NowNotSoBigGuy

Hope your recovery is going well. Do you know if your band was stitched in place when in was installed? One of the key point my surgeon made was that without securing the band with stitching, it could slip.

Just checking in guys; I sure like our own thread. Had my sixth fill yesterday, another 0.5cc to take me up to 9.3 total. Hadn't had a fill in 2.5 months, although at 8.8 since 1/30, I was wary of more. Problem is, even though I had begun exercising in earnest the first of the year, I hadn't lost any significant amount of weight. Granted, my body composition had to have changed dramatically and my wasit size continued to decrease, but the real problem was that I was still overeating (surprise, surprise!). In fact , the fluoroscopy showed I had stretched my pouch, not a great deal but enough to be noticieable. So, a word of caution for those traveling behind me on this banded journey: don't count on the band to force you to stop eating. You have to take responsibility to eat sensibly. Too much food is still too much food, even if you manage to chew it thoroughly and eat it slowly enough not to PB. Your stoma (pouch) can stretch if you cram food into it, just as our stomachs did when we overate in the pre-band days). I'm not discouraged, just enlightened. I knew I was eating more than I needed to; I was just hoping the band would protect me from me. Turns out, while the band does its best, the responsibility of determining what I should eat and when I should stop is MINE and MINE ALONE. So, I have 5 months until my one year Bandiversary. I am determined to lose 10 pounds each month and weight 225 on 9/13/2007, for a total loss of 125 pounds from 350. If I have to workout 5 times a weeks, that's what I'll do. This is my last chance to achieve anything approaching normal size. Keep up the good work, my brothers. We are truly blessed to have been banded.

At least until you reach the parking lot of the hospital ....

Rocko: The ol' pencil definitely got a lead injection after I was banded. The reports from the Oprah show, while possibly a bit exaggerated, are generally correct. Things just work better when not surrounded by fat. Use the search feature on LBT to find other threads on the subject; I recall some informative and humorous ones a while back, with both male and female perspectives. To summarize, "longer" and "stronger" were the terms most commonly mentioned to describe the improvement. Good luck to you, brother. And Rowdy, welcome to Bandland brother. Get some rest and let your body recover from being banded. You just made one of the smartest moves of your life and you'll be reaping the rewards very shortly. Onward, brothers.

Jonathan: I skipped all the extraneous offers from Lifetime, except the free smoothie coupon! I did have my Resting Metabolic Rate analyzed at another fitness location to determine what my optimal calorie intake should be. Personal trainers can be great tools for some people, but I'm too damn stubborn to deal with some fitness buff 1/3 or 1/2 my age guiding me through the facility at $60/hour. I do recommend you consider a heart rate monitor if you're planning on exercising. Lifetime offers several, but you can do much better on eBay or Amazon. I bought a Polar F11, then sold it and upgraded to an F55. Ted: by all means, guy, have some solid food. Enough of the shakes and babyfood. Choose wisely, chew, chew chew and savor every damn morsel. You'll be amazed at how fast you fill up. Use small plates and small utensils; it sounds stupid, but it works.

Six months today since I was banded. Lost ~75 pounds, the majority coming off in the first 3 months. Hit 300 on 12/1 and 290 on 1/1, but have slowed down measurably since joining Lifetime Fitness on Jan 1. Still losing inches if not pounds, but the appetite is still there. Not sure if another fill would do more harm than good; already I'm a champion PBer. I appreciate all the support I've received at LBT and on my one year Bandiversary, I'm hoping to be at my target weight of 220. Onward, brothers.

Was snug in a 54 pre-surgery. Have gone down through 52, 50, 48 and am now wearing 46's comfortably now. I wear Dockers to work and will be very happy when I can purchase Dockers Classic Fit Pleated front (44 waist) for $29.95 instead of same model in Big & Tall (46 waist) for $36.95. Another of the many indignities of being a "fat boy". BTW, it's hard to find Dockers in big sizes online at any discount, but highly recommend www.gustwillers.com . I've saved two pairs of 54's not because I ever expect to wear them again but because some day, I want to step into them and remember how freakin' huge I let my self become. Onward, band of brothers.

Mark: your goals are very reasonable. As Marjon says, no one has the same experience after banding, but I can confirm your goals were my goals and I have seen measurable progress on all three fronts. Ted: while we all wish for weightloss to be steady, the reality is the body gives up excess weight on its own schedule, not ours. I have experienced several plateaus, of different durations, in which my weight would not drop and at times even increased. Each and every plateau has ended and weight loss has resumed. Fills do help. So, hang in there, examine what you're eating, make sure you're exercising and enjoy the ride. While we yearn for the day we reach a target weight, we can't control how quickly we may get there. Nevertheless, the journey is worthwhile and enjoyable and the results are very satisfying. Good luck, brother.

The foods or drinks you now enjoy may not be the same ones you desire post-banding. Don't view getting banded as requiring you to "give up" your current favorites. Look at it as a new opportunity, a gift if you will, to be "able" to exercise the willpower that eludes people like us who suffer from a "weight problem". How euphemistic, a "weight problem"; let's just call it being FAT. In my case, many of my old time favorites, carbonated beverages included, simply lost their appeal. pizza, glazed donuts, Breakfast kolaches, bacon, sausage, fried food just don't appeal any more. I'm eating smarter, I'm eating less, when I do get carried away and consume more, it's an extra breakfast bar. The band is a tool, a very powerful tool, that works not just physiologically by restricting how much you can cram into your stomach, but an equally powerful psychological tool that lets you think like a non-FAT person. That's the magic of the band, in my humble opinion. Good luck to you in your decision; hopefully, your worry about Diet Cokes will be a distant memory on your road to a healthier and longer life.

Pretty soon, Neal, someone is going to suggest that you put a few pounds back on, just so you'll stop making the rest of us look like chumps. Damn man, are you sure you don't have a tapeworm or something? All kidding aside, dude, you ROCK. I'm a Stars fan too (great come from behind victory on Sunday), and I know what you mean about not fitting into stadium seats. I've avoided all airline travel for the past 5+ years, but am ready to fly again. Finally got below 280 this past weekend; that was the hardest 10 pounds to lose by far. Weight loss is a tricky business, as we all learn in time. Eating less is not always the right solution; it has a lot to do with exercise levels and metabolic rate. The band is the greatest tool by far; it gives me confidence that once the weight is off, it will stay off. I never had that confidence pre-band, so any diets I embarked on always failed. Onward, brothers..

In answer to your question "Any great suggestions on what I should purchase as far as food supplies go?", I'd refer you to the LAP Band FAQ section where you'll find info on pre- and post-op . You'll do fine; we guys all seem to bounce back quickly.

Just prior to my banding, I bought a $30 bottle of liquid vitamins at GNC; it tasted awful. After a few days, I ended up pitching it out and going with Centrum Silver chewables (citrus berry flavor). While the chewable is a bit gritty, it's tolerable and handles my daily vitamin and mineral requirements. While I was on full liquids, I was taking two a day.