Jaffa

I'm a guy, so it is probably different for me, but then again, it sounds about the same? I have lost just over 50lbs in 5 months, and have 38 to go. I work out lightly about 10-15 hours a week to lose about 2.5lbs, but if I don't work out, I only lose 1lb a week. Lower bmi people tend to not lose as much weight, but tend to do better as a percentage of their total weight, so it is literally all relative.

I don't think that is so much adding fuel to the fire. I would agree with most of what you said. Just so you know, the 50% weight loss is the average weight loss in studies of lapband people after the 5 year mark. It's just an average, so it doesn't mean that is what you are going to lose. You may lose more you may lose less, just depends on a lot of things, including what you are saying. I like the sleeve because it gets rid of most if not all of the fundus, the part that makes you physically hungry. It won't stop head hunger, none of them will.

Weighing yourself daily is an exercise in futility. It means nothing. Your water weight fluctuates more then the amount you could possibly lose. So it IS going to go up and down.

7-8 calories per minute? I think 4 per minute is much more likely. But, you could check your heart rate while riding and that would tell you if you are getting anything out of it or not. No heart rate change, no calorie change.

My fill nurse is always worrying about me eating too much and doing the same. But, sometimes my band gives perfect restriction and other times, it lets things fall right through. I did finally, get a hicup the other day, and I stopped eating, and it was my full signal.

She is making you depressed. How could you not be depressed with all that has happened. Work with your counselor, and work on making yourself happy. And NO, don't tell her that you will always be there for her. Saying things like that only encourage people to feel like they can do shitty things to people and get away with it. It is all fresh and raw right now, but one day, you will be happy to move on with your life, and glad things changed.

She was diagnosed with it, at 16. We were stupid and didn't do any research on it, and just took it for granted that the doctor told us everything we need to know. The doctor never told us about it causing acne, she has been battling weird breakouts, and we thought it was the Water. She is hungry all the time, and even as fatties are self, we are amazed by how hungry she gets. She has gained a lot of weight in the last 4 years. Here is the wierd part, we have for the past few years, realized and have been annoyed by the fact that she just seemed "aggressive" by nature. Especially, for a woman. Well we didn't even know that she has elevated testosterone levels. No wonder??? We are learning a lot now.

daisy, how long did you have your band before being unfilled?

How do you know polycystic ovaries cause you to want to eat all of the time? Can you point me to some articles on this? I have never heard this before, but it would certainly explain why my daughter is always hungry?

Remember the camera does add weight. This is true, if you have ever met anyone who is on TV and you meet them. Also, KA, would make a lousy, lousy, lapband person. First, she has a very significant history of addiction issues. Second, she isn't very well liked at her best. She had one short career on Cheers, and really hasn't done diddly since. She is a "C list star" at best. She lost the weight because she was motivated by the sponsor money to lose it, then after collecting, she lost motivation to keep it off. In other words, only money is motivating her to lose, it won't last, regardless of what she does choose to lose weight.

To say the sleeve is as invasive as bypass, is to say, I have an opinion, but it is totally not based in fact at all. No offense, but it sounds don't right silly to anyone who actually understands the differences.

Just go read in the gastric sleeve section of the forum. You will get more answers and information then you ever dreamed. There will always be arguements about what is the best, but that is because it really depends on what you are willing to do, and what you need from the WLS. In the end the real problem with the band, in my opinion, is how long term is it going to work? You can argue, "I'll get the band, then revise if it doesn't work", but if your self-pay, that is a much harder thing to do. I just love what someone recently said, "I will get the band, and later if I have to have it removed, I will see what is new and better out there". I found the statement to be ironic, because they don't seem to get that the gastric sleeve done correctly, IS, the new and better surgery out there right now....LOL. But most Insurance companies won't pay for it.

Ok, I never realized this, but Peanut Butter is about 190 calories for 2tbs That is way more then I ever thought....I don't know if I can ever eat peanut butter again and enjoy it????

Your gas mileage is probably slightly better!!! Every 8lbs you lose is like adding an extra 1hp to the car. So if you drive the same it is taking about 8hp less to propel you!!!! Now for the bad news. You BMR works the same way....as you lose weight, you burn less calories to do the same basic things.

Changing how much you cook is a hard habit to break. I have reduced it a lot, but still end up with an extra meal. I can't tolerate leftover meat, so my wife has the leftover for her lunch the next day. She eats less when she is with me, but gets very frustrated when were not together because she eats too much. That is why she is getting a sleeve next month.

I have found my bodybugg is usually about 10% higher then the calculated way. My weight loss says the calculator is more correct, but maybe I'm just gaining a little muscle aslo??

I just use a pair of scissors and rotate the point until it carves a new hole. Its fun and exciting. The other day I got mad because something interfered with my workout time. LOL. I never used to work out, other then swimming.

Concentrate on stopping your eating when you are no longer hungry, or you first start to feel full. Don't eat until "full" or stuffed. It will seriously reduce your weight loss, and can cause problems.

I have found the calculators to be pretty much right on. Measuring my intake of calories against what it says I should burn, plus any activity, has pretty much predicted how much weight I'm going to lose. The bodybugg is a litttle nicer, but I'm not convinced it is really any more accurate then just calculating and estimating. But, it does motivate me to move.

I will agree with everything you said. I'm just not as worried about those things. If my family history, was like you described, it would be a concern. Of course, in the end, someone had to make sure they ate enough, I guess with the sleeve someone would have to do the same more often? Of course if you lose your mental capabilities, you are left with your taste buds. Something tells me that you will like the 1000 calorie milk shake just fine. I have said it before and I'll say it again. If insurance was paying for GB, I would still self pay for the sleeve. Of course not everyone can afford to do that, so If the decision is between the GB or the Lapband, then I would go Lapband. Then if something goes wrong, I would pay for the revision to sleeve.

I think it is the doctors, telling them all of the reasons that things can go wrong are mostly the patients fault. Then they think, "well I'm going to do exactly what I'm supposed to do, and I won't have a problem". Well that is simply not true, but it is what they want you to believe. What is the most profitable sugery per hour? Especially, if you add up all of the mainenance costs down the road? The doctors love the band, because it is the most profitable, and more people are willing to do it. Heck, here in Iowa, if you aren't using Insurance to pay for lapband, they aren't all that interested in you. Why? Because they can't get people to pay 30,000 for a lapband, but they can get the insurance company to pay that much. They all push GB with insurance, becuase they have plenty of business with just these people. They don't need anyone else. Some are now getting into lapband, only because it is so popular now, and there is so much demand, but they still really want the insurance paid people. Most if not all of them, don't even have a cash pay price.

I assume you are in your 20s, since you posted here, but let me tell you, most guys in there 20's are shallow. I know, I used to be one of them. The grass is always greener on the other side. So be ready for some disappointment, when they are hitting on you just for your looks. You are only going to start attracting even shallower guys, so it is going to get annoying.

You can see in my signiture what my fills and one unfill have been. The unfill happened after eating a grilled hamburger patty. I got stuck on the drier outside portion. It went down but hurt as it went. I have been stuck before, but never did it hurt as it went down. Then I started having trouble getting stuck on all sorts of things the next day. I thought it would get better but it didn't and after it only getting worse for 5 days, I decided to get unfilled. It took care of all my problems, and I'm back to normal now and doing well. The hamburger must have caused some scratching and or swelling, that just didn't want to go away after. Be careful!!! Especially, on very dry meat.

Just be careful of putting too much value in any weight loss or gain within a weeks time. Your Water weight can change your total weight by more then what you are losing. I found this to be very frustrating, until I started logging all of my food and how many calories I was burning each day. That way I know I'm losing, it just doesn't show on the scale because of my water weight changes. Eventually, it does show up, and I bounce up and down in a new lower range. Over a months time, my calorie calculations show that I should lose 8lbs, and I almost always have, but each day or week doesn't mean as much.

Do you ever get stuck, because you are eating too fast, too big of bites, or not chewing well enough? If you don't then yes you need a fill.