SageTracey

Hi Kristen, being on your feet will help but you will also need to be able to rest after surgery. For me the biggest effect was the anaesthetic so I took two weeks off. Hope that helps and best of luck

I was 47 and banded the day before my 27th wedding anniversary.

Hi Teri, I'm Australian but I went to school in Indiana for a year as an exchange student 30 years ago.

I took two weeks, desk jockey, but I knew how anaesthetics affected me.

Good on you Darlene. It's not about how many times you fall over but how many times you pick yourself up and get going again. I'm terrified of falling over on this journey which is why I keep coming back to these forums to keep me motivated and remind myself that I'm not on this journey alone.

Pre-band (like 18 years pre-band), I lost 23-25kg while pregnant with my second son - under dr supervision. Son was a very healthy baby. Just work closely with your dr.

Wow, awesome achievements and so inspiring! I'm travelling for work in three months and hope to enjoy the tray table on the plane one. thanks for sharing.

Yes, everyone is different. I have 5.5 in a 14ml band. Saw my surgeon yesterday for a fill appointment but chose not to have one as my weight loss is good (60lb in four months), and I have good satiety with no unwanted side effects. My biggest challenge is getting my head to believe that I can lose more weight because I've made it to this weight before the band but then stacked it all back on. Oh well, it's working well so far, so I guess I'll just keep on and let my body prove my head wrong! Good luck with your journey.

I started this journey at 149 kg (328lb) and am now at 118kg (260). My first goal has always to be 99 kg (218) - get below that 100 mark. I have a new gold watch picked out as my reward. I am hoping that once I get there I will reassess my goals and pick another one but at the moment my head is wondering if I have reached my limit. I think this is because I have been able to get down to 120kg in the past before stacking it back on. I have to keep working and let my body prove to my head that it's not done yet!

Good luck David and thanks for sharing.

congratulations, doesn't it feel great! I had five people (yes, five, I counted them!) comment yesterday. I suspect it was more obvious because I had been away from work for five days. Enjoy the compliments and I hope they keep on coming for you.

Have you tried dancing? Rock and roll is very energetic and I work up a real sweat on the dance floor, especially if I do some group (line) dances while my husband has a rest, so I can keep my heart rate up.

Ditto.

congratulations, you are looking great. Bet you are feeling fabulous, too!

I have been using MyFitnessPal.com to log my calories and exercise but am confused by the difference between MyFitnessPal.com and my exercise equipment. My exercise bike tells me I have burned 145 calories yet when I put in the time and speed in MyFitnessPal.com it is closer to 550 - 600 calories. How do I know which is accurate and which I should use? Anyone else with the same experience? Thanks in anticipation.

I'm in Australia so it may different here, but my surgeon does all fills in his office.

Definitely sounds like blood pressure. Suggest you visit your doc for a check up. I am seeing my GP on Wednesday for exactly the same thing and am hoping to come off my last BP med. Good luck - it's a really encouraging benefit of weight loss.

Without a doubt. Banded 13 April 2011 and have lost 60lb, still dropping. I feel so much better in myself and about myself. I love the compliments I get from people and I am even starting to enjoy clothes shopping. As I said to a friend this morning, I don't only go to the plus-size section anymore!

What a lovely outcome for you and your family. I wish you all the very best for your growing family. On a side note, I actually lost 23kg while pregnant with my second son simply through watching what I ate and appropriate exercise (under my doctor's care.) So good luck with your weight. I hope you really enjoy being pregnant. I loved it!

I was banded in Australia on 13 April this year and have lost 60lb. I've lost weight in the past but it has always come back on plus a bit more. The difference this time is that I cannot eat more than a small amount at each meal and I don't feel hungry between meals. I can exercise easily and am enjoying it. I can keep up with my husband on the dance floor and I am just loving the comments I get from family, friends and workmates. I have just bought a selection of new clothes to get me through the next couple of months as I continue to lose weight. This time around I shopped on a very tight budget as I know they are only temporary clothes. When I reach my goal, I am going to really enjoy choosing quality clothing that shows off my new body to its best advantage. My only regret is that I didn't do this years ago! You're right, the band is a tool but it's working really well for me. Good luck.

Breakfast - 2 x Weetbix with boiling water (I can't tolerate milk in the morning!) Lunch was a piece of fish (109 cal) plus a banana Just went for a six and a half mile bike ride Snack - no fat cappucino Dinner - will either be chicken or tuna with salad. And if I get the nibbles while watching football tonight (I'm in Australia), then it will be five prunes.

Hey Angelika, relax, we've all been there and felt the same. It's normal as you heal from your surgery and before you start getting fills. See it as a good chance to practice your new eating habits until you get restriction and you will enjoy the benefits of being banded. Good luck and hang tough!

I am three and a half months post op and have had a bad head cold for the last 10 days. The last time I remember coughing this hard I actually had pneumonia. I am on the mend now, so not worried about pneumonia, but the cough is very deep feels like its coming up from my boots. Fortunately hasn't had any effect on my band that I can feel. In fact, the cold has made me less hungry than normal so that's a bonus. I am working on cardio-type activities to improve my lung capacity again. Good luck with your journey

I can't tolerate dairy in the mornings, so usually start with two weetbix and boiling Water for Breakfast. lunch is tuna and salad, or tuna and risotto, max one cup total. Sometmes a banana and Greek style yoghurt. I often have a no fat cappucino during the afternoon. dinner is white meat (chicken, fish, turkey) plus vegetables, again, max one cup total. If I get the evening nibbles, I find that four or five prunes takes care of that! Exercise - 30 minutes made up of exercise bike and elliptical trainer, or a 40-60 minute real bike ride (it's winter here in Australia so a bit difficult to get outside except on weekends.) Plus I go rock and roll dancing at least twice a week which would total 60 -90 minutes of energetic dancing each time. I allow myself at least one day off from exercising per week. Weight loss- 60 lb since being banded on 13 April this year. Good luck for reaching your goal for your wedding. I am working towards a goal for my son's wedding in April next year.

Hi Brandon, I have a phobia about vomiting, too. It helps me to keep on track with my eating post-band because I don't want to do anything that I know will make me vomit. So far, so good. I haven't vomited at all since being banded. Closest I came was last night and that was from a severe bout of coughing (dang head cold!) rather than anything I have eaten. I would say I have pretty good restriction and have been lucky not to have any stuck food or inability to eat any particular foods - just much smaller quantities. I am older than you but still enjoy the occasional alcholic drink - one thing I have discovered is that I am now officially a cheap drunk! One or two drinks on a smaller, empty stomach is more than enough for me to get that really drunk feeling. This means my husband and I have to be really clear about who is driving home before we go out. Good luck.