Cazzy

I have never had an xray when being filled, surgeon knows exactly where the port is and get its first time every go. Takes seconds

Well done on the sustained weight loss over 2 yrs , that really is a great achievement . I too had a great christmas, i allowed myself to eat some christmas treats but made sure i burned them off with exercise and happily did not put on any weight over christmas at all, which was my plan. Last christmas i was on pre-op of just 600 calories a day and that was hard work but all that hard work paid off and this year i was able to enjoy myself .. keep up the good work !

good luck and hope for a slimmer 2012

I dont use protein drinks either i just get all mine from fresh food, if i am hungry in between meals i snack on 3 dried dates or 5 almonds or some 0 fat yoghurt, skimmed milk in coffee are tea also keeps me going too .

I think u should try to add another 100-200 calories a day and increase your exercise if u are doing any, If your weight loss stalls its time to change something but small changes can make a difference so dont go mad and change too much .. good luck

I hope your husband continues to improve and they find a donor for him soon. You seem to have a great reserve of inner strength but the other posters are right u do really need to take care of yourself whilst u are having to cope with everything. Might be an idea to carry some almonds/peanuts or something that has some carbs etc in it so u can snack on something at the hospital if u need to. A car cant run without fuel and u cant do what you have to do without fuel too. Hoping 2012 sees some good changes for you and your family my thoughts and best wishes to you.

I was uncomfortable when i got home but it wasnt really painful. Everyone is different good luck for your surgery.

Are you on clear liquids or just liquids ? if its just liquids i would add some skimmed milk to yoghurt to make it more like liquid, this may help with the hunger Friday is pretty close now so u dont have long to go

i try and respond to forum questions much more than i do blogs as i have limited time on here so i try and read the forums mostly

I was a type 2 diabetic but with extreme insulin resistance i would say that around 6 months i was back to normal i slowly reduced meds as i had heard that metformin if withdrawn too early can impede weight loss so i only have just given up taking it .. good luck i am sure your resistance will be helped by the band.

I am trying to compile a rough guide of do's and don'ts for success with a lapband. I know not everyone will have the same experiences but i would welcome any helpful input. The list so far : Do's Make losing this weight the priority in your life. Make the scales your friend not your enemy. Be determined that you will not get sidetracked from getting to your goal. Try to get as much Protein from fresh food as you can, fish, chicken and turkey are good, some vegetables are too like frozen peas, then milk products like 0 fat yoghurt, 0 fat cottage cheese and skimmed milk. Become your own expert. Learn from mistakes, like what food sticks and what food you can eat. Do as much exercise as you can, find what works for you then stick to it, every day without fail, push yourself a little further each week. Burn more calories than you eat. Follow your nutritionist’s/dietician’s and surgeon's advice. Use your own common sense, everything in moderation works well. Make a sharp knife and a teaspoon your essential items. Eat what your body needs not what your mind tells you Keep yourself hydrated. Dont's. Eat as little processed food as possible. Dont eat anything that is white ( bread, Pasta, rice etc) too high carbs and calories. Dont test the band to see the limits of what you can and cant eat. Dont buy food that will tempt you, if its not in the home u cant eat it . Dont try to cheat, the only person who will pay for it is you. Dont let yourself down. Dont eat junk food as a treat, find another treat ! Dont get stressed or impatient, things may take longer than u want. Dont make life difficult for yourself, have food in the freezer that you can eat, plan meals ahead of time. Dont eat with your mind or eyes, eat what your body needs. Don’t fixate on what you can’t eat, concentrate on what you can eat. Thanks

Thats exactly what u need to do to get this weight off .. gratz to u on your hard work ..

I really hope that your fill goes ok and of course u can get back on track, I am sure that after all that you have been through that you will be successful and get back to using your band. Good luck !

Gratz and well done especially this time of year, keep up the good work !

I am also coming up to a year banded and I agree with B-52 sometimes u do want to scream as an initial reaction to some questions then u just try and help as best you can. I might not be here as much as i was intially but dont mind sharing time and experiences to help other people Merry Christmas to you all !

What you are feeling is normal post-op hunger sometimes called bandster hell ! some people feel restriction after surgery some dont, if you dont then it will come once u start getting fills. Just follow your instructions given to you for post - op food etc and be patient. You arent doing anything wrong. My surgeon told me that many patients can put on a few lbs whilst waiting till their fills start kicking in so relax, even if you are hungry u wont starve to death find something else to do to take your mind off food .. except this time of year thats not easy i know but things will happen in time so just hold onto that thought ! good luck and merry christmas ...

It would be cheaper to buy to a deep fat fryer with a thermostat and timer and just fill with Water ... now you have a water bath both time and temp controlled ! If you want to see if u can eat this type of cooked meat , i am sure many resturants cook this way .. go out for a meal

So very very true !

For most of us exercising is one of the key factors in sustaining the weight loss, restriction of food will only take you so far down that road, then you need to start looking at calories in and calories burned by exercising, not everyone needs to but if u say you arent exercising then have a go

loved the song humming bird, thanks for the link !

You may have hit a long plateau. Might be an idea to track how much you are eating and how much you are burning off in exercise .. if calories in are less than calories out most times you should lose something

My port is on my breast bone, are u sure its not your port ?

Happy christmas and new year to you all and good luck for 2012 !

To be honest i would talk to your Surgeon about the financial burden that you feel under in relation to the 'extra' costs of things like protien shakes, why do they insist on you having to buy Bariatric Advantage Protein from them.. ? Stress can be a real problem when trying to lose weight, even if you dont eat when stressed it can mess up your metabolism whereby you dont lose anything. It sounds like you are worried over a lot of things at the moment and maybe you need to consider postponing for a while or looking into getting another doctor. Having success with a band is not just about food, its about being in the right frame of mind to dedicate time and effort into getting results. Might be an idea to ask family friends for christmas presents of protien shakes. I really hope things go ok for you.

I am doing very well, is good to hear you are too. This christmas i am not on a pre-op diet of just 600 calories so i am going to enjoy myself a little more. I wont lose any weight i dont think but i still intend not to put any on