I came to this site because I thought that this would be a wonderful place where I would be surrounded by a group of my own peers. I have posted many questions that I had questions about or had minimal knowledge on. I have received very good advice and some advice I thought sounded nice, I followed up with my doctor on. I mean it is awesome to get advice from others, but who knows what best for you besides the person who placed this remarkable tool inside of us??

We have all been forewarned about the dangers of not following the rules that was given to us. If you have orders from your doctor by all means FOLLOW THEM. Don’t take matters into your own hands and when something bad happens, you freak out.

Everyone has an OPIOION!! Do you have to agree? NOT AT ALL. Most people who do cheat their bands/themselves often look for confirmation from another person who will come out of nowhere and agree with them. I feel personally some question should not be asked on this site; especially ones that promote controversy in a bad way.

Example, I was just banded and I am hungry. So I ate some lunch meat.

You were advised against it but insisted on doing your own thing. How can you expect not to receive feedback with someone trying to make you accountable for your mistake? Not everyone is going to say something nice to glorify your wrong-doing. Before you judge a statement try to understand it for the other persons prospective. Let’s just go back to being helpful by sharing experiences that are helpful to one another. I am almost 90% sure no one on here is purposely being malicious but simply helpful.

Always remember, When you are typing it’s hard to tell someone’s tone. So when in doubt, just say thank you for your input and move one.

(I had to vent and I wanted to share with everyone. I don’t like seeing my friends being verbally attacked for stating an opinion. Sometimes you just have to learn how to AGREE TO DISAGREE. An opinion is like an Ass, Everyone has one and you are not always going to like sh*t it comes with. ) Have a nice night.

Nicely said I so agree

My favorite line is, I keep drinking with meals...it's sooooooooo hard to stop...WHO ELSE DOES THIS??? PLEASE SAY LOTS OF YOU DO IT TOO SO I CAN JUSTIFY MY STUPID BEHAVIOR PLEASE.

<insert sensible comment from lap band veteran about how this will dilate their pouch>

THIS SITE IS TERRIBLE AND NO ONE ENCOURAGES ME!!! WAAAAAAHHHHHH :'( :'( :'( BOO HOO!!! WHY DOESN'T EVERYBODY AGREE WITH ME AND SAY WHAT I WANT TO HEAR?!?

(me lol'ing)

Wow! I laughed at lunch meat also.

I find I sometimes have more ability to zip my lip at noncompliance issues, and sometimes I don't (at which point I leave the site rather than open my often BIG mouth).

For me, there is a fine line between being blatantly noncompliant and willfully oblivious versus being uninformed or sincerely seeking advice (and not affirmation). I try to keep that in mind and kill them with kindness. Otherwise, it's back to, again, keeping my big mouth shut.

sometimes I wonder if some of those people are making up all the stuff they can eat just to agitate everyone.. its amazing to me some of the amounts people eat.

I couldn't have possibly dreamt of eating a large pizza or even a piece of pizza or whatever a day or two post op.

FOLLOW THE RULES!!

Great post and I agree.

Everyone does have an opinion. Too bad everyone doesn't have common sense!!

This will not be a popular rant....

I'm sorry but when someone posts that they are just a week post op and they just tested their band by eating a large pizza and want to know if they are OK. Then I say let the b***h slapping begin. Not a good attitude I know but when you've read enough of these posts it can be frustrating. I usually sit back and shake my head at the ignorance and then I ask myself did the person not bother to educate themselves or was it the educators who failed them or are they just that out of control with addiction.

People who do not comply and are completely ignorant and are the ones leading to skewing stats as far as success vs. failure and doing a dis-service to themselves and the reputation of the band.

/End of rant :wub:

its a very good statement jim

and no matter what, you are popular with ME

wat it boils down 2 is we all ate crap food and allot of crap food and got really fat and if you continue 2 make crap decisions with the band you are going 2 stay that way rite. And you've wasted your money STICK 2 THE RULES get slim get healthy its not rocket science but i do blame some of the docs for not giving proper after care and not setting new banders right

My problem isn't so much what people may have eaten and when. It's the fact that they know it's wrong and they screwed up then they get on here looking for someone to sugar coat it and to make them feel better about their poor choices. Everyone screws up and everyone makes mistakes along the way but getting on here trying to get others approval is not going to help you in any way. If you screw up then own it and learn from it. Being told by a mass audience that it's OK when its really not is not going to help you. May make you feel better in your mind but it sure as **** isn't helping you.

::holding adriennes hand:: (See, I can do this) All you have to do is take their hands like this (one hand in the other) and say..it's ok..I know your insides are split in half and your feel hell's burning you inside and out. But we all make mistakes. And I'm sorry your esophagus has stopped moving, you managed to erode the band into your stomach and you are unable to eat. (Hands person a feeding tube) Maybe this will help? No, you don't want to resort to more surgery or other invasive devices??? You are afraid it'll hurt your body? I understand, it's scary to put foreign objects in your body and place your lives in the hands of a surgeon. Who would do that? Besides, why would we do that when they KNOW we will screw it up. Yeah! It's the doctors fault afterall, not ours. Who do we sue???? Someone owes me something. Oh wait, those damn consent forms, and sign in sheets at the educational seminars and nutritionists meetings may pose a problem. I KNOW! Just tell them somebody on LBT said what I was doing was no big deal and I followed their stupid hand holding advice. BINGO!

I don't mind people getting educated, just don't do it while driving the car in reverse people.

You are so right. However, before I got a fill, I ate a small piece of pizza, and then went into the bathroom, because it decided it did not want to be there!(pizza, that is), sorry to offend!

My favorite line is, I keep drinking with meals...it's sooooooooo hard to stop...WHO ELSE DOES THIS??? PLEASE SAY LOTS OF YOU DO IT TOO SO I CAN JUSTIFY MY STUPID BEHAVIOR PLEASE.

<insert sensible comment from lap band veteran about how this will dilate their pouch>

THIS SITE IS TERRIBLE AND NO ONE ENCOURAGES ME!!! WAAAAAAHHHHHH :'( :'( :'( BOO HOO!!! WHY DOESN'T EVERYBODY AGREE WITH ME AND SAY WHAT I WANT TO HEAR?!?

(me lol'ing)

On another note -is that what happens if you drink with meals? Your pouch dilates?

Question...the "Rules"...I'm curious as to what people feel the rules are, and why do they follow them?

Do you follow certain rules to loose weight, or do you follow certain rules because that is the only way you can get along with the band and what it does....

Everyone is different, because everyone's band is different....many people drink Water while eating, because they can...that's not a opinion, that's their experience...I cannot drink while eating, because it will come back up, cause pain, and undoubtedly stretch my pouch because I quickly overfilled it...that's my experience, not my opionion...

Carbonated drinks, crushing pills, lunch meat?....some do because they can, some don't because they cannot....and some have no clue because they're just learning to fly....

Eat an entire pizza right after surgery?? Some do it because they can....but start learneing the rules because some day, like me, you will not be able to get through one single slice...I have not eaten pizza in over 2 years...NOT because I was told not to and it was against any rule that I know of, again other than weight watchers.....it's not my opinion you should not eat pizza, (unless we're talking jenny Craig or something)..it's my experience that living with the band I cannot eat Pizza....rules or no rules....

No 2 people are alike because no 2 bands can be adjusted and identical with one's body....but it is my experience, not my opinon, if you want to progress with the band, then you need to learn the rules because that is the only way you can live with the band.

I read statements here all the time and I wonder where in the world did they learn that? They say doing this will casue that...I want to ask them HOW does that happen exactly????...and have you ever had that happen to you? That you can say it's true?

But, I keep my mouth shut, and ignore the pseudo experts with little or no first hand experience...I even blocked a few....

Well said!!

Question...the "Rules"...I'm curious as to what people feel the rules are, and why do they follow them?

Do you follow certain rules to loose weight, or do you follow certain rules because that is the only way you can get along with the band and what it does....

Everyone is different, because everyone's band is different....many people drink Water while eating, because they can...that's not a opinion, that's their experience...I cannot drink while eating, because it will come back up, cause pain, and undoubtedly stretch my pouch because I quickly overfilled it...that's my experience, not my opionion...

Carbonated drinks, crushing pills, lunch meat?....some do because they can, some don't because they cannot....and some have no clue because they're just learning to fly....

Eat an entire pizza right after surgery?? Some do it because they can....but start learneing the rules because some day, like me, you will not be able to get through one single slice...I have not eaten pizza in over 2 years...NOT because I was told not to and it was against any rule that I know of, again other than weight watchers.....it's not my opinion you should not eat pizza, (unless we're talking jenny Craig or something)..it's my experience that living with the band I cannot eat Pizza....rules or no rules....

No 2 people are alike because no 2 bands can be adjusted and identical with one's body....but it is my experience, not my opinon, if you want to progress with the band, then you need to learn the rules because that is the only way you can live with the band.

I read statements here all the time and I wonder where in the world did they learn that? They say doing this will casue that...I want to ask them HOW does that happen exactly????...and have you ever had that happen to you? That you can say it's true?

But, I keep my mouth shut, and ignore the pseudo experts with little or no first hand experience...I even blocked a few....

Thanks b-52! You are a great example of someone who has found his way and doesn't feel that he is a n expert except for his own band! Thanks for your 2cents, friend! Karen

On another note -is that what happens if you drink with meals? Your pouch dilates?

Yup. One of the reasons they give for not drinking with your meals is so you don't wash the food through your band. The more important reason is that simply put, it HIGHLY raises the risk of dilating your pouch. I've seen it happen countless times with fellow bandsters. They complain that it's SOOOO hard to stop and then they cry when they dilate their pouch but the don't correct the behavior and have to have Fluid out and gain their weight back in a never ending cycle.

Question...the "Rules"...I'm curious as to what people feel the rules are, and why do they follow them?

Do you follow certain rules to loose weight, or do you follow certain rules because that is the only way you can get along with the band and what it does....

Everyone is different, because everyone's band is different....many people drink Water while eating, because they can...that's not a opinion, that's their experience...I cannot drink while eating, because it will come back up, cause pain, and undoubtedly stretch my pouch because I quickly overfilled it...that's my experience, not my opionion...

Carbonated drinks, crushing pills, lunch meat?....some do because they can, some don't because they cannot....and some have no clue because they're just learning to fly....

Eat an entire pizza right after surgery?? Some do it because they can....but start learneing the rules because some day, like me, you will not be able to get through one single slice...I have not eaten pizza in over 2 years...NOT because I was told not to and it was against any rule that I know of, again other than weight watchers.....it's not my opinion you should not eat pizza, (unless we're talking jenny Craig or something)..it's my experience that living with the band I cannot eat Pizza....rules or no rules....

No 2 people are alike because no 2 bands can be adjusted and identical with one's body....but it is my experience, not my opinon, if you want to progress with the band, then you need to learn the rules because that is the only way you can live with the band.

I read statements here all the time and I wonder where in the world did they learn that? They say doing this will casue that...I want to ask them HOW does that happen exactly????...and have you ever had that happen to you? That you can say it's true?

But, I keep my mouth shut, and ignore the pseudo experts with little or no first hand experience...I even blocked a few....

Some rules come from the lap band manufacturer such as 'no carbonated drinks', some rules come from different doctors, and some are just from different lapband people's experience.

It does seem odd that some 'rules' are more flexible than others. Although the lap band manufacturer states, NO CARBONATED DRINKS, it seems to be one that many lap banders break. I also can't remember the last time someone said that carbonated drinks dilated their pouch or hurt their band at any time. This is where anecdotal experience comes in. As for drinking with rules that's a pretty universal one and it's simply to not flush food through your pouch as well as not strecthing it. I've never heard of anyone breaking that rule without eventually suffering the consequences. The no NSAID's is to prevent ulcers because the pills stay in your pouch and pretty much eat holes. That's why most docs if asked will allow liquid NSAID's like motrin. The bread, rice, Pasta rule is more based on individual tolerances and is also tied to the no carb rule. Many people have a hard time eating bread, rice, and pasta and just find it easier to cut out of their diets but this isn't really a 'rule' it's more just good advice. This goes along with the no carb rule. Since most bandsters avoid bread, rice, and pasta because they are difficult to eat with the band it makes choosing a low carb diet easy to follow to lose weight. By no means is that a rule but just a good idea with the band. Many people choose different routes though and find their own success.

I think a lot of the misunderstandings that happen here happen when people quote personal opinions as rules or don't realize that some rules are more flexible than others. For example, I drink soda and I know I'm breaking that rule. I would NEVER advise another bandster to drink soda. It's my choice to break that rule and if I have problems because of it then that is on my head. However, the drinking with meals one is a no-brainer. I've known too many people that have dilated their pouches and sabotaged their weight loss by doing that and would never ever do it myself. If someone else can do it and they don't have problems, then best of luck to them. I may think it will end badly for them but I could be wrong. Basically, it just boils down to my experience and opinion which is pretty much what all of us have in here. People can choose to listen to me or not. That's the beauty of the Internet and these forums.