losing weight was never a problem for me, it was keeping it off, so I went in with the mindset to lose, band or no band, but with the band helping me maintain once I got there. It helped me to focus when it took quite a lot longer than normal to get to the green zone (8.5cc in a 10cc band) So it's possible. What you put in is what you get out, I believe. I lost 70lbs in just over 7 months. And I continued to lose even after hitting goal because I'd adopted this whole new lifestyle plus I was now in the green zone. I believe in being realistic but I also believe in setting goals. I've lived my whole life that way so I treated weight loss the same way.

I just read your post again and I wonder if you might be in the red zone, PhatKat. Are you having trouble eating? And you say that Water makes you belch? I know your doctor is no help but if it's possible you're too tight and you can figure out that that's what's wrong, asking him to give you a small unfill might actually help. I often talk about a banded friend of mine who only lost 20lbs all up in 3 years of being banded. I complained that she ate very little solids and instead pigged out on chocolates and ice cream. 3 weeks ago I spoke to her at a party and it dawned on me that she was too tight. She went in the next day to get 0.5cc out and immediately lost all pain, discomfort, and has since lost 3lbs. But in being too tight, she also might have potentially dilated her pouch, so I wish she'd talked to me about it all sooner.

I'm glad you found something that works for you! I think that's the main thing people need to look for. WLS is not a one-size-fits-all. You look at all the pros and cons and make the best decision for you. For me, the band works. Easily. In fact it works so well I got another when my old one was leaking (not port, but band). I fixed a band complication by getting another band, that's what I actually love about my gastric banding and why I chose it again. With my luck, I would have gotten a complication with the sleeve and would have had no recourse! I accept that it's a rare occurrence but so is a leak, and I managed to get that anyway. So while I accept that the band doesn't work for everyone, and the sleeve might be a better option for them, the band worked really well for me and a lot of people here on these forums. Isn't it great that we all have choices with this weight loss surgery caper?

Lol Ad, you're fiery today. *smooches*

I drink a LOT of coffee. My doctor said don't drink your calories, nothing specific about coffee, but I can't live without the stuff. I have 3 cups a day on average at work, flat whites, no sugar. If I didn't, they'd get cranky lellow, and no one wants cranky lellow. So I figure I'm doing the world a community service really by making sure I get my caffeine.

So to summarise for those who are skipping through the bickering posts like I am: Vomitting all the time = bad Night-time reflux/coughing = usually bad Too tight = bad Intolerance to some foods = common and does not always indicate that you are too tight Intolerance to anything that resembles solid food = bad, indicates you are too tight Ignoring "too tight" signs may lead to a slip/erosion/pneumonia etc. Not to be trifled with, should be taken care of asap. Those are the cliff notes for anyone who is actually here looking for an answer to the original question.

My old band sprung a leak. No fault of mine, just bad luck. So I chose to get a new band, because after extensive testing, it was proven that the band works really well for me. Good weight loss, good maintenance and I've suffered no physical damage from having had the band long term.

Nana I don't think you get it. It's not what you're saying, it's how you're saying it. I have been known to be a bit short myself at times, and I won't lie, I get frustrated too, but I think what everyone is trying to say is that you make it out like you know better than ANYONE else, and I'm sorry, I don't think that's true. You may have read heaps, been through heaps, but I can assure you, others can read, others have experience too. But anytime anyone has a difference of opinion from you, you immediately revert to "oh wait til you've had your band as long as me". That's not helpful and it alienates people. Pulling that card out has a time and place, not as a counter-argument for every single time someone disagrees with you. I have been banded 5 years now. I am, by all accounts, a successful bander. My one complication was not from non-compliance and I have no physical damage as a result of being long term banded. Yet I try (mostly) to relate by telling posters of my own experiences and letting them make their own minds up. Read my posts in this thread alone as an example. I tossed up replying to you, and did in the end because I think you have masses of great information that could assist but you need to work on your delivery. Hell, so do I sometimes. So take this as constructive feedback from one vet to another.

I actually lost from the beginning because I stuck to band sized portions. It was hard but I figured I only had to keep it up until the band kicked in, and lo and behold, I ended up losing most of my weight before it actually started working! But yeah, 60lbs in 6 weeks, wt? Lol! I did do a lot of educating of my family and friends and said it would take a long time for me to lose the weight. I think by saying that, and explaining that the band wasn't working yet, most were surprised when they saw me losing anyway. Though the first time I ever got stuck (at 6.5cc) was at a family party and THEN they knew the band was working. Me jumping around like I was doing a rain dance, then throwing up what I had just eaten, was a bit of a wake up call for them AND me!

I've always eaten carbs and I lost weight just fine. I'm Asian, take away my rice, fine, but if you tell me I can't have noodles as well, we'll have a problem lol. Luckily my band tolerates noodles and Pasta easily. My doctor is not of the belief that I should be restricting myself from any one food group, and I'm good with that. So I don't restrict carbs at all, never have, albeit I try to get my Protein in first most times. I still however will chow down on noodles and pasta if the urge takes me.

I have a 10cc band and felt nothing until 6cc. Sometimes some people just need a little more fill than others do.

I gather that not everyone gets the complete loss of hunger at the green zone, so I am careful about saying that it's what people should look for. But for me, being in the green zone does mean zero hunger. I can go all day without eating, and end up shaking up the end of the day from the lack of food. I had to set my alarm to remind myself to eat. I am no longer in the green zone but that's my choice (I'm trying to be in maintenance but still losing slowly), so I'm closer to the other 'ideal' of not being hungry between meals. That's a good place to be too!

I don't have to be tight not to tolerate rice. For some it's easier than for others. I can still eat most things now but rice is usually a no-no even with minimal restriction. My old band wouldn't tolerate shrimp early on too but with the new band, I don't have any problems eating it. Neither intolerance affected how long I could stave hunger off before needing to eat again, so I put up with the intolerances as they occur, and just avoid those foods henceforth without using them as a yardstick on whether I'm too tight or not.

It did for me! There was another thread here where I suggested that we start a group called "Lapband Nymphos" because it seems that weight loss certainly made some women's libidos go through the roof!

Fear of failure was in all of us. Too many diets that didn't work and now you have a chance to succeed, and it seems so unrealistic considering your history? All of us have btdt. You're not alone. But now is the time to get your head in the game. Learn, read, understand the new habits you will have to take on, and know it is in you to succeed if you want it. As carolinagirl so succinctly puts it, it's ALL about want power. There are so many success stories on this board, and that is because, if you're willing to work with your band, it will work for you. So start now to resolve to being a success, to do the things you need to do to succeed. It's all you need to do - make the decision.

I agree, it's obvious to me that I am in fact not helping, so I will not be replying to you henceforth. I have in the past been a lot less forthright but that doesn't make a bit of difference if it's not what someone wants to hear. I agree that I should not have replied, because let's face it, I don't have any investment in your success. So take from this what you will, and dismiss me if that's your choice, but just because I didn't sugar coat the truth doesn't mean it's not the truth. Like I always say, take the advice, leave it, block me, whatever, no skin off my nose. I don't know you at all, whereas I know plenty of people here support me and have my support. Good luck with your band, btw. No sarcasm intended. For those who know me know that all I want is for others to succeed with it as I have done, and wanting that sometimes means dishing out tough love as others have done for me in the past. But as usual, sometimes no matter what you say, or how many times you say it, or in how many different ways you say it, it's for nothing if someone's made their mind up already.

Ok, I have to admit I have gotten the 'tone' sometimes that you all accuse hazel of. While for you, this is your first time, for some of us who have been around a long time, seeing the VERY similar posts of 'I was told not to eat by medical team but I did anyway, will I be okay?' starts to get very frustrating. And no you don't have to be 'going through something in your life' to get tired of the frequent non-compliance you see from new bandsters EVERY SINGLE DAY. Make no mistake, just because you can today doesn't mean you will be able to for the next fill. If you fool yourself into thinking you know better than the medical instructions you get, you run the risk of getting stuck while your stoma is swollen, cause more swelling, cause vomiting, dehydration, a possible slip, possible erosion. It's amazing to me that people don't take this more seriously. If you broke your arm, would you question whether you would need to wear a cast? No, of course not. No difference here. I think the worst thing that happens on this board are people thinking that support means other people telling you that what you're doing is fine, and you'll be ok. I've been around long enough, seen WAY too many complications as a result of non-compliance to know it's not true. So I won't say it. And if the tone comes out wrongly, it's only because I've said it so many times to so many people, who just don't bother to listen because I'm not saying what they want to hear. Which is why so many veterans, with amazing knowledge and amazing experience and with so much to share, don't post any more.

My doctor had said before 'sometimes we can't get it all out' yet over time, it became clear it wasn't just them not getting it out, it was actually going missing. It took lots of visits spaced a few months apart for it to become undeniably apparent that I had a leak. Though in your case, 1.5cc in 3 weeks is not that slow anyway. That's 0.5cc a week. I was losing half that.