CheckYes

I guess I'll be the bad guy... Pringles?? Two days after surgery? Are you kidding me? I don't care how chewed the Pringles are - it's not a good choice.
My thought is that if you can't resist Pringles two days after surgery with a newly sutured band then how are you going to resist cake on Day 6, a plate of lasagna on Day 46, two
big Macs on Day 96?
Get it together! You can do this and do it right. You deserve a happy and healthy life. You didn't go through all this to fail. My nutritional plan allows for "cheat meals" but no freaking way would I eat Pringles two days after surgery.
I apologize for being harsh, blunt, and mean but I'm not going to sit here and say that's it ok and then not offer any encouragement towards healthier habits.
YOU CAN DO IT!

I have no clue what HCG and I could Google it... however, based on the posters above who have tried it, it sounds like a fad to me. Sure, it sounds like it worked temporarily but then everyone regained the weight.
I don't think it is a good idea to mess with your natural hormone levels if that's what it involves. Your body works the way it does for a reason. Change your weight using healthy eating and exercise.

I guess I'll be the bad guy... Pringles?? Two days after surgery? Are you kidding me? I don't care how chewed the Pringles are - it's not a good choice.
My thought is that if you can't resist Pringles two days after surgery with a newly sutured band then how are you going to resist cake on Day 6, a plate of lasagna on Day 46, two
big Macs on Day 96?
Get it together! You can do this and do it right. You deserve a happy and healthy life. You didn't go through all this to fail. My nutritional plan allows for "cheat meals" but no freaking way would I eat Pringles two days after surgery.
I apologize for being harsh, blunt, and mean but I'm not going to sit here and say that's it ok and then not offer any encouragement towards healthier habits.
YOU CAN DO IT!

I guess I'll be the bad guy... Pringles?? Two days after surgery? Are you kidding me? I don't care how chewed the Pringles are - it's not a good choice.
My thought is that if you can't resist Pringles two days after surgery with a newly sutured band then how are you going to resist cake on Day 6, a plate of lasagna on Day 46, two
big Macs on Day 96?
Get it together! You can do this and do it right. You deserve a happy and healthy life. You didn't go through all this to fail. My nutritional plan allows for "cheat meals" but no freaking way would I eat Pringles two days after surgery.
I apologize for being harsh, blunt, and mean but I'm not going to sit here and say that's it ok and then not offer any encouragement towards healthier habits.
YOU CAN DO IT!

And corn chips are a vegetable, right?
Day two and you're sailing. My concern was for month six and setting yourself up for failure with this Pringles are mashed potatoes idea.
I encourage you to do this the right way. Call your surgeon and ask what he/she thinks of pringles on day two. If your plan says any food "as tolerated" on day two then knock yourself out.

I guess I'll be the bad guy... Pringles?? Two days after surgery? Are you kidding me? I don't care how chewed the Pringles are - it's not a good choice.
My thought is that if you can't resist Pringles two days after surgery with a newly sutured band then how are you going to resist cake on Day 6, a plate of lasagna on Day 46, two
big Macs on Day 96?
Get it together! You can do this and do it right. You deserve a happy and healthy life. You didn't go through all this to fail. My nutritional plan allows for "cheat meals" but no freaking way would I eat Pringles two days after surgery.
I apologize for being harsh, blunt, and mean but I'm not going to sit here and say that's it ok and then not offer any encouragement towards healthier habits.
YOU CAN DO IT!

I guess I'll be the bad guy... Pringles?? Two days after surgery? Are you kidding me? I don't care how chewed the Pringles are - it's not a good choice.
My thought is that if you can't resist Pringles two days after surgery with a newly sutured band then how are you going to resist cake on Day 6, a plate of lasagna on Day 46, two
big Macs on Day 96?
Get it together! You can do this and do it right. You deserve a happy and healthy life. You didn't go through all this to fail. My nutritional plan allows for "cheat meals" but no freaking way would I eat Pringles two days after surgery.
I apologize for being harsh, blunt, and mean but I'm not going to sit here and say that's it ok and then not offer any encouragement towards healthier habits.
YOU CAN DO IT!

I don't mean to steal the thread, but wanted to say to Subie66 that your friends who are eating all carbs and not exercising are probably losing a lot of muscle, are not any healthier than when they started, and probably have that weight-loss-lose-skin "turkey neck". You look incredibly healthy. It's harder to do the right thing but it's always worth it.
NatalieB, you need to do some tough love on yourself. I can eat what I want on any given day, but most of the time I choose not to. It's hard. The band was not designed to make you not eat the things that are bad for you. You have to decide to do the hard work because you want to be healthier, period. I almost died from an obesity related problem, so maybe I'm lucky that I actually got the wake up call and I get it, I know why I'm doing this. I have 2 kids and I don't want to die young. I still ate 2 Cookies yesterday (and would have had chocolate if I could have found any in the house), but I also ate a lot of Protein and exercised.
About 6 months after surgery, I found myself putting almost as much food on my plate as the rest of my family. If it is on my plate, I am going to attempt to eat it. It took me a while to get back into the right mindset and start serving myself small portions again. I found that if I have a small portion on my plate, I will eat that and stop.
You have to decide that you are worth the tremendous effort you have to put into making this change, and then do it!

Do you want it to work? If you do you have to stop now eating all that stuff. You have to know WE still want some of those things but you just have to say NO. It does not matter if you were filled to the top if you want to eat you will find a way. We all know how.

The choice is yours. Put in the time and do it right and It will work. Heck if you just follow the diet and do not workout you will still lose maybe slowly, So many people would like the opportunuity to be in your shoes Banded. Sometime you have to mature and say I am gonna do it and then struggle through it and it does get easier. But your in control not the Band.

If I was you I would be on the phone tomorrow finding myself a therapist that deals with eating disorders and find out whats going on? Something is you have to know that. Don't give up just ask for some help and then do it. Nothing wrong with seeing a therapist everybody could benefit from it. Then I would find me a support group meeting and go to every meeting. We need support from people who are going through what we are going through. You are no different from all of us, you want to lose weight or you would not have done this right? food is just food and living is living you have a fork in(sorry)the road which way are you going?

You can do this. Are you married? Do you have kids? Do you have parents? Do you have loving friends? Somebody loves you and wants you to live. Do you want to live? The step in the right direction is what you took when you decided and went through the surgery

Your weight is still pretty high, do you want to have a heart attack! Spend the rest of your life in a wheelchair? Do this for yourself go see that therapist and work out your problems just think you could be getting healthly on the outside while you are get healthly mentally.

Please don't give up on yourself you already have the tool just start doing your part. So many people here can help you but you have to stop that kind of eating otherwise nobody can help you. Help yourself first. I have lost 84 lbs and it was not easy but easier with the band. I wanted to eat some things I shouldn't but you have to decide what rules your life

Even if you could eat a whole chicken does not mean you have to, Stop

Cheri

I'm sometimes shocked when I turn around in a dressing room and see my body in the mirror. I expect to turn around and see someone a lot bigger. When I'm not looking at myself I think of myself as bigger than I am. I still grab XL and size 16 when I actually fit into a M and size 10 pants. It's an adjustment for sure.
I found it helped me a lot to take a photo on the 15th of every month. Now that I am down 85 pounds seeing the difference helps my brain adjust and sometimes elevates my mood when the scale hasn't changed.

You can do it! Just stick to a training schedule. I'm not ready for this triathlon and am scared I won't be ready but, hey, I am going to finish it! Even if I finish last I will still be able to call myself a triathlete!

You can do it! Just stick to a training schedule. I'm not ready for this triathlon and am scared I won't be ready but, hey, I am going to finish it! Even if I finish last I will still be able to call myself a triathlete!

So you've had the guts and strength to leave an abuser and now you are abusing yourself? Come on! You are worth more than that! You can do this.
Perhaps therapy would help. I'm in therapy and it has helped me a ton. If you can't afford therapy, how about an Overeaters Anonymous or food Addicts Anonymous group (if you identify as such). You should start building a good support system.
Again, you are worth more than you are giving yourself. You deserve the life you want. We all do!

What a horrible way to respond to someone who is scared. One day you might need some compassion. I hope you get it when you need it and remember how helpful a compassionate response can be.

What a horrible way to respond to someone who is scared. One day you might need some compassion. I hope you get it when you need it and remember how helpful a compassionate response can be.

What a horrible way to respond to someone who is scared. One day you might need some compassion. I hope you get it when you need it and remember how helpful a compassionate response can be.

What a horrible way to respond to someone who is scared. One day you might need some compassion. I hope you get it when you need it and remember how helpful a compassionate response can be.

What a horrible way to respond to someone who is scared. One day you might need some compassion. I hope you get it when you need it and remember how helpful a compassionate response can be.

I was on 1/4 cup at a time for several weeks post-op.

I find this post to be pretty negative in itself. Not everyone is able or ready to take responsibility for their actions as maybe you have been.
People come here for support. If no one was struggling then this site probably wouldn't exist! Since you are having success and seem to be handling the dietary and behavior changes well, why not spread the wealth by helping others rather than chastising those that are struggling?
I'm not struggling myself and because I'm doing ok, I try to help others who aren't so that when I need support it will return to me. It's rewarding. Why not take that approach?

Oh I love these types of threads! I'm here from the "other side" to tell you that not only will the things you've listed happen but SO many more that you haven't even thought of or never thought could happen to you.
It's amazing!
best wishes to you! You're making a great decision! Yayyyyy

I think part of the problem is that so many surgeons are not educating their patients properly about the band. It sometimes - truly - is not the patient's fault.
Lots of people aren't ready to claim the blame that lies within them for even becoming overweight! I, like you I think, believe that the greatest success comes when we do claim that blame and also empower ourselves to change it. It's not possible to force that change in people... It's taken me five years of therapy to get to where I am mentally - band or no band - but im here now!!

Did you want to be puking? Puking is so unhealthy for you and for your band, I can't imagine that puking would mean the band is working properly for you.
It's hard to restrict yourself but you have to do it. I haven't had any fill and have lost 75 pounds. I've eaten properly EVERY SINGLE DAY since surgery and am at the gym everyday. If I can do this - you can do this - I swear. I never imagined I would be able to do it but instead of looking at the band as something to make me lose the weight, I am looking at it as the thing that is going to keep the weight off. So this time, I have hope whereas before the band I was done trying.
I think you perhaps were hoping the band would work differently. Now that you know how it works for you - use it to your advantage. Get on track, track all your food and exercise. If you do that - a month from now, you WILL have lost weight. I promise.
Best wishes to you!

Did you want to be puking? Puking is so unhealthy for you and for your band, I can't imagine that puking would mean the band is working properly for you.
It's hard to restrict yourself but you have to do it. I haven't had any fill and have lost 75 pounds. I've eaten properly EVERY SINGLE DAY since surgery and am at the gym everyday. If I can do this - you can do this - I swear. I never imagined I would be able to do it but instead of looking at the band as something to make me lose the weight, I am looking at it as the thing that is going to keep the weight off. So this time, I have hope whereas before the band I was done trying.
I think you perhaps were hoping the band would work differently. Now that you know how it works for you - use it to your advantage. Get on track, track all your food and exercise. If you do that - a month from now, you WILL have lost weight. I promise.
Best wishes to you!

I think this forum is a micro version of any group of like-minded people you'd find anywhere. If you walk into a room full of people, you'll find some who are nothing but positive, some who are nothing but negative, and most who "go with the flow." The personality types who are strongest will lead the conversation, and try to convince others in the room to think the way they do. It's human nature.
For me, the LBT forum has been a great resource, not necessarily because of just the good posts, but because of ALL the posts. Even those who are all doom and gloom, who SCREAM EVERYTHING IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS WITH SIXTEEN EXCLAMATION POINTS AFTER EVERY SENTENCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It isn't because I agree with everything being said, but because I can take that post and step back, comparing it to how my own journey is going. I'm not going to experience the same things everyone else does. My band is my own, and my body's response to my band is also my own. I can learn from the experience of others, and not have to experience that problem to learn from it. I consider the general aspect of the post, whatever its topic is, and compare it to how my own journey is going. I may or may not reply to the post, if I think I have anything to contribute that may help talk that person down off the ledge a bit, or help to allay the fears of a newbie who is not sure just what the heck is going on. Time and experience brings perspective, and sometimes all people need to hear is a few calm words, so they can relax a bit.
My experience with the band is often that what I was told pre-banding is a bit (or a lot) different than what has materialized post-banding. The people I talked to pre-banding at my surgeon's office are medical staff, but none are band patients. They have theoretical experience, but no real-world experience. I immediately realized their comments have to be considered in that light. I made some friends here at LBT that I communicate with offline, whose experience I can compare notes with, but who are having their own journey with this. I found my own experience is very personal, so I turned the mirror inward, and I focus on what is working for me, and how to avoid the pitfalls I see others fall into. Things have worked out well for me, because I've been able to understand what is happening inside my own body, and I've been able to respond to my own situation.
I'm a generally positive person by nature, and I find I'm someone a lot of people come to for advice. (Not just about banding, but about a lot of things in life.) I try to be helpful, but usually turn the freaked-out person around to step out of their crisis of the moment, to step back, and think of things with a clearer head. Most of the time, people find their own answers, and they're appreciative that they had someone to consult.
In that room full of people I first mentioned, when I hear the totally negative person trying to recruit kindred spirits, I'll tend to keep my mouth shut, or I may offer a pointed comment to give others something else to consider. If someone asks my opinion I'll share it. But throughout I'll consider the source, and cut the negative person some slack. I've learned some people try to make themselves feel better by gathering a crowd who'll stand with them and cheer them on. The advantage I have is being able to set aside such comments, because I know the person is only being emotional about the topic because they're highly invested in the situation (especially as a bandster), and things are not going as they expected it would. Those same people tend to come back later much more relaxed, once the crisis has passed.
So for me, it's all about listening to my own experience and common sense, taking things I read here with a grain of salt, and considering the source. If someone is repeatedly negative just for the sake of being negative, I just stop reading their posts. Life is too short to try and educate those who won't learn. And when absolute push comes to shove, I try and follow the sign I saw on the wall above the desk of a former boss, who was a shoot-from-the-hip, damn-the-torpedoes, seriously contrary person of the highest degree. The sign said:
"When they're running you out of town, try to get in front of the crowd and make it look like a parade."
Dave