GuyMontag

I didn't hide my decision from anyone so it's been great not worrying about who does or doesn't know.

I rarely do protein drinks anymore but in a pinch I go for the chocolate Boost with protein because I like the flavor best.

I take the giant liquid softgels and they go down okay.

I stay on the loose side to avoid the problems I've seen other bandsters have by getting too tight and therefore I am hungrier more than I would like to be.

I was just responding to the 'heartburn is never normal with the band' because sometimes it is just a normal part for some people. I'm not saying she shouldn't talk to her doc but heartburn isn't necessarily something to freak out over. Acid reflux on the other hand is a common symptom of many band problems from eating too close to sleeping, pouch dilation, slips, etc.

I beg to differ. Many lap band patients suffer daily heartburn. I take a Prilosec daily and it fixes me all up.

It's better to be too loose than too tight.

I only chaff between my thighs usually from exercising. It's gotten better as I've lost weight but it also seems to be better when I have clothes between the skin and not let it be skin on skin contact. As others pointed out, moisture seems to be the problem because I've noticed it be the worst after swimming THEN exercising. Yikes!

While I applaud the people they showed I'm a little surprised that they didn't choose other people in the forums that have had some amazing success. It's almost like the writer of the article chose pictures where the before and after's didn't look all that different, chose intermediate pictures for afters, or ones that had lots of loose skin? Maybe I'm just cranky this morning and I am reading into it too much but I'm just surprised at the pic selection.

It could be a slip or it could just be a pouch dilation. I would take some liquid motrin and go on full liquids for a few days and definitely see the doc.

Ain't nobody got time for that! Obama is the devil, duh! You can't change people's minds with pesky facts and such.

Yes. I'm an equal opportunity offender.

I've heard lap band nurses call this 'old band syndrome' which obviously isn't a real medical term but it's something they see quite often. Basically, the longer you have the lap band the more it begins to 'sag' a little at the top. It's not quite the same as a dilation. It's more just the stomach region above the band relaxing. Anyway, the best way to combat this is to just avoid eating too close to bed time. For me 2 hours is usually sufficient.

When a band has slipped and they determine it needs to come out it seems like they usually want to take it out pretty quick. I've seen a lot bands slip in these forums over the years and they are usually out as fast as the surgeons can get to them. If my band slipped I'd want it out ASAP.

I drink up until time to eat. I then abstain from drinking until 30-60 minutes after I eat. I have had many friends that drink and eat with meals continually dilate their pouch and they have had terrible weight loss. That's reason enough for me to wait.

I agree 100%. Tighter is not better. I can't tell you how many friends I've had that have thought they needed that 'extra' little bit to get them down and BAM...they are too tight, throwing up, dilating their pouch, etc. If anything I'd keep my band on the loose side than the tight side. Better safe than sorry. The band can do about 80% of the work for you but if you try to push it too hard you're going to have problems. Also, many KNOW they are too tight but think the weight loss is worth it. More than likely you are dehydrating yourself and not losing weight the healthy way. When we're too tight we tend to drink less and consume more slider foods like ice cream and sweets to compensate and this is obviously bad. Good post.

Yeah. Hunger sucks. I usually skip breakfast and just drink decaf coffee until lunch. I find that if I have anything solid early on in the day I just get SUPER hungry all day long. I try to just eat lunch and dinner with maybe a snack somewhere around 8:30pm. If you're hungry, eat. I also noticed that protein seems to keep me satiated longer than carbs. For me it was important to get LOTS of fills as fast as I could get them to fight off the lion's share of the hunger.

Pardon my ignorance but how does Obamacare dictate to an insurance company what it can and cannot cover? I'm honestly asking because I don't know how that works. Thanks.

I order appetizers as meals many times.

blah blah blah, political rant...blah blah blah. <just insert what you want to yell at other people above>

Decaf coffee here until lunch.

Bands. You can buy really cheap bands and do all kinds of awesome workouts with them. It's like a whole gym for $27! http://www.amazon.com/Black-Mountain-Products-Resistance-Included/dp/B002L6WO5U

Many doctors offices including my own are fine with liquid NSAIDs after lap band surgery in moderation. While I appreciate other opinions I'll follow the doctors' guidelines.

NSAID's in liquid form are much safer than pill form for bandsters. You're right about the frequently part for sure. If you're frequently getting stuck and swollen enough that you need to constantly take an anti-inflammatory then something is definitely wrong.

Liquid motrin/ibuprofen.