Humming Bird

billhur, As you can see from just this one thread you will get very different advise from different people. Just in this one thread you got advise from a very young 18-20 yr. old woman who has lost a great deal of weight, exercises a great deal and wears a size2 (that is tiny). You also got advise from a grandmother who never exercises, never counts calories, but has also lost a great deal of weight. You got advise from a 50 something diabetic woman who no longer has a band but maintains the banded lifestyle she has learned. You got advise from people who have lost 4 pounds and people who have lost 80 pounds ............. Will the band work for you like it has for these people? No. The great thing about forums like this one is you can take tips we all give you and see if it works for you. Who do you listen to? That is up to you and what you think fits. If I were you I sure would check on the stuff Elfiepoo talked about because of the research she has done with controling diabetes. From the rest of us, read and learn. See if you can use some of our thoughts to figure out your own issues.

Well my fill day is here! I'll make the long drive to get .1 or .2 , but I really do think I need it. Of course I get on the scale this morning and am up another pound on the day I have to get on the dreaded Dr.'s scale.

No, I didn't say you are too loose. I just said if you can eat pork I don't think you are too tight. You may not be too loose or too tight. You may be at a good restriction level and just need to find your own personal groove. Sometimes restriction is more of a personal choice. You are the one who is living it day to day in your own life. Many bandsters insist on keeping their band loose enough so they can eat everything and they do quite a bit of "work" and "dieting" to keep the pounds dropping. In my own personal journey that way does not work. That is the way I got obese. I choose to keep my band a bit tight and I lost 100 pounds in 1 year with no "work." I can not eat pork, so I make other choices for protein. Sometimes it takes months for you and your digestive system to get in the groove. All I am saying is don't give up, find what works for you and your life.

IMHO you are not too tight if you are able to push food through with drinking. In my experience, when I'm in the green zone drinking soon after I have eaten would cause me to throw up, not make the food go through the stoma. Also if you can eat pork you are not too tight. You should start the day with things like protein shakes and slowly get to more solid foods as the day goes on. You may be trying to eat things you can no longer tolerate and this is causing the pain. I hear your frustration, but don't give up. Slow weightloss is better than no weightloss.

Too funny. I'm flying next week. Now I will have to think of funny things to say when they pat me down

LBT has been my fav. There is so much conflicting info out there. I have found that the best way to do it is learn as I go. By that I mean learn how my own body and my own lifestyle work with the band. It's trial and error. Some people worship the guy that says "it's not about restriction." I don't agree with that at all because for me it's all about restriction. Of course read and learn as much as you can, but at the end of the day, some things don't work the same for everyone.

I have an adult beverage now and then. I just can not drink beer or anything with bubbles/carbonation. On a special occasion I might have a glass of wine. I just make sure I drink it before any food goes in. I also use caution because if I have 2 glasses of wine I am very drunk after being banded.

Great advise from Dave_NW !!! Listen to the man I have tried every diet out there. I was even on Weight Watchers youth program when I was in the 5th grade (in the 70s). At the age of 40 I gave up and had accepted the fact that every time I lost weight on my own I would gain all the weight back plus some. I accepted the fact I was going to live my life as an obese person. There have been stages in my life where I was at a thin/normal weight and I really wanted to be that way again, but I just didn't know how I was ever going to do it. A family member of mine got the band and had great success. A friend of mine also got the band and had great success. I thought I wouldn't quailfy because I was going by the old guidelines of 100 pounds or more and I didn't have that much to lose. Then my mom died and I packed on even more weight with the extreme emotions from that. I started checking in to getting the band. At age 44 I had a BMI of 41.3 and that was enough. I was so desperate at that point I didn't care if I had to eat gruel for the rest of my life! I have been pleasantly surprised by how much nicer it is than that.

ok.... I'm not losing my mind .... hysterectomy it is........ thinking of you

Elcee, You are in my thoughts. I hope your recovery is a breeze. My hysterectomy took 3 different surgeries over a 10 year span because I was so young (25) they wanted to do it piece by piece. I just wish they would have taken it all out during the first surgery. That is what your are having done correct? Oh gezz..... I better read back a few. I can't keep track of myself, so it's tough to not get everyone else mixed up........

Yes, it has changed my life in some ways. I am happy to say my personal life, as far as relationships with friends and family, has been good for years and has not changed. The things that have changed are mostly mobility issues, self image and stuff like that. I feel and look so much better in clothes. I can cross my legs and paint my toenails. Getting in/out of my husband's truck is so much easier ....... stuff like that. I have no regrets Advise? Hmmmm..... You have to find your own way with this thing really. LBT is a great place to learn and get ideas, but I don't do things the way others insist they have to be done. I've found my own way to fit this in my life. You will need to find what works for you. I have not counted calories or tracked anything. I'm not saying you shouldn't. I'm just saying it does not fit in my lifestyle. I do stay mindful of protein and calories, I just don't obcess over them. I don't exercise. I'm not saying you shouldn't or won't see better results if you do. I just don't 'workout'. I am more active because I can get around better. Attitude plays a huge role. Sometimes the journey seems so long, but it sure is better than living life morbidly obese

You mean the weightloss tickers? Just click on someone else's ticker (it is a link). Then choose "create your own" and follow the directions.

Dave, I'm glad you posted here at LBT and I'm glad you are getting banded! At this stage in my journey I have nothing but good things to say about the band. I think you will have dramatic weightloss in the first year and you will start really feeling it in the first few months. You may even find it much easier than people on this site suggest. I know I do. Best of luck to you on your journey and with a new life!

I would wait too. I think 6 weeks is the most common anyway. At this stage in the journey it is about healing well and learning to "diet" the bandster way. I think you will be better off with your own surgeon doing all your fills.

:seeya: Hello, I just wanted to say welcome to LBT. This is a great place to learn details and get support. I wish you the best on your journey.

I have issues with most things made with white flour. I try to stay clear of the stuff. Some people can tolerate a little, but for me it's just not worth the discomfort it causes.

The band has no metal. It shouldn't be a problem.

I tried some because I didn't realize that is what I put in my shopping cart. It's a no go for me. Anything carbonated just doesn't feel good and I can't drink enough of it to quench my thirst.

You are only one week post-op and the healing takes time. Hang in there because things do get so much better. Just follow the instructions your surgeon gives you and each day will be better. Just think, one year from now you will be posting how you have lost so much weight and how much you would do it all over again! Get in as much Fluid as you can each day and hang on because the journey can be a fun ride! Keep your eye on the prize

You have done so well! :clap: Thanks for posting and keep up the good work. Most of all enjoy your life!:woot:

It does sound better than the sleeve. Maybe they should try this instead of gastric bypass on those they say are too obese for the band.

LMAO! You gals crack me up! As I am going through the closet I notice I am still "droopy dwarf". Oh well, at least most of the clothes cover up the droop. I have tons of sun dresses that I don't think will get much use with my arms looking the way they do now.

I have the day off because my boss took a little vacation. I too have a wedding to attend very soon, so I figured it was a good time to go through my closet. What a chore! I think I may have found a few things that might work. I have a closet downstairs to go through too......ugh. It's so hard to know what to keep and what to get rid of. Of course the thought of something going south with my band is in the back of my mind, so I tend to want to keep some of the stuff that is just a bit too large on me right now. I may take off more weight, so I may want to keep things that seem a bit too small. I did have a few laughs when I tried on stuff that looks so "80s". It's cool I can fit in the stuff again, but would I ever go out of the house in it? LOL, why am I wasting closet space on some of this stuff!

I just watched a video about plication here: http://gastricplication.org/2010/12/3d-surgery-diagram-video/ My question is, why do plication and the band? It seems very much like the sleeve.

Howdy all, just checking in. I can't wait for my fill on the 6th. I have kept my band pretty tight the entire time so this hunger so fast after I eat is driving me crazy. I've gained 6 pounds, but figure it will come back off after I get a little tweak fill. I have wedding ring issues too. I had them sized up years ago after I had gained weight and figured I would never be that small again. Then I gained more weight, refused to have them sized up again, so stopped wearing them. Now they are too loose and spin on my finger. I don't know if they fit my middle finger. I guess I should check it out. I've been reading again. I go through phases when I read book after book and then don't read again for months. It doesn't burn many calories does it? Oh well. I read Nora Roberts "The Search" and loved it. Then I read Lori Foster "When You Dare." I couldn't put that one down! Very Good! I love Lori Foster books.