For me, being in the "Green Zone" is what. and still is what it is all about....

Even before being banded my surgeon showed me the chart and said "This is where we want you to be....this is our goal for you"

It has always been about getting there, and once there it is about staying there with little "maintenance" tips..

Green Zone means: NOT HUNGRY.....my hunger is totally under control, food simply does not interest me anymore.

GOOD WEIGHT LOSS....never had a problem with this, other than a plateau here and there, once I was in the Green Zone

PORTION CONTROL...Does not matter where I'm at, vacation, Thanksgiving, a restaurant, etc, etc...the band will allow me to eat so much and that's it...I CANNOT overeat..simple!

PATIENT SATISFACTION....Well, when you have the above, how can you not be happy?

Whenever I visit my Surgeon, he always points to the chart on the wall and asks me "Where do you think you are?" and after I point to a spot, he then says "Let's talk about it, THIS is where you need to be"

Too often I read posts on this forum about this and that, overeating, not happy, not loosing weight, etc.etc....and all too often people will give different answers and advice. I wonder sometimes

if this is a site for Lap Band Surgery or Weight Watchers......

My concerns are always "Are you in the Green?" and if not, "WHY NOT?"

Like I said, that has been and always will be what this surgery is all about....once I got to that point it has been pure heaven....EASY GOING the whole way, and still is.

Now I know there are people who CHOOSE NOT to take it all the way, and that's fine as long as they're happy with the results...but me...I want everything the band was designed to do...maximum results

with the littlest effort on my part...which I am glad to say I have achieved....the only hard part was learning to understand how to live the new lifestyle with the band...new foods, new eating techniques, and learning how to "Listen" to the band when it is sending me signals......

So much for my early morning rant...off to the gym!

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Umm I don't really understand your response to my post. I am not ditching my band. I am actually doing really well but I have a hard time finding that perfect spot. It is really hard for people on disability and limited incomes to keep going back and forth. You pay for a fill and if it's too much you have to pay for an unfil. Sometimes it feels like a vicious circle. I don't expect everyone to understand how finincialy draining it can be. I was employed full time at a good job with good benefits when I had my surgery. Never expected life to be like this.

I understand for sure, my fills are totally out of pocket until my deductible is met . Also I have an unpleasant vagal response to fills... when the band is deflated, so I'm willing to work a little harder and be a.little hungrier until I absolutely stop making progress.

For me, my band is less about restriction to lose weight, I've lost weight before... it's to keep me from giving up when I plateau and go back to over eating and oversized portions, which lead to gaining my weight back.

That said,.I am totally dependant on physical activity to maintain also, and if something happened and I couldn't exercise regularly, I'd probably need a.snug little band

B 52 -- love this topic and post. . . agree with what you said;

my surgeon was very conservative on the fills; just wish I had known it would take me 9 months to get to the "green zone" which I believe I just got to with my recent fill on Wed., Jan 9th.

My point was...it's normal to get stuck the same way it's normal to burn your hand on the stove......sooner or later you learn to be more careful around the stove...not stop using the stove....

My band it TIGHT...I can feel it with everything I swallow...yet I have not gotten stuck in well over a year...because I learned.

I know someone' date=' on another group I belong to, that is going for her 13th Fill!!!! She has also had at least 6 un fills.....she is not loosing much weight.....same 1/2cc fill, same 1/2 cc un fill........maybe it's not the Fluid in her band but her eating.......there is a fine line between being too tight and not eating the way we were taught.....finding that balance is the key, IMO.[/quote']

I agree with post, I think a lot of people are too quick to go for the fill when they probably should look at what they are eating. I have always received flack for saying that by a lot of people in here. Saying that sometimes you come across to me like you believe everyone should have your experience and that just is not true. Everyone's journey is different . I appreciate the good advice you often have but you seem to lack a little empathy and compassion sometimes.