bambam31

Well my first advice would be to follow your surgeon's recommendations, but you'll find they vary like the wind. Personally, there is not one single food or beverage that I CAN'T eat. I cycle my calories so if there is something in which I choose to indulge I do it on a higher calorie day. My word of caution is in regards to food demons.... Don't fool yourself into thinking that the band will quell them long term... it won't... Sooner or later they will find a weakness and you will crack... The band is only a tool - and food demons will ALWAYS have to be managed. Brad

I will be interested to see if your opinion changes next year at this time... :tongue2: Brad

Thanks for the update! Glad it was nothing major! Brad

Yep, the band should give you the competitive edge for fat loss when used appropriately. I think you have a sound approach and direction! Brad

And if they won't let you join that's all the more reason to work even harder and still kick their ass! Either way it's extra motivation! Brad

Brad

See below... Brad

Awesome! Congrats on your success! Brad

Almonds gave you the onset of heartburn? And then wait for the belches! Brad

Just curious if they did a barium swallow to make sure everything was going through the band ok before releasing you from the hospital? I would think dehydration is a huge concern at this point. Very interested in what other posters have to comment on this... I wish you the best! Brad

Took me somewhere between fill 4 and 5 to get decent restriction. The period between healing and good restriction is very tough - it messes with your mind too! Stick with the fundamentals, work hard and you won't be disappointed. Go easy on the other responses Everyone is quick on here to assume people are being judgmental but it's more along the lines that they care and want you to be successful - otherwise they wouldn't bother even hitting the respond button. :party: A lot of people (most all of us at some point or another) came here because we really needed a swift kick of reality - and there's normally a line to administer it. :thumbup: It's a good thing that causes the fat to continue to melt. Trust me... this is not a good thing... :tt1: Brad

WOW! That sounds very harsh! I would love to hear the doc's explanation for that! It takes time to build up to a satisfactory level of restriction (ie: numerous fills) so waiting beyond the healing phase makes no sense to me... You are in the period where a lot of people actually gain weight because it is so hard to control your appetite. I'd seek other options... Brad

Oh absolutely! IMO VLCD and insufficient exercise are huge factors in plateau's and mid process stalls! I don't view them (plateau's and stalls) as normal at all and most people rationalize to justify them. They happen for a reason, and that reason is because your body has adjusted to your routine. My apology to LeighaMason for the hijack. :thumbup: Brad

Yes! I do this too! I have a laptop in the kitchen and when the screensaver slideshow cycles through some of my pre-band pics I cringe! That is a huge motivator to stay the course. I'm going to respectfully disagree with this... Telling yourself you absolutely can't eat something is about the fastest way to eat that exact something. Fills need to be managed very carefully. It's not about how little food you can eat or whether you have the ability to potentially overeat. Consider that most people's actual restriction at any given fill level is quite variable by the month, week, day, and sometimes even hour. Morning Vs. Evening is a good example. If you have your band so tight that you never have the ability to eat any more (or anything) than you absolutely should, then you likely are too calorie restricted. Your body will adjust to a starvation level calorie intake by crashing your metabolism. Ask this, if a 200 pound man has a maintenance level of 2400 calories, and he only eats 1000 calories every day, will he completely vaporize in a couple years? Of course not, so it's not just about a calorie restriction - it's about managing your metabolism and creating a reasonable calorie deficit through both DIET (Intake) and EXERCISE (Export). Brad

Oh yah! :thumbup: Not to sound like an infomercial for him but he is a huge inspiration to me! I have learned so much by reading and applying his work! Brad

... :thumbup: This thread frightens me...

How the hell did I not find this thread before now??? :thumbup: Personally, I thought they looked just fine before surgery. They still look fine but I wouldn't make them any bigger for sure. Brad

Unwaveringly YES! If I knew 20 yrs ago what I know now I probably wouldn't have ever been big enough to be a band candidate but that's what happened. I am, however, confident that between the band, and my knowledge of how to control my metabolism, I will never regain the fat... Brad

Let me say first of all that I am a 100% proponent of the band - I'm thankful everyday that I went through with it and I have no regrets. Every time i look into the mirror I am shocked because I subconsciously still expect there to be a fat person looking back at me... But... (there's always a but isn't there?) The band will not eliminate your food demons... It may help you manage them - but manage them you still must! The band can be manipulated and if you don't manage your demons it will be manipulated. For example, overeating Ice Cream is one of my serious demons. Before I was banded I would frequently sit down and eat more than a half-gallon of ice cream in a single evening. Did the band eliminate that? Nope... Not proud to admit it but it still happens from time to time :thumbup: I pick myself up, throw myself back up on the wagon and move forward. I'm not going share ways to cheat the band but there are many. Losing fat is very hard work. Your fat loss plan of action needs a TOOLBOX but the band is only ONE TOOL. Don't expect it to part the Red Sea. Be strong, work hard, and successful you will be! Brad

I have always been an awful obsessive scale hawk. I progressed to the point where I could be very accurate guessing what it would say at any given point in the day... :thumbup: But in reality, the scale can be a poor measure of progress. We're trying to lose FAT not WEIGHT. If you're starving yourself and losing lean muscle then what's the point... Watch the mirror, see how your clothes fit, note how you feel, AND see what the scale says. It's the totality of the factors that is the true determination of progress. Brad

Uhh.... you can eat sugar after being banded... Granted, if one is trying to lose fat they should keep simple carbs (especially sugars) to a minimum... I have never been diabetic either, however, pre-band if I ate a very large serving of carbs I would suffer the subsequent crash and would then need to eat something sweet to rebound... and then hopefully not crash again... Post-band I tend to be a "grazer" and eat frequently throughout the day - not just at pre-determined meal time. If I'm hungry - I eat... This has helped keep my blood sugar more stable throughout the day and avoid those dreaded peaks and valleys. Brad

My doc cleared me to exercise around 4 weeks. I asked about weight lifting and he said there was no form of exercise I could do that would effect the band/port so exercise away. I did and have never had a problem. Brad

Just remember, the band won't solve your food demons - they will still exist. The band can be compromised and subverted and if you don't manage the demons you'll find new ways to cheat all the time. Even with the band it's very hard work to get anywhere near goal. Not trying to rain on anyone's parade - just don't want you thinking that everything will be sunshine and lollipops once the band is "installed." Brad

When introducing new foods try it later in the day (restriction is normally most significant in the morning for most people) and take very small bites and then wait to see how well you tolerate it. Just remember calorie density of the foods you're eating! Brad

You've had your band at or near 3 yrs. If you can't account for the cause of the discomfort - it's persistent - and not something you've experienced previously - then a call to the doc is well in order. For all of our benefit as well, please keep us posted so we can all learn together! Brad