123crod

Well..... this should be encouraging.
Got banded in 2005. Lost 120lb - first 90 within a year, another 10 over the folliowing year (then 20lb last year due to illness). Maintained a great BMI of 21 for 3 solid years, never gained an ounce, lost that 20 I mentioned and had to get unfilled for a major surgery. Realised that over time, all the work I did on lifestyle (healthy eating, exercise, not eating just for the sake of it) has stuck and have now maintained a BMI of 19 for several months without a fill -easily. So after my hard work with the band, I get to be thin and fit but eat "whatever I want". That means I get to enjoy bread, salads, red meat and fresh fruit - all the things that were hard for me with fill in my band and thus, not so enjoyable. AND get this - due to my fitness and exercise levels which I worked so hard to create, if I make my meals fresh, healthy and low fat I can easily afford the odd splurge - had lunch at the pancake Parlour today - dont have to worry about a glass of wine at night, or the odd cookie here and there. In fact, my maintenance level of calories is about 2400 with my running and with mainly healthy intake, my biggest problem is eating enough. The band has totally re-educated my mind about portion sizes, so my 3 meals and a healthy snack generally add up to about 1400, 1500 calories a day. I usually dont eat more than about 1800 in any given day, so a nice dinner out once a week when I might splurge 800 to 1000 calories with some wine and dessert as well as a main, no problem whatsoever, my weight stays steady.
I never though being unfilled would be so good, but its been a very big lesson in just how much my band has done for me. Its there if I need it in future, but for now, its done its job and it can just bide unless I suddenly begin to gain. I can always fill again. Life really couldnt get much better than that - I'm now a normal, "naturally thin" person!

I did terribly the first week of Christmas Break (we were in Hawaii and it was an eating extravaganza) but then the second week I got a TERRIBLE stomach flu and when I returned I had lost a pound from before we left. So considering I was assuming I had gained 15 pounds, I feel pretty good about that! And then today, I FINALLY hit ONEDERLAND!! Last year this time, I was on my way to regaining 50 pounds. This year I'm grateful to be on the right track and not stopping anytime soon!

Ditto what Bobbie said. In the rare instance when I get stuck and have to urp up the offending item, I get a glass of hot Water and sip on it. It helps relax the band area...or at least that's how it appears to me.
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Yep, yep and yep...and on that note, I think I'm done posting in this thread. Have a good one y'all!
Melody

And yet that articles does not address *why* these people failed with the band.
Did they fail because the band never did control their hunger?
Did they fail because they expected the band to physically restrict how much they ate and when it didn't, they gave up...even if the band did control their hunger?
Did they fail because they wanted to continue to eat they way they did pre-band and somehow, magically, thought the band would make them lose weight in spite of that?
The problem with statistics is that they can be skewed to say whatever the person wants them to say.
Statistics say that bypass and vertical sleeve are far more successful than band...but what they don't tell you is how they determine that success. It's not whether the patients take the weight off and keep it off. It's whether they lose 50% of their excess body weight and there is no follow-up past 5 years.
So by the rationale of the person who wrote this article, they should stop doing sleeve and bypass as well since these people are making *permanent* changes to their body when there's no indication that they do any better at taking off *all* their weight and keeping it off than do band people.
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The reality is that it doesn't matter how courteous we are, there will always be somebody sitting in the wings who will choose to perceive the response as rude and nasty...even when it wasn't and even when they've been told their perception was in error. Fortunately, I've only been on the receiving end of that by 3 people over the last year, but after going back and looking at these posts again, I notice that they all have the same 'voice' and the previous personas sort of disappear before the new one comes into play...so I figure it's the same person and they're just stalking me. I guess I should feel honored to warrant that amount of attention.

My doctor didnt set me a goal weight, but did record a weight that was a BMI of 25 for me - 78kg. I know that I spend many years as a teenager and adult at around that weight and frankly, I consider it fat. Its nowhere near the fashionably thin I wanted to be and I always struggled to lose. I guess I had a BMI of about 25 to 27 for most of my adult life until my mid 30's and if you asked me, I'd say I've been fat all my life, so obviously my goal was going to be somewhat lower.
I'd dieted down to about 72 kgs once or twice and I knew that even then I wasnt very happy with that - I'm 5ft 10, so I still felt "big" rather than tall and slim. So I sort of said 67kg to myself. The idiot nutritionist scoffed at that as unrealistic, I hate how they do that without even knowing you, or your strength or determination. Anyhow, I got there easily. I'd had a sort of secret in my dreams goal of 64kg, but could never manage it, I maintained between 67 and 70 very happily for 3 years. Anyway, if there's one good thing about cancer treatment, you lose a bit of weigh. I saw 64kg come, saw 64 kg go as I plummeted to 60, eeek. Back to 63 now, but overall, I think my original goal of 67 was perfect. I do look better just a little bit heavier. I've realised supermodels are supermodels because they can be incredibly skinny and still look good and not bony and ill. Unlike us mere mortals.
anyway, you dont want my life story, but I say pick a weight you know you loved being and go for it, dont let anyone tell you otherwise. And if you've never had the experience of being a normal weight, go by the charts but simply plan to adjust along the way. its your body, your life and you can stop where you're happy to.

Truly, I think its headwork, not bodywork. We all have those spots on our bodies, and with little pockets of fat, the ONLY solution to them is to lose fat overall. You cant spot reduce, so that means less calories, a lot of cardio and some strength training to increase your overall metabolism. That's the only workout plan you need.
However, even then your body will lose from where it chooses. I got down to a BMI of 22, felt and looked great, but still had a muffin top and some flubber. I just came to accept it, as I held that weight for 3 years and I could see that my upper body was very thin already, so its just my pear shaped body type. Other health issues have seen me shrink to a BMI of 19 and yep, the muffin top's gone, but I also look like a concentration camp victim (I'm not kidding) above the waist. So do be realistic in your goals.

What worked for me was following a very normal, but portion controlled diet - that's foods from all food groups - Protein, carbs, fruit, vegies. Three healthy meals a day exactly as I would have done when trying to lose pre band. Limited Snacks and treats, but sure, occasionally you can have a treat. Limit alcohol, fatty foods and sugar. So I might eat Cereal and fruit for Breakfast, a salad with Protein for lunch and more protein and salad for dinner, with the occasional Pasta or rice dish.
I worked up to it, but pretty much run for 40 minutes five days a week and go to a couple of bootcamp sessions (which are pretty brutal).
I lost easily but slowly (if you consider 100lb in 2 years slow, I dont) and maintained effortlessly ever since, EVEN with an unfilled band.
My band was a tool. It meant I stuck with my plans through the endless challenges such as meals out, holidays, parties and just bad weeks but it made me satisfied with much smaller portions. It never stopped me wanting bad foods, it didnt even stop me overeating, since when I had a mind to I could graze on chocolate and Cookies all day. I worked on that bad habit.
Looking back, i think the band worked on my mind as well as my body. I really did finally say 'grow up and accept what you have to do" and I just got on with it. I find people nowadays just gratify their every whim and I've really become a person who thinks before she acts in terms of not only eating, but spending money too!

I have no fill anymore, so I'm back on normal sorts of portions of bread, cereals and such. But I found with restriction (which was never that tight for me) I really truly needed some carbs in my day to bulk up what I ate and give me lasting satiation.
I loved a salad with Protein lunch, for sure. But it didnt last past 2 hours for me before I felt peckish. Put that salad and Protein on a piece of wholegrain bread and I was right till dinner time.
That's only if you can eat bread and if you choose to eat bread though. if you're low carbing, that advice isnt going to help. In that case, small protein Snacks regularly seems to be the general advice, but I always find I'll keep prowling until I eat more balance and include the carby foods,.
I've been slightly too tight once in five years and what I found was that I could only eat a little but was constantly starving because I couldnt eat enough at a time to sustain me for more than an hour or two. YOu dont have to be vomiting up your own saliva to be too tight. however, you've just had that fill, give it a while to settle, a bit of weight loss perhaps and you might find this problem disappears.

Its an odd situation isnt it? (sorry to hijack the thread but it may be useful info). What I am enjoying about being unfilled is how nutritiously I can eat - I mean its a miracle to me to eat a kiwifruit or strawberries comfortably - a big salad every day, part of the reason I'm not gaining is I've gone mad on those low joule fat free fibrous fruits and vegies that were much harder to eat with fill. Unfortunatly, I have a stoma at the moment and all that fibre with an ileostomy - lol, it makes for very loud noises at inopportune moments.
However, I've been given sheets from my stoma therapist about how to gain in the face of chemo and such and its all butter, oil, etc. I'm also being encouraged to include a lot of white bread, rice and Pasta to thicken stomal output. But I figure, and this stands for anyone whose a bit on the thin side - I may need some weight on, but I am NOT immune from heart disease and diabetes and loads of butter and full cream milk is still unhealthy or loads of refined flour is still unhealthy for anyone - fat or thin.
To the original poster - are you exercising? I know in my heart of hearts that the amount of running I do is giving me this stringy marathoner's body (not that I run entire marathons!). I really COULD cut down on the daily runs to maybe every other day without losing the good benefits of exercise but without burning so many calories. Trouble is, I really love running and I dont have the willpower to stop!
Denoument, I find I have gained great lifestyle skills that will keep this weight off in that I know how and what to eat and how to execise effectively. I believe i need just a *touch* of fill just to take that edge off. I am eating properly and in a controlled manner, but I'm back to finishing a meal and wanting seconds, or just a little bit more. I dont need fill to restrict calories, just a slight increase in satiety. I believe I could gain healthily and in a controlled manneer with some fill in my band.

Cant help with the cost issue but commiserate on being too thin. I'm 5ft 10 and currently 135lb and I look a bit awful at the moment. I have loose skin I didnt have 10lb ago and I look a bit like a 90 year old undressed. I've started dressing to hide my bones. But it is NOT easy to allow yourself to gain weight. Currently I have no fill becuase I had bowel cancer and have just been through a huge surgery, so that's what took that last bit of weight off for me, but its taken 8 weeks of no fill for my appetite to wake up. I've gained about 8 much needed pounds after intiitally losing quite a bit after the unfill through the surgical process but its darn scary how fast and easy those pounds have gone on in the last week or so.
What I'd suggest is a slight unfill and work your way down until you hit a happy medium, I'm about to begin the same process from the other end, I am happy to gain another 10lb or so but I want to control it and I dont want to gain 20 or 30!
My "secret" goal was always 140, at the bottom of my healthy range, but really, it doesnt look so flash. Yeah, my muffin top and thighs are gone, but so are my boobs, all my ribs show and I definitely look older.
The main thing to remember is needing to gain should really be a controlled process, not an unfill and a free for all pig out session. Hope you can manage to work in the necessary appointments to perhaps take your fill down a bit. You cant just "stop dieting" etiher because if you look at other people, its only tiny differences in habits - butter on sandwiches, full fat this or that, that odd biscuit with a cuppa or perhaps no exercise - that makes the 50lb difference between your weight and theirs. Gaining healthy pounds whilst maintaining healthy eating and exercise habits is a rather difficult feat and I've had many arguments with mn surgeon and stoma therapist who dont understand why i wont just head to McDonalds for a pig out.

Dont discount the fact that it may not be "running out of fuel", it may simply be that that's the level of fitness you're at. I've run up to half marathon distance since being banded and have never found that I needed Protein supplements, huge amounts of food or unusual amounts of Water to do it. I would run out of energy at about the 20 minute mark when I started running, then trained up to where I could run for an hour before boredom really got to me, and I keep my runs to about 45 minutes now. I've done less running, more bootcamp over the past year and whilst I'm stronger and have more tolerance to bursts of very hard cardio, my endurance has decreased a bit as a result of the change and 40 minutes or so of running sees me tired. If i went back to just running, that would change again.
It just takes time for your body to adapt and become proficient with metabolising and providing the fuel for exercise, that's part of true fitness, its not at all just about your heart and lungs. That comes with time and consistency.
But that said, i've never done a low carb diet for any more than a week or two at a time, cutting out carbs completely makes me feel like crap and I definitely cannot exercise well on a low carb intake. I do eat bread, oatmeal, lots of fruit and vegies and Pasta and rice. In moderate quantities!
As to amino acid supplements, I have tried Hornet juice before a run as its cheap and easy to get here in Australia and, yes, I do believe it does help slightly with keeping up energy,
Those programs too, I've found they're just too quick in progression for me, it took me two and half years of running to get to half marathon stage. Everyone's different but I'm not sure that its that easy to follow such a plan as an overweight person. As you lose weight you can do more and more and you really will find it hard to believe just how much extra work that weight on your body causes you. Take it at YOUR pace.

Hugs for the struggles
How much are you eating - do you have restricition and just eating around it
Are you measuring your food - are you keeping a food diary - are you exercising..
I suggest keeping one - write down everything that goes in your mouth and the calories that go w/it
You may be eating more than you think - or you may not be eating enough.. I kept my calories between 800-1200 a day during my weight loss phase and varied them daily
If you are exercising - then change up what you are doing - increase the intensity and if you aren't then start ;0)
As far as being hungry - I am hungry right this very second - but my actual stomach (pouch is full) - Our bands do nothing for our head hunger issues and the majority of the time that's what it is - head hunger and you just gotta work thru it - being hungry is normal - we can wait 3 hrs before our next meal - it's not like we don't know when our next meal is going to be so that we have to scarf up all the food we can get our hands on until the next meal...
I say I did 75% of the work in losing the weight and the band did 25% by providing restriction - Hell I should up that percentage cuz you know what even w/restriction I could have choosen to eat around it - but I didn't - so you know what 100% of the work was up to me - by changing my eating and exercise habits :0)

I know this has been discussed to death on here but.......
Why do people feel that banding or GBP is "cheating" or not really losing weight?
How is this tool any different from WW or JC or South Beach?
If obesity is medical condition why should treatment for it be viewed differently than treating any other disease or addiction? If there was a surgery to curb alcoholism or drug addiction would people poo-poo that as cheating?
UGH People are so ignorant. The worst part is that this attitude comes mostly from other obese people. Tad of the green-eyed monster I suspect. Not just over the weight loss, but at the decision to take control over this. Aaarghhh! GRUMBLE GRUMBLE.....

Thank You-Rant over.

Hi, Lauren;
I have a few thoughts on this.......
All of the various Weight Loss Surgery procedures have their own share of complications. None of them are problem free. One thing that hasn't been discussed is what exactly IS a complication? Are you talking about MAJOR issues (erosion, slippage) or minor ones (getting stuck occasionally)?
I think you have to consider the idea that what is a complication to one person is a mere inconvenience to another…or a benefit to even another. For instance, in the Bypass world, there is what is known as the "dumping syndrome"…..for SOME GB patients, if you eat too much high fat or surgery food, you will become nauseous. Some people call that a complication, and for that reason alone, they would not have the bypass. But for many people it's a BENEFIT…..Dumping keeps them from eating foods that they shouldn't. It's all a matter of perspective.
For some Lap band patients, getting "stuck" and throwing up on occasion is a complication….to others, it KEEPS them from eating too much food at once, and reminds them to chew thoroughl.....again, a benefit…for THEM..
Make no mistake about it....Lap Band Patients have complications, and plenty of them. But.....Isn't being obese a HUGE complication in your LIFE? Isn't it worth the risk of some potential problems to be free of your obesity, which is GUARANTEED to shorten your life and make you miserable along the way?
Many Lap Band Surgeons will tell you that the incidence of complications is RISING, not falling. This due to several reasons, the main one being that we are just now getting a sizable population of LB patients that have had their Lap Bands placed for 3-5 years, and the problems are just beginning to show up. While banding technology has been available for around 20+ years, it has only been widely used for about the last 11 years. It was only approved for use here in the US about 10 years ago, and it has only been in the last 3 or 4 years that a critical mass has been reached where it would be considered a "common" procedure. This means that we really do not know, on a large scale, what the outcomes are long-term. But the post 3-year period is where many of the problems are surfacing.
It has suggested here(and in other threads) that the majority of Successful LB patients are simply "off living their Lives" and not hanging out here at LBT.....that only complainers come here, mostly. I would agree with that to a CERTAIN extent. But you also have be aware that People who have had their bands removed, had them unfilled due to problems, or are just living/coping with the problems, are ALSO just "off living their lives". Not all the complainers and people with complications come here (or other forums) to talk about it. There are plenty of Lap Band patients with problems that never come to ANY forum to talk/complain about it.
Someone here remarked that they thought that the ratio of LB patients without complications to those WITH complications was "Thousands" to 1. I would disagree with that. I think it's much closer. There are certainly more LB patients without serious complications than there are patients with problems, but the fact is that there is a significant number of Lap Band placements that eventually do have some serious difficulties.

I am not trying to discourage the OP in any way. But I believe that an honest and realistic view of these procedures is the best way to move forward; a fully informed patient makes better decisions. And to deny the rather substantial occurrence of complications with the Lap band is to deny reality.

Now, as a self-pay patient, you have some significant control over what your experience might be. You will be able to choose your OWN surgeon, rather than be obligated choose from a limited pool of surgeons provided by your insurance company.

A couple of suggestions:

Make CERTAIN that it IS the Lap band procedure that you need. The different WLS procedures are meant for DIFFERENT people with different Weight issues. You really need to take the time to be certain that restrictive surgery is what you need. Many people pick the wrong surgery.

Take your time, and select the BEST Surgeon you can find in YOUR geographical area. I cannot overemphasize the importance of choosing a GOOD surgeon. You want one with TONS of experience, a fully developed and comprehensive post-surgery program, LOTS of experience, an available and supportive staff, and an enormous amount of experience. Did I mention that experience is extremely important?

Many self-pay patients do something stupid like go to Mexico or DR or somewhere else like that simply to save money. I am not going to get into that issue here, but I would STRONGLY advise that if you have 15k to spend, spend it on the best you can get, NOT the cheapest. And the closer to home, the better.

Make certain that you are addressing the mental/emotional component of your Obesity. This is a HUGE part of the obesity problem, and if you are not dealing with it, you are not truly dealing with your weight issues. Seek out an experienced Psychotherapist that SPECIALIZES in dealing with bariatric issues. Go to counseling regularly. This CAN and DOES help….very often, therapy is the key to being successful with the lap band.

So, I won't say ignore the complications, as others here have. You need to be aware of them. But don't let them scare you off. With the right Surgeon, the right Support team, and the right choices on your part, the odds are that you will not have any problems.

Best of luck with your choices!

S.

Define 'restriction'. What is it you're looking for? While the band does give 'physical' restriction to some people (although it appears to do that they must be overfilled to the point where they have frequent daily/meal episodes of sliming and getting stuck), it doesn't for most. Unfortunately, those of us who never have physical restriction even when we're overfilled, often feel like failures. I was actually scheduled for surgery for a vertical sleeve and it was only there that I learned about ghrelin and then knew the right questions to ask my own surgeon.
The band works by putting pressure on the vagus nerves which then tells the stomach to stop producing ghrelin, the hunger hormone. Some people get this with just the pressure of the band. Most need fills, which will vary by individual. We will still get normal hunger about 4-5 hours after a meal *assuming* we actually ate a meal. It's just not reasonable to think you can go 4-5 hours on 6 bites of food. You should be able to eat 3 oz of Protein and 1/2 cup of vegies and *maybe* 1/4 cup of starches at a meal and stay full for 4-5 hours.
Pay attention to your band after eating. If you really do get hungry between meals, first take a look at what you're eating. If you're eating a reasonable meal and still hungry, it's probably time for a fill. If you aren't hungry, then it's going to be up to you to *choose* not to eat out of habit.
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You've got to wonder what the source of those problems with the band is in a lot of cases - the erosion, slippage, pouch dilation.
I mean, the major problem with the band is that it is user driven. And in any group of majorly obese people, you are definitely going to find a huge percentage of people who simply cannot remain complaint in terms of what they eat, how much they eat etc. I really wonder how much user error is involved.
What I'd really like to know is what can *I* expect and how can I influence that?
I mean can a totally complaint person who works on developing good habits, incorporates a lot of exercise, eats the right foods and doesnt have their band tight - does not PB and have overfill episodes etc has regular care but not a lot of mucking around filling and unfilling their band expect to keep their band and keep their weight off?
Because that's my personal experience of banding and I'm not blowing my own horn and suggesting I'm morally superior because I've been "good" and done it "right". But it is blatantly obvious to me that not many people have such a smooth journey. And I wonder how much the fills and the tight restrictions and the PBing etc contributes to the poor outcome over the longer term?
It would be nice to feel safe but unfortunately I think we all took this risk when we decided to be banded, I dont see why you should be flamed for posting it, but yeah, people dont necessarily want to think about it early on.

This world is so cruel to children. Children are a gift from God and their little spirits can be hurt or damaged so easy and sometimes never repaired. Something needs to be done about how children are treated in their homes and in foster care. I think people should be put to death if they sexually abuse children why waste our taypayer money to house them in prison. Children are innocent and should be defended. If my child (grown now) or my grandbabies 4 years and 19 months were ever sexually abused I would shoot the person myself even if it ment I had to spend the rest of my life in prison. I am a Christian and know this sounds harsh but how many poor childern are sexually abused, kidnapped, torture and killed everyday for the pleasure of some sick perverted person. My heart breaks just thinking about it. That will be a question for God when I see Him why? Why did you not stop this. I know people have free will and God allows that but the children do not have a choice in it.

Cheri

Actually...it's not.
The band works by putting pressure on the vagus nerves which then tells the stomach to stop producing the ghrelin hormone which makes us hungry. That's why some people never need a fill. The band alone gives them enough pressure. Others need some sort of fill. It's not the food sitting in your pouch for 30 minutes (because the first time you take a drink you wash it through) that tells you 'enough'. It's the food that passes through the narrow opening (where the vagus nerves are) that puts additional pressure on the vagus nerves which tells the stomach to stop producing the ghrelin.
From Allergan's site: "The LAP-BAND® System is adjustable, which means that the inflatable band can be tightened or loosened to help the patient achieve a level of satiety while maintaining a healthy diet"
Yes, some people do have the added bonus of being physically restricted...but many many more of us never have any physical restriction even when we're overfilled and our list of taboo foods grows longer...and at some point we feel like failures because we can't figure out why we can still eat as much as we did before.
I was on the verge of getting a sleeve revision because I thought my band wasn't working. Since it also has been causing me phrenic nerve pain, I told my doc to take the fill out until the surgery since the band wasn't working anyway. By that evening the hunger started and by the next morning I had a constantly growling, ravenously hungry gnawing in my stomach...even minutes after I'd eaten. I'd forgotten that I dealt with that constantly prior to the band. Two days later, after talking to the surgeon, I went back in and they gave me back 6cc of the original 8 they'd taken out. Within minutes that ravenous hunger was gone. Sure I get a normal hunger about an hour before a meal, but not the out of control ghrelin monster.
Best of all, I can eat *anything*. I haven't had any PBing or sliming and no 'stuck' issues. eggs, hamburger, chicken, fish, salads, broccoli...all back on the menu and I can eat enough (not just a couple spoonfuls) to satisfy me for 5 hours. Most importantly, I've lost over 10 pounds in the last month which is more than I'd lost in the previous 4-5 months while I was looking for actual physical restriction and dealing with stuck episodes, overfills, etc.
There are way too many people out there who most likely go right past their sweet spot where the actual hunger is controlled because they're looking for physical restriction they may never find. Worse...many give up because in order to get that physical restriction, they deal daily with PBing, sliming and stuck episodes. Eating becomes a chore because they spend it running back and forth to the bathroom. Some accept this as the new normal because they're losing weight. Many more give up.
According to my surgeon, PBing, sliming and stuck episodes should be a rarity. If they're a daily problem, it's a sign of an overfill *and* the risk of band erosion escalates.
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Actually the main purpose of the band is to decrease volume. It wont tell you what choices to make and you can eat around the band by eating high calorie "slider" foods and drinking with meals which could "wash" the food from your Stoma (pouch) enabling you to eat more at least in the begining. When I was researching my dr. told me the band works great for volume eaters but not grazers(people who pick all day). Usually stuck episodes arent caused by overeating its caused by taking to big a bites and or not chewing enough. Sometimes that uncomfortable stuck feeling causes you to throw up or slime, neither of which I've experienced. After a few fills, everyone is different, you reach your "sweet spot" which is when you can eat a certain amount of food and feel satiated for a few hours between meals. If your like me and you still always think about food its tough to not feel hungry all the time. I am not at my sweet spot yet and could use another fill which will get me closer if not there. Also full shouldnt mean " stuffed" like it did before, it should mean feeling satiated or comfortable after a meal. Most of my problems are mind problems. Im not sure what satiated means because I still love to feel stuffed. I still think about food pretty much 24/7. I dont always make the right choices but its a lifelong learning process and you shouldnt base your results on what others do because everyone is different. Some just sooner than others.

What do you think 'restriction' means? If you're looking for the band to stop you from eating in volume, that may never happen. While some people do have that bonus, many do not...until they're overfilled and 'stuck' occurrences are not a rare event...as they should be.
Restriction is actually when you can eat your meal (assuming your doctor doesn't have you on a starvation diet) and go 4-5 hours without hunger. If you're still contantly stomach growling hungry, then you just might be one of those who needs more Fluid in the band before it exerts enough pressure on the vagus nerves (that control the hunger hormone).
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The band is not supposed to restrict your food by making it difficult to eat. It's supposed to put pressure on the vagus nerves which control the hunger hormone, ghrelin. Once I understood that fact, I realized my sweet spot was at 6cc and not 8.75 cc and that I no longer had to give up eggs, burgers, chicken or all the other things that routinely 'stuck'...while still allowing me to eat slider foods because I was hungry from not being able to eat the things I *should* have been eating.
Then again, I guess we all have to decide how the band is going to work for us. Personally, I love going out to eat with my husband again because I know I'm not going to end up in the bathroom several times during the meal due to sliming episodes.
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Trust methese people know they are fat or overweight and do not need any of us telling them unless they ask. They are dealing with all the things we were, just trying to fit in to the world without drawing attention to theirselves.

Even when talking to a friend you have to come off not judgmental. Not I know better that you. Some people when they lose a lot of weight just go crazy and think the are much thinner than they really are. Wearing things nobaby should be wearing. Look in the mirrow, before you go out!

Cheri

I'm assuming you meant you'd 'like to' tell them, not that you actually do? At least I hope so.
For many people, WLS is not even a possibility. It's hard to save money for WLS when you barely make enough to feed your family, put a roof over their head and clothing on their back.
Also, and I'm sure this isn't a popular view...but WLS is not for everyone. Too many people go into it thinking it's the 'magic pill' and once they have it, all their weight will mysteriously start dropping off. Heck, you can see that right here in this forum...people 1-3 weeks postop starting threads about how upset they are and wishing they never got this surgery because they haven't lost anything.
WLS only works if we're willing to work...and many of those obese people you see riding carts in the grocery store or heading up to the all you can eat buffet in a restaurant don't want to give up their food. Sure, they want to be thin and not be in pain or on all those meds...but not if it means giving up their third helping or all the junk food.< /p>
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