SageTracey

I run an annual conference for our customers. Due to the nature of my role, this is often the only time that I actually see them in person and sometimes an individual customer will miss a conference or two, so I only actually see them every two to three years. I am currently running our conference and have had the absolute thrill of about six of them coming up to me to congratulate me on my weight loss and ask how I have done it. One guy even asked if I was the same "Tracey" that ran the conference three years ago because he wasn't sure.

I just had a lovely lunch of salad and tuna. Some days I take in a wrap and that adds a bit of variety.

It can sometimes take a while for a fill to kick in. Other factors can be stress, temperature and your menstrual cycle. Sounds like your surgeon has been quite aggressive with fills (not necessarily a bad thing) and you may need a tiny unfill. Your doc will be the best to guide you. good luck

Very clever

It can also be referred pain, according to my surgeon, from moving your diaphragm during surgery. Either way, it does eventually pass.

Congratulations. You are obviously in a great place mentally! I know what you mean about feeling healthy. I just feel as though I am bouncing and so light on my feet these days. One of my colleagues commented that since I have lost weight, I no longer talk about feeling unwell all the time - interesting insight into how my morbid obesity was really affecting my life, not to mention my interactions with other people.

No, I didn't experience this. Have you spoken with your surgeon? Good luck.

Update - my bike shop called yesterday and offered me a free upgrade to the next model because they had one in stock which had a small scratch on the wheel rim. Naturally I accepted which meant I was able to pick it up last night. After spending almost an hour in the shop getting properly fitted and the last of my accessories added, I rode it home. Sweet ride! I slashed almost 10 minutes off my usual ride time and I wasn't even pushing it as I was getting used to the bike. Average speed over my 30 km (18.6 mile) ride was 25.5kmh - well up from my usual 21 - 22kmh. Now we just need to sort our finances so DH can also upgrade to a road bike because we do a lot of our riding together.

Good for you and good luck moving forward.

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.

My surgeon described handling the liver during surgery as like trying to manage a bowl of jelly (jello) with chopsticks! A fatty liver is more difficult to manage and therefore more dangerous.

I use the BodyMedia Fit. it is a device worn as an armband which measures calories burnt, steps and sleep. You can also record your calories eaten, although I do that via myfitnesspal.com I have found it very useful as it actually measures my calories burnt, rather than a general estimate. You can get it with a wristwatch type display to see your progress through the day but I just plug the armband into my computer for a quick check.

It is possible to drink too much water. There was a recent inquest here in Australia that found that a lost bushwalker (I think) died after drinking too much water. However, I do believe we would be extremely hard pressed to drink too much water as bandsters. Instead of chugging, why not aim to sip frequently throughout the day, except around meal times, of course.

Because my husband told me how scared he was that he would lose me or I would become crippled due to my morbid obesity. I knew then that I had to do whatever it took to have a healthy life with this wonderful man.

You do deserve it. Ignore the naysayers, let them fuel your fire to succeed. By making positive changes now, you will have fewer of the long term health issues that those of us who are much older have suffered as a result of carrying our weight for so many more years. Best wishes.

Rahrahrah is right. Call your dr.

I hope you can find a way to get your wife on board with you on this because her support can make the difference between failure and success - both with the band and your marriage! I was hesitant to raise it with my husband, even after my GP suggested I look into the band. Then my husband raised it with me because, in his words, he was afraid I would become crippled or die because of my weight and he wanted me around for a long time. Fortunately he has been my biggest champion throughout this entire journey, even to the point of taking adult swim lessons so we could swim together. We cycle, dance and walk together, we eat healthily together, and I can always count on him when the road gets bumpy! Could I have done this without him? Maybe. Would I have been as successful (63kg 139lb)? I don't think so. Would our marriage have grown stronger if I had done this without his support and blessing? Definitely not!

Love the Australian way of seeing things. A little downunder sarcasm.

You are doing really well and it's not surprising that you are craving normal foods at two weeks post op. Not sure of your post op diet instructions, but just hang in there and stick with it for the long term.

Believe it or not, taking a week off exercise may just be what your body needs to kick start your weight loss again. Changing things up always seems to make a difference for me and typically after being sick for a few days and not exercising, my weight starts dropping again. Hope you feel better soon.

Yes, it is frustrating but remember that the numbers on the scale are only one measure of your success. How are you going with inches lost? What about the size of your clothes? I think of a plateau as a time when my body is catching up on the changes that I have made. My body has become used to me eating less and working out more so it has stopped reacting (i.e. losing weight). Generally I find that changing something up such as my exercise, intensity, eating a little more, eating a little less, will get the scales moving again. You will get past it. Hang in there!

No, I'm from Australia, but welcome anyway.

Some people feel the difference with a fill immediately, for others it can take a couple of weeks. And it's not the same for every fill. Which simply means there is no standard answer to your question. Sorry about that!

Yes, it sounds like it. Try slowing down but don't hesitate to get medical advice if your symptoms continue.

I was on liquids at the three week mark so alcohol would not have been a good idea. Ask your surgeon