Molly Coddle

I was banded September 2009, and could not have carbonated drinks when my band was very tight. Otherwise, providing I leave a long gap after eating, I can drink diet soft drinks and have no problems. I was advised to only do this every now and again though as the bubbling can stretch the pouch. Hope this helps.

Hi Tina, I'm Amy. I think this thread is a great idea and I applaud you for looking to deal with this issues before you have even had your surgery. Kudos to you! I had my surgery a year and a half ago but still have a lot of issues to deal with surrounding my tendency to overeat. I nodded along with your reflection as I spent much of today browsing online bookstores for a good book to help get me started as I tackle the issues that cause me to overeat and got me to this weight in the first place. I haven't found anything yet, but I can recommend to you "Fat is a Feminist Issue" by Susie Orbach as I think that's a great tool. Actually, Ithink I'll dig that out of my bookcase before I order something new. It has lots of psychological exercises which you might find useful. There's one in particular that really stood out for me and that was that you are supposed to visualise yourself in a room full of peopel you know, like family and friends, and you imagine yourself getting bigger and bigger and bigger. You take note of how you feel, how others around you are reacting etc. and your responses can give some insight into WHY you overeat. So with mine, it was like my big fat self was giving everyone in the room a hug and that they all really liked the warmth and stuff of my growing body. It was very strange but totally eye-opening! Anyway hope that helps a bit and look forward to checking back in on this thread and seeing if anybody else has anything to contribute. All the best

Hello everybody, So the message in my inbox advises this is my first stop before participating in the forum so here I am! I'm a 25 year old Stay at Home Mum living in Sydney, Australia. I had lapbanding in September, 2009 and lost 38kgs (around 84lbs) before falling pregnant in April, 2010. My beautiful daughter is 5 weeks old today, and I also have a 2.5 year old son. I am now sitting at 30kgs down (66lbs) from my pre-operative weight. So, my stats. Starting weight - 126.8kgs (280lbs) - wow it sounds so much worse in pounds!! Current weight - 96.8kgs (217lbs). I probably share the same story as many of you. I've been obese for my entire life, even as a child. I started dieting at age 7, but nothing ever really worked. I have PCOS and insulin resistance which makes weight loss even harder (as I'm sure many of you have experienced), but I am blessed that it has obviously not affected my fertility. My goal weight is 75kgs (165lbs). I was hoping to have achieved that by now and was well on my way to it, but obviously something got in the way! I am seeing my surgeon on Thursday to have my first adjustment after the pregnancy but am concerned that it will impact my breastfeeding ability.. but that is for another thread and what bought me here in the first place. So hello to all and I look forward to chatting with you Oh and yes I do have a blog but I've only just started this particular blog so not very exciting! http://handybandy.blogspot.com/