bambam31

Knowing how inaccurate third party communications (and rumors) can be, I'd not be so fast to blame the band until the specifics were known. Death relating directly to the band is so rare it is practically non-existent. Brad

I have added a mix/match of the ingredients to my pre/during/post workout nutrition. I really like Mint chocolate shakes. I posted on your other thread that some people probably look at the ingredients, see simple carbs, gasp, and rush to click off the page before they gain weight. :tt2: The simple carbs are a good thing during strength training because they help replenish lost glycogen stores, and speed muscle recovery. Keep your overall energy balance in check and those simple carbs are only a positive factor. Brad

Now that sounds challenging! Congrats! Brad

Your body will take you much farther than your mind thinks it will. Our heads are self-defeating. Challenge your muscles and listen to their response. Brad

How long have you been banded and how is your exercise routine? Sufficient restriction is important, but the band is only a tool. Extraordinary results require an extraordinary effort. Good luck! Brad

The key to losing fat - (I say fat because even muscle loss = weight loss and who wants to lose muscle?) is understanding and applying the energy balance PLUS understanding how your body uses food as fuel and how those fuels differ (carbs, fats, proteins, alcohol). Your body has a strong will to survive. It will not voluntarily give up its' fat stores. You have to coax and burn them off. You do this by creating a calorie deficit created by BOTH exercise and reduced food intake. Creating this deficit by intake alone will not take an obese person down to a healthy body fat percentage - at best, it will create a skinny fat person. Calories In Vs. Calories Out is a bit too simplistic. 1000 calories of cotton candy and 1000 calories of skinless chicken breast are profoundly different. The difference in insulin response alone (not to mention other body chemistry) is huge! All calories are not equal. Ponder this... "Joe" eats 1000 calories a day, day after day. He needs to lose 100 pounds. This low calorie diet gives him a deficit of 2000 calories a day. By this calculation he should be able to completely lose his excess body weight in 175-200 days....(Bet he doesn't)... But what if he continues this trend for several years? Does he completely disappear? Of course not. Because it's not just about calories in/calories out - it's about managing your metabolism via your energy balance. I eat 1000 calories some days - I eat over 3000 other days. I still have challenging food demons, but I manage them. If I'm going to eat cheat foods, I do so on planned high calorie days. By cycling calories this way - combined with a challenging exercise schedule consisting of both strength and cardiovascular training - I keep my metabolism white hot. My body fat percentage continues to fall, while the scale stays relatively stable (small lean muscle tissue gains). This lifestyle allows fat loss on calorie deficit days and muscle gains on calorie surplus days. There are several scenarios of posts on LBT that leave me grumbling... One of them is very low calorie diets. People who eat very low calories (600-1000) love the weight loss they initially see. But how much of that weight is lost muscle? Your body is a machine. If it's being starved is it going to give up metabolically active lean muscle tissue which is high maintenance to keep - or fat stores which costs next to nothing to maintain? Some of both, but the ratio is going to tip toward the lean muscle tissue. As muscle tissues decline, your body adjusts it's metabolism in a fight to avoid starvation, the weight loss slows and then comes the unavoidable - yet easily predicted plateau. They havn't lost weight in months, but hey, plateau's are normal right? No... they aren't normal - they mean your body has adjusted your metabolism accordingly to try to stave off starvation. It won't give up without a fight. But their doctor prescribed the 800 calorie low carb diet, so that must not be it... :rolleyes2: Here's another one... I've read a lot of posts where people are eating 1000 calories and gaining weight and they try to suggest it's muscle gains... Not a chance... It is physiologically impossible to maintain that large of a calorie deficit and gain muscle tissue, which actually requires a calorie surplus. One person is starving themselves eating 800 low carb calories a day, while at the same time I sit here on a high calorie day snacking on Peanut M&M's dipped in peanut butter. "So Brad, if your so damned smart and think this is so easy, then why did you get so fat you needed WLS?" Because I didn't understand the energy balance and how my body used fuel and how those fuel types differ - BUT now I do... And I want everyone else to know too... It may be simple - but it isn't easy... The band is a great tool to help you achieve your goals. Your body is a wonderful efficient machine when properly understood. Fuel it appropriately and it will reward you! Good Luck! Brad

It's about understanding and applying the energy balance - plain and simple.... Everything else (snacking, slider foods, grazing, alcohol, blah, blah, blah) is a side show... As I sit here typing while eating peanut M and M's... :tt2: Brad

Awesome! Your journey is an inspiration to all! Brad

So you believe it's even steven between men and women? I'm not so certain about that. Anecdotally speaking, I think men are less likely to have an open ongoing relationship with a large woman than vice versa. And actually I can point to several overweight uniforms that have successfully attracted thin good looking woman primarily because of the uniform. BUT.... (there's always a but isn't there? ) I'm very happily married, however, I do get a lot more looks and comments from women than I did 100 pounds ago, but I'm much more assertive in conversation than I was then too. Alright... enough rambling... Brad

I think most of the women on here, so far at least, have disagreed with your analysis. They are more interested in the areas other than weight, unless weight was pushed to an overwhelming extreme. BUT... You seem to be referring to men "scoring" and I think the women on here are referring more in terms of a "relationship." Am I not on track here? Brad

A lot of the weight lost during the pre-op diet is the result of lost fluids and emptying of digestive tract. Once sufficient restriction is achieved post op, one hopes to settle into a 1 - 2.5 lb per week rate of loss. With wise nutrition and exercise, an optimal amount of that will be fat, while protecting your lean muscle tissue. Brad

There are no cut and dry rules... but... Most banded people experience fluctuations in restriction. Most people are the tightest in the morning and least-tight in the evening. Social situations will also effect restriction for most people. Stress, menstrual periods, illnesses, etc. have an impact as well. Brad

OK... I'm not that smart and very simplistic... Maybe it's just me... Are you asking an honest question in your original post? Or are you looking for study subjects? Brad

ninababy, I posted this recently... it might be relevant to your situation. http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f178/how-soon-did-you-start-lose-weight-after-surgery-118334/#post1495432 Good Luck and keep your spirits up! I think your doc is expecting the results of a bypass patient at this stage post op, rather than a band patient. Brad

Bandster hell is typically referred to as the period after surgery swelling subsides until satisfactory restriction is achieved from fills. This is because the hunger normally returns like a raging wildfire during this period and all you have to fight it with is will power - because most bands are "installed" empty. If you are having trouble with the food stages, contact your surgeons office and ask permission to try more foods. Many will allow you to try a "test" food from the next step to see how well you tolerate it. But remember, the goal is healing during this period and more solid foods require your stomach to work harder and this is what's trying to be avoided. Good luck! Brad

The band will not work for you. YOU must work for YOU. You will have to overcome the things that made you fat. You will have to learn how your body uses energy and adjust accordingly. You will have to properly exercise and fuel your body. The band only helps keep you honest. The band is only a tool. So what's the common denominator in all of this???? You..... Good Luck! Brad

I don't think most bariatric programs prepare people for the first three months post op - especially considering the endless threads similar to this one. While everyone's journey and experiences vary, a few things are VERY common (except a rare case here and there). People feel very restricted right after surgery and most experience at least some gas pain/discomfort. When the surgery swelling subsides, the hunger returns with a vengeance. Then satisfactory restriction occurs from fills (1-5). But because of fill schedules, this can be many MONTHS post op, which leaves the bandster demoralized. Everyones fat loss may vary, but those first few months really require a tremendous amount of will power to achieve results. Extraordinary results will require an extraordinary effort. The band is not much of a helpful tool at first, but once the restriction comes it becomes an invaluable tool. Keep your spirits up! Keep a positive attitude! And last but not least, KEEP YOUR BODY MOVING and EXERCISED! Good luck! Brad

Walk as much as you can now. When your doctor clears you for full exercise, try to do "something" everyday. Steadily build your cardiovascular ability. What is hard today will be easy soon enough, and then it's time to increase the intensity to keep your body challenged. Moderate to intense cardio 3-5+ times per week will burn the fat off and 2 or 3 strength training sessions per week will keep your muscles toned and efficient in the process. At six weeks post op my surgeon turned me loose to do any exercise that doesn't induce pain. I have not found the band the interfere with any of my exercises. Good luck! Brad

Since most bands are installed empty - or near empty, you'll have to wait for fills to provide the satisfactory restriction you desire. But you have to have patience because that may be many months down the road. My surgeon only does small fills 4 weeks apart and it took until fill 4 or so to achieve my desired restriction. You have to focus on the fundamentals in the meantime - and especially get a good exercise regimen up and going once your doctor clears you to do so. Good Luck! Brad

You should have introduced her to a wing seat... literally... :scared2: Brad

I am very restricted during the first part of the day but this eases as the day goes on. I would not want my band any tighter. My first part of the day food list is fairly short, but increases to be unlimited by the end of the day. I agree with jalomum in that you should strive to eat enough to feel "not hungry." I don't live by the "1 cup" or any other measurement method. I eat a reasonable amount of food and stop. Now, by evening I have to consciously say "STOP!" because I could keep right on eating - and sometimes do if I desire a higher calorie day. We have to constantly remind ourselves that we, not the band (which is only a tool), are in charge of this show. I would voice concern though about eating so little during the first 1/2 of the day. Meal Replacement beverages should be used sparingly and wisely, but I use them mostly in the morning because of the tight restriction. If you starve yourself during the morning, you'll be much more likely to binge come evening. Not only that, but if your body is not intaking Proteins for a prolonged period (sleep + first 1/2 of day) then you are likely lean muscle tissue wasting which is a self-defeating cycle long term. Good luck! Brad

What was the date of your surgery? August 4, 2008 How healthy did you/do you eat? Awful pre-band. Nowhere near perfect but MUCH better now. How much do you exercise? Routinely 3-5 X's per week plus... How much have you lost? 105 pounds at lowest weight. Are you happy with your results? Ecstatic! Gets better all the time. Brad

I tend to believe the perceived effect people are experiencing from the alcohol has more to do with decreased tolerance than anything else. The less you drink the less it takes to achieve the same intoxication level - especially having stopped cold turkey for a period of time. Brad

What a great point! We recognize getting more appreciation, notice, and credibility - but we quickly assume it all has to do with the person/people on the other side of the contact. It probably has just as much - if not more - to do with US and how we differently carry/conduct ourselves. Brad

Most surgeons only fill a small amount at a time. IF this is your case, I would get the fill as soon as possible. It would be very rare to have any overfill complications from the first fill. You will have to be careful what/when you eat on vacation though because some foods MAY become problematic. Try to keep your stress to a minimum - most people get very tight when stressed. Good luck and enjoy your vacation! Brad