I was banded in January of '09, I've lost roughly 80 pounds but have stalled for the last 4-6 months or so. I took up Triathlon training last year and ran my first sprint on May 2nd. I am seeing some changes, i.e. body fat percentage is slowly coming down, but I'm not making any gains in weight loss for quite a while. I haven't had a fill in quite a while and I can eat most foods without trouble, additionally I'm hungry between meals, so I eat something. I have almost returned to the point of what normal folks eat (certainly not pre-band amounts for me, but more akin to the amount my wife eats, it wouldn't seem reduced to a person off the street). My question is, I haven't gotten filled due to the intense exercise regimen I have been keeping and the idea that I need to be "fueled up", am I deluding myself, should I still be eating less, i.e. go get the fill? I am interested in the opinions of any guys out there who have an intense exercise regimen as well as the band.

Pre-Band 297 lbs. - Winded by a flight of stairs

Current 214 lbs. - Rode 80 miles last weekend

Big08

I am so glad to see your post! I've never been able to find anyone who is a cyclist and rides extensive mileage. While i am overweight, banded a month ago and have currently lost 30 pounds, I am still a cyclist. I ride several organized centuries a year and train accordingly. I will regularly ride 25 miles a day and 50-75 on weekends. I have calmed down my mileage post surgery just to allow time for healing. I wish i had something great to post in reply to your questions, but rather i have a question for you...

Do you have trouble with hydration on long rides or extensive workouts with a small stomach and reduced space for fluids and replenishment? I have found that I now seem to drink more on the bike than i did before, but that's possilby because i drink more often. I'm just extremely concerned about the 7 hour bike event and being able to hydrate and get nutrients without eating higher calorie denser foods while on the bike.

Any suggestions?

I actually don't take in much nutrition on my rides since at most I'm doing 50 miles a day and we push the pace above 20 Mph. I do hydrate, at least 32oz of Sports Drink (something with carbs and protein in it) during the course of those rides.

I have been thinking about adding food to the rides to recharge, and I would agree that you would need to use something easy on the band. I don't have much restriction these days, especially if I'm drinking at the same time, so I am targeting something like shot blocks or perhaps a banana. There are several small, bit sized options from various companies like Cliff Bar, Power Bar etc, and I have been thinking about those as well. Apologize I don't have more experience to offer you on food, I find it difficult to eat on the bike at times as I am working pretty hard since we primarily train for Triathlon's it's always at a fast pace.

I'm so very happy you responded! Thank you!!! I'm just really relieved to hear that others have successfully gone on to competitive athletics with the band and are able to not have problems. When i do century rides i have always used gels and shot blocks but don't typically use additives to my Water bottles. Perhaps I'll begin experimenting with those and have good results. I don't keep the pace that you do, I'm more of a 16 to 17 mph average speed, but as i continue to drop weight, that may change as well.

Again, thanks for taking the time to respond... it just brings me some relief since i have found none on this site who enjoy extreme athletics and long hours of preparation and have the band!

Peace

I don't think the band prevents you from doing the endurance sports and "extreme athletics". I have worked with my doctor, I don't have a nutritionist, but probably should, and have discussed my training plans with him. He sees no issues with the band and my training. I am in the slow process of training for a Half Ironman next year and will need to focus more on nutrition while riding, so your post is timely for me.

If you run across something that is particularly effective for you with your band please post as it would probably be valuable for others as well. As for sports drinks, I use either Accelerade or Endurox, both of which have carbs and protein. They can take a little getting used to from a taste perspective but I have found them to be beneficial on my rides.

I also have a post-ride shake, 1 cup frozen berries, 1 cup skim milk, 1 scoop of protein powder (20g), 1 Tbsp Fiber, and a muscle supplement Kre-Alkalyn. Tastes great, aids recovery and helps build my legs.

When i originally researched the band and spoke with the surgeon and told him my enthusiasm for riding, his response was simple "you'll just do it better." But he wasn't able to give me any other details regarding nutrition or hydration. So i knew it would be okay, but it's still re-assuring to hear from someone whos a testatment to the same. I don't currently run, but once i drop at least another 10 pounds i may begin running again. The first time i dropped 80 pounds i was an avid runner and mountain bike racer. But age, availability of time and knee injuries stopped me from continuing... therefore MORE WEIGHT!! I drink alot of FRS for the vitamins and have used some hammer nutrition products like endurolytes for long rides. My last century was something like 8,000 feet of climbing and it took me 7.5 hours. It was grueling and I didn't enjoy much of the experience, so i know coming into future events with less weight on my frame will be a huge improvement. I'll look for the mixes you suggested and let you know how they work for me. Keep posting or do you have a facebook to keep in better touch? Have a great weekend!

I'm not much into road biking (cars scare the H-E-L-L out of me), but I do a lot of indoor cycling (spinning) and linear trail riding. My longest duration trail ride has been 66.5 miles. I could not eat as much as I wanted but was able to stay well-hydrated.

Good restriction is a love/hate thing for the stage I'm at. I need to be pretty tight to help keep me honest. But I also need to be loose enough to get the nutrition I need to meet my goals. I cycle my calories anywhere from 1000-3000+ but the high calories days can be difficult to achieve.

Brad

OK, I'm not banded but I am knowledgeable in this area.

Long term aerobic exercise of the type you are doing burns primarily fat. There could come a time when your calorie expenditure exceeds your food intake but I highly doubt this will be a problem for you. As far as Protein - people only need about 4oz per day.

I guess I'm not really sure of your question but it seems you are asking if getting a fill will interfere with your caloric requirements. Like I said, I doubt it will be a problem. Most of those guys look like they escaped from a Russian gulag.