SageTracey

A. No carbonated drinks (and I am surprised that I don't even miss them!) I have the very occasional alcohol and even then it is associated with dancing so they balance each other out (little alcohol, lots of dancing!)

Being informed about the possible difficulties will help you to prepare to deal with them. I have learned so much from this forum and it has all been helpful in it's own way. Good luck .

Woohoo! You rock, ladies. I'm hanging out to buy a new dress for my son's wedding next April and am really looking forward to being able to choose from "normal" stores.

Day 10 for me. Hang in there and it will all come good for you.

It's still early days for you, Highland, and if you've already halved your insulin you are definitely a winner! Keep up the good work and have patience. Losing weight seems to be like gaining weight, it happens quietly and just seems to sneak up on us when we least expect it.

Hi Shannon, your experience sounds completely normal! Restriction will come over time with your fills. Try thinking of this period as time to practice your new eating skills while you are still motivated from actually having the surgery. Good luck.

My husband and I order together so I can just serve the amount I am going to eat onto my plate. No one else seems to notice that I only eat a tiny amount, especially as we talk and laugh and enjoy each other's company.

I think we all fear failing but I'm trying to enjoy every little success like putting on a shirt this morning that I hadn't been able to wear for a couple of years, like feeling light headed and having to go to the dr to have my blood pressure medications adjusted, like being able to dance all night without my knees aching for days afterways. It's a strange feeling to see the positive side of things instead of the negative but I'm hoping my new mind set will help me make this a long term success. Good luck and stay positive.

Great pix Three-O, you are looking awesome. And great words, too. I love the change in my headspace and hoping it will last, too.

Well it's back to my GP for me. For almost a week now I have been getting light-headed and dizzy, particularly in the mornings. I think my blood pressure is coming down as a result of losing weight (27kg so far), and it's time to have my BP meds reviewed. Yay!

Berocca for me. Doctor said to take soluble multi vitamins and pharmacist said they were the best.

And a huge congratulations for not turning to food. You are definitely a winner and one day someone special will see that in you as well.

Hang in there, Enchilada. It's a process that we have to go through. You sound as though you are doing all of the right things so just keep up the good work - remember, you are building good habits for the rest of your life. It's great that you and your husband are going through this together, but don't get caught up comparing yourselves all the time as the band, fills, etc all work at a different pace for each of us. Good luck and chin up!

I eat out often (i.e. at least twice per week!) My husband and I order meals to share, which means that we each get a a small bowl or plate to serve our food into from the main plate. I simply place the amount I intend to eat in my bowl and he serves himself the rest. Our friends don't notice and my husband is supporting my efforts. I don't overeat this way, and I still have a great time.

Hang in there, Christina. The liquid diet isn't easy but it is necessary (if ordered by your surgeon) to help your body prepare for the band. I had two weeks of the liquid diet and managed to get through it.

Seems like there are some good things about the Australian healthcare system! All of my fills are bulk-billed - i.e. the government pays my surgeon. In fact, between Medicare (government) and private health insurance, I am only $1,000 out of pocket - and I was banded within four weeks of my first visit.

Interestingly, my surgeon said the left shoulder pain is referred pain from the disruption to the diaphragm during surgery. Referred pain or gas, either way, it lasted 10 days for me, walking and heat packs gave me the most relief.

Your health, your choice to tell or not. I have only told a very select few and am happy with my decision. I am comfortable saying that I eat less and exercise more because it's true and people just nod in agreement when I mention my son's wedding next year and how I want to look good in his photos.

I had had enough of other people's input when I last lost weight and their sudden silence as it crept back on so I only told the people I wanted to tell, i.e. my husband and our sons, my Mum and one very close friend. They have all respected by request for privacy and supportive of my decision. Perhaps if I hadn't experienced discrimination due to my obesity I would have been more open to sharing with other people but then again, I didn't shout it to the world when I went on the pill or started taking blood pressure tablets! Good luck with your surgery and life as a bandster.

I have 5.5 in a 14 ml band (three fills) and feel as though I have reached the green zone. A small meal, three times a day, plenty of water in between and I am not hungry. Last night I ate too much (self-inflicted!) and felt miserable all evening so - lesson learnt - listen to my body and don't fall back into old habits. Lucky I am such a softy and don't like feeling as I did last night.

That's exactly why I didn't tell anyone outside of immediate family and one friend I knew I could trust to support me. I have found that people always judged me for being fat and I didn't want their judgement as I learned to become healthy. Remind your workmates that you have done the research and made a decision for your health, not theirs!

congratulations on getting back on the bandwagon and good luck. I am hoping to achieve long term life changing goals, also.

Three periods in the first six weeks after my surgery! Now back to normal. It's a major trauma we put our bodies through so it's not surprising.

Hi Molly, my surgeon and people on this board say the sweet spot comes at a different point for everyone so that's a really difficult question to answer. I have a 14cc band and feel as though I have hit my sweet spot at 5.5cc (three fills, 2.5, 2 and 1cc.) It feels great to be satisfied with small amounts of healthy foods. Plus I have discovered that I was not actually "hungry" most of the time when I was eating before. I still feel that "head hunger" but have found that I don't actually want or need to eat food, which makes me think about why I am feeling as I do. Good luck! Tracey

Welcome aboard! I took two weeks off work on the advice of my surgeon and am glad that I did. The anasthetic always knocks me out for a week anyway. I had left shoulder pain for 10 days. The nurse said it was gas pain, but my surgeon said it was referred pain from my diaphragm. My husband of 30 years is really proud of my success (25kg so far) and says I dance much better already because I am lighter on my feet - I could be flying by the time I reach my first goal of 99kg. From what I have read here, and from what my surgeon says, reaching restriction is different for everyone. I was banded 13 April and have had three fills, totl 5.5cc and feel that I have reached a really good point where I feel satisfied after a very small meal, don't feel hungry for about four hours, and am still losing weight. Some days (like today) I want to eat more but not because I am hungry, more to do with overtiredness and letting my danger foods get into the house - they will be gone tomorrow! Would I do it again? Definitely! I feel so much better already and am really looking forward to my son's wedding next year when I won't be embarrassed to be in his photos. Good luck with whatever you decide.