2muchfun

Banded in November 2011. Still lovin it. I wouldn't go for the entire/partial stomach removal methods. It was the band or nothing. But, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. I think there are those of us who just needed that extra push to eat less and the band did that for me.

It is normal to feel hungry. The band doesn't take away that sensation. It just helps/forces you to eat slower so you feel satiated sooner. Liquids just pass right threw the band so you won't feel satiated till you eat solid food.

I read your blog. Seems like a lot of work? I eat normal foods in smaller quantities.

Eating small, chewing to applesauce consistency is vital if you're banded. Not following these rules can cause major complications. We see many failures and band slips from forum members who can't cope with this rule.

Yeah, I've seen those same lame arguments before. One study from the infancy of the band and two op-eds. How about this one jessi? I'll take this study of 161,000 WLS patients over your silly little study of 82 patients from 20 years ago. You really need to study harder and double check your "Facts" before you publish such ignorant comments. http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/291785-new-jama-surgery-study-shows-weight-loss-surgery-is-getting-safer-and-more-effective/?p=3289664

Good advice. With the cold weather season coming up here in Colorado I'm always looking for ways to stay healthy and fit without leaving the house.

I've never had a problem with motivation. I suppose the need to be healthy and looking better never leaves my thoughts. But, it's so common here to see so many who have fallen off the wagon and are looking for motivation to restart their journey. I understand your message in the video but it seems like that's not enough for some people? Breaking it down to something even more simple(and it's already very simple) might be in order? tmf

I want to give myself a B+ but I know I don't deserve it. Too many tastes and nibbles here and there are impeding my weight loss. So, I give myself a B today.

Have you been going in for regular followup Dr visits and what does the Dr say?

"but if there is an underlying sugar or food addiction, the weight will be re-gained" Well, not always, but it sure makes the journey a much bigger struggle. We see this here all the time. People falling off the wagon and then inquiring how to get back on? I seldom see where these addicts were given counseling prior to having the surgery but the patient goes through with WLS only to find the new panacea isn't a panacea at all. tmf

"For example, if you believe that cashews are a “trigger food” and you have no history of eating cashews responsibly, it would be silly to continue to buy the one-pound jar of cashews from the bulk food store" For me, you hit the nail on the head with this example. I'm fine with walnuts, pecans, peanuts, but cashews or macadamia nuts are trigger foods. Thinking about it, so is ice cream and a few others. And I agree wholeheartedly with your approach. I've been doing this for a few years now but never really put a label or thought to it. Maybe once a month I'll grab one of the little single serve Hagen Das from the ice cream isle and gobble it down. But having it in my freezer turns into a daily routine. So I don't. Great article and an affirmation that I'm doing something right.

What a clever way of looking at our illness!! I'll be bookmarking this topic for future reference. We see many people who come here who are years out of surgery and are unhappy they've had to compromise their lives while seeking to be healthy. And so many have failed simply because they treated WLS as a part-time job. tmf

I recommend you have a consult with a bariatric nutritionist?

I mean no disrespect to anyone who has hit there own plateau but for me, when I hit a plateau, I always know why I'm not losing and it's directly related to the type and amount of foods going in my mouth. Sometimes if I set a midterm(not final goal weight) monthly or personal goal weight to achieve, once I hit that midterm/personal goal, I Celebrate, with food. Not mass quantities of food, but I fall off the wagon just far enough to gain a few and then plateau for weeks. Thanks for the post Alex, I'll remember this. tmf

Both of your posts/topics today have duplicate first paragraphs FYI.

My takeaway for bandster's: "Every body is programmed differently and will have a slightly different metabolic rate. Some bodies will need to be fed more frequently than others" "You may have heard a ‘rule’ after weight loss surgery to eat only three (or less) meals per day. I strongly believe that there is no one rule that fits every person" Thank you for confirming my own personal belief. I think we bandster's get into this mindset that if we become hungry between meals or less than 4 hours, our bands are not tight enough and we're failing. Nothing could be further from the truth. Like you said, we all have different metabolisms. I believe that far too many people push the fills till they're too tight and doctors and nutritionists don't focus more on the satiety signals. jmo tmf

I agree with all of the above statements. I just wish doctors would filter their lapband patients more carefully. Maybe using a psychologist with extensive WLS knowledge to advise these patients as to how complex WLS can be. Especially how complex the lapband experience can be. I'm not saying it's complex for everyone, but for those who do not succeed, the complexities overwhelm them. Many of the obese who never understood basic nutrition and how their health interacts with nutrition and activity, should never be introduced to the lapband. But so many were and are sold on the lapband as a quick fix that makes them eat less. So not true. Sorry for the rant. tmf

Well said. I suffer from morning tightness, so any tighter and I'd be in danger of filtering out many of the good Proteins I need. I keep my band just tight or loose enough that I don't have to rely on a shake for Breakfast. I can eat an omelet, or an ham/egg on flatbread sandwich. I've seen far too many people who have failed and had to have revision due to what I would consider a "too tight" band. They're posting here daily where they did so well for 2 years and now their band slipped or their pouch or esophagus is dilated. They're tired of the stuck episodes and constant vomiting. If this is how your journey is developing, it's time to re-evaluate how this lapband thing is supposed to work. And I do believe, for many years, the band was sold as a restrictive tool. And many use it this way. It's not restrictive. It's supposed to assuage our hunger, not stop food from going into our stomach. I would like more restriction, but it's just not worth the risk. I plan on using this band for at least a decade. I may not have the restriction I've seen so many others have, but, my band is dimming my appetite enough that I can still lose weight if I exercise hard and eat healthy. tmf

We've talked about this subject here many times. Not about people falling, but how we want to pour our heart out to that morbidly obese person in the grocery store on the store supplied electric cart or the heavy breather walking up the steps in the mall. It's a hard one and we all agree that it's not appropriate to offer unwanted advice. So unfortunate!

Helen, did you intend to post the link to Dr O'Brien's video? I've seen all of his videos so I think I know what it will look like, but for some of the newer forum members it would be educational? tmf

Great Blog Leepers.

I missed this thread when it started I used to have similar bouts with nearly passing out during bike rides. Seems that I'd ride for 30-40 minutes and if I stopped and stepped off the bike, I'd get dizzy and have to take a knee. Doc told me to stop taking my furosemide and HZG pills for high blood pressure. He said with my weight loss I didn't need them any longer. Good luck with the diagnosis. tmf

I remember early on in my journey where I wasn't losing weight and I had a consult with the clinic nutritionist. She carved out about 300 calories a day that I didn't need and from that point on my weight loss took off. So, yes, there can be silly calories hiding in our daily meals that can be eliminated.

Your band must be properly adjusted to work it's magic. You may need more than one fill to reach that zone.