SageTracey

Make a commitment to someone else that you will do whatever exercise you have agreed on. It's much harder to back out if someone else is relying on you. Start out with a walking buddy or something like that - added benefit - getting to spend time with a friend! Once you get back on the exercise bandwagon, it will become much easier and more of a habit. Good luck.

It's great that you are doing your research and that you understand that no two journeys are the same. Please also be aware that a lot of people do NOT actually lose any weight in the immediate post op period as they are still healing. This is normal so be mentally prepared for this, as well. Best of luck.

My surgeon has never said anything about carbonation but I gave up soft drink anyway and I truly don't miss it all. I will have an occasional light beer when out dancing, but tap beer is virtually flat and I easily dance off the calories of a light!

One to two weeks, depending on your job and depending on how you are affected by the general anaesthesia. I am in Australia and we get sick leave - an allowance of days per year that we can be off sick and still get paid. Sometimes require a medical certificate but not always. How does it work in America? I simply told my boss that I was having surgery and that my surgeon recommended I take two weeks off - no problems and I was paid.

Heck, yeah! It's so much fun to walk into ANY shop and find stuff I can wear and enjoy wearing! Re the impact on the pocketbook (purse), I have had plenty of great bargains in opportunity (thrift/goodwill) shops. It's mostly a matter of luck/timing to be there when some good stuff is available but I have gotten heaps of new clothes, still with tags on, at opp shop prices! Now it is just my wardrobe that is suffering from the weight of all my new clothes. Just realised that I used to have minimal quantity of clothes - would wear the same things over and over. Now I want to wear something different every day, just cos I can!

Hell no! No more big girl panties for any of us! Awesome achievement, CarolinaGirl, absolutely awesome.

I saw my surgeon for a fill this evening and he declared me a lap band success! He said he regards a successful bandster as someone who loses between 50 and 75% of their excess weight. I've exceeded the 75% mark so I definitely qualify in his calculations. He was also pretty impressed that I turned up on my bicycle for my appointment. He lives in the same small town as I do but practices in another town, about 30 minutes freeway drive away, so he knew exactly how far I had ridden to get there and how far I had to get home - well, not exactly because I don't ride on the freeway, which adds a few more kilometres. I cycle commute to work (30km each way), twice a week, Tuesdays and Thursdays, and I wasn't prepared to miss out just because I had an appointment with him in the next town further away from home. So I rode to work this morning, did my day's work, then cycled across to my appointment and then home again.

Three years ago I went on a cruise and did a cycling tour at one of the ports. The guide was extremely rude about having a "special" bike for me because of my weight. Today I am 63kg (140lb) down in weight and tonight I ordered my first road bike, a Giant Defy 2. I've ridden about 3,000km on my old hybrid this year so this is a huge step up for me.

I do and as of tonight I am at 7.5cc. I have been in the green zone but as I have lost more weight, I needed more fill. Hopefully back there again, but still working hard to keep on losing.

Just do it. Set yourself a goal and work towards it. Make sure it is realistic and achievable and plan to give yourself a non-food reward when you get there.

Oh yes, I think we have all had that one. And then when your success is shining through, you will be told that you mustn't lose any more weight. Just remember, you are doing this for yourself.

Exercise is really important on this journey so good on you for recognising that you need it. It is almost impossible to maintain an exercise regime if you are not enjoying it and not able to incorporate it into your daily life. I have not set foot in a gym since being banded but I have lost about 140lb (63kg). I walk, started slowly and built up, great way to spend time with my husband. I dance. Fantastic way to spend time with my husband and friends. I cycle. Twice a week I cycle commute to work, 30km each way, plus Sundays we (there's that husband again!) ride about 45km with another group of friends. Husband and I also have a number of major cycling goals, including the Great Victorian Bike Ride, a multi day event which starts at the end of next week. And I swim. That's pretty solitary but my awesome husband has been taking adult swim lessons so that we can at least share a lane at the pool. I started from an exercise base of virtually nothing. Now, if I don't exercise, I feel as though I have missed out. Good luck and keep on asking questions!

The general anaesthetic also knocks me around. No way that would have worked for me and I am a desk jockey. Can your job really dictate how long you take off on sick leave? And not wanting to put a downer on things, from what I have read on here, you will most likely have completed your six months probation by the time your insurance is approved and you are scheduled for surgery - which may make it easier to get more time off. Good luck.

The cure is simply greater exposure to the allergen! Exercise more (inadvertent exercise like you describe is ideal) until suddenly one day you realise that you are not only no longer allergic, but that you also require it to have a great day. Cycle commuting 30km to work is undoubtedly the very best way to start my day!

Ditto to all of the above. You sound like you are too tight and that is not good!

Congratulations to your husband for taking this step and congratulations to you for being such a great support person. You will make an awesome team! Once he is back on normal food, he should be fine with most healthy choices, i.e. white/lean meats, fresh fruit and vegetables. The biggest difference will be his portion sizes - generally no more than one cup in total at any given meal. These should form the staple of a healthy diet, but please, if he has nutritionist appointments as part of this process, then see if you can go along with him. Explain that you are the main food preparer in the home and that you need to have as much information as possible to support his journey.

I have flown a few times with my band and no discernible effect on tightness. The big thing for me in terms of fluctuating tightness seems to be stress. The more stressed or anxious I am, the more difficult it is to eat. Do you get stressed or anxious with your work travel?

Or do you mean how much in terms of quantity? This depends on your surgeon and how you are progressing. I think my first fill was 2.5cc. Some doctors are more aggressive with fills, others are more conservative. Cost? I am in Australia, went private for my surgery but all fills and follow ups are covered by our public health care, Medicare.

Eating before or after the gym is a common question and there is no simple answer. It depends on lots of things such as the duration and intensity of your workout, when you last ate etc. I cannot exercise well on a full stomach and since I like to exercise first thing in the morning, I tend to eat after my workout. Seeing a nutritionist could be valuable, too.

Great feedback already. Despite what your dr said about your first fill being a "good one", you should expect to reach the green zone on just one fill. This is usually a process of minor adjustments until you reach it. You are definitely not a failure - you have reached out for help on here! Keep working and you will enjoy the success you crave.

Not from the Sunshine Coast, but fellow Aussie. Congratulations on re-committing and best wishes.

It can be difficult living with the band but only when I "forget" to follow the rules. On the other hand, it was much more difficult living as a morbidly obese person with little energy to do the normal daily activities of life. Now, if I DON"T exercise to start my day, I feel as if I am missing out. Not guilty, but missing out! I love that I can cycle 120km in a day, swim laps for an hour, walk forever, dance all night long. I love that I can choose cute clothes, swap shoes with girlfriends because my feet aren't too fat any more. I would much rather live with my band than exist without it.

Your after care is so important and is about much more than just getting fills. Maintaining a relationship with your medical team will help you to maintain and build on your great success so far. Is there any chance you can get an after hours appointment so you don't have to miss work? I am fortunate that my surgeon offers appointments in the early evening so I can go straight from work. Good luck and keep up the great work.

Congratulations on getting married. Sounds like you picked a winner with a supportive husband! Keep up the great work.

Definitely sounds like a small unfill may help you.