cakegirl

It's amazing that you were fit and we'll enough to even sign up for it! Well done!

I don't count anything.

What is a belly band? I've only ever heard that used to describe the thing that pregnant ladies wear to cover their belly if their shirt rides up! I went back to BJJ today! I'm pleased to report that the port didn't feel endangered at all. It didn't even enter my mind - I was having too much fun focussing on the class (and feeling a bit embarrassed about sucking so bad after all these years off!!! ) I'm verrrry excited about being able to be a martial artist again!!! Plus about all the extra calories I burned today! I don't think there's a muscle in my body that's not burning right now! Even my fingertips are sore!!!

I eat ice cream fairly often. Not every day or anything, but often enough. My weight loss is slow because I don't deprive myself of anything, but I'm happy for that - I need this band to fit in with my personality and my lifestyle, and it doesn't suit me to sit by and watch while my husband and our 4yo have an ice cream! I'm happy for slow, steady losses if it means I have have an ice cream or a bit of cake when I feel like it!

I get shoulder pain too - the same spot where I felt gas pain up in my left shoulder area. I have discovered it's air stuck in the lower part of my stomach, under the band (and often under whatever food is going through the band). I find if I lean forward, I usually do a little burp and the shoulder pain is instantly relieved.

I eat pretty much all that food, all the time! I'm not 3 weeks out though, so I'm sure it will be different for you. But I eat sushi, nigiri, miso soup, edamama, fresh tuna, rice, etc all the time. It's really healthy food, and I have absolutely no problem with rice getting stuck. I don't eat steak though, but that's because I dislike it, not because I've had any problem with it.

I sleep on my stomach.

A fever is a sign of infection and is definitely not normal. Call your doctor and if your doctor doesn't answer, go to A&E and explain that you had surgery 3 days ago and now have a fever.

Yep, it's the swelling in your stomach from the surgery. I found it really hard to drink enough of anything in the first few days.

I can't eat breakfast. I can drink liquid though, so I usually have a cup of tea if I'm at home, or a cup of coffee if I'm out.

Food commercials gross me out too.

Your body is detoxing from the high and carb-filled diet you were on that got you to needing a lapband. I remember it well - the hunger pangs, the headaches, the sleeplessness... But you need to do it now, because firstly you need to reduce your liver size for surgery so that its safe. Secondly, you don't want to be recovering from surgery AND going through the carb withdrawals at the same time! No way! Do it now and get it over and done with! By about day 4 for me, I was over the worst of it - no more headaches or dizziness, energy levels felt much more stable.

Wow, those meals are the same amount of calories that I eat in an entire week! Insane!

14kg, which is 31 pounds.

Before surgery, I felt bad that I was getting the lapband, and embarrassed that I was unable to successfully lose weight using diet and exercise. But I'd do it again in a heartbeat - in fact, I'd go back in time and do it earlier!