lifebegins2012

My personal targets for 2013 include reaching my goal weight and to have paid the surgery off both my 12 month anniversary-29th March. Neither will be easy but I'm determined to keep trying.

Exercise in 2013 will also be a big thing for me as I haven't tried too hard in that area and I really need to tone up now I'm nearly 50lb down.

Seasons greetings to you all and here's hoping 2013 is a good year for each and every one of us! x

HI. I was aware that my surgeon sometimes 'primed' gastric bands with a bit of Fluid at the time of surgery but he was the only one at the hospital who did. My records showed he had put a whopping 4mls in my 10mls band

so I was hoping to get to restriction with only a couple of fills. When I went for my first fill the nurse drew the fluid out the check how much was there and it had reduced to 3.5mls. I was told this 'sometimes happens'.

I've had 4 fills and am at 6.85mls and am doing well. ( I was told to expect restriction at around 7mls). I doubt I'll need any more fills but I do have to watch the amount of 'easy slider' foods like ice cream as that goes down a treat and far too easy!

My surgery was also at end of March but I got 4mls in my band at time of surgery(by my first fill it has reduced to 3.5mls). I've lost but wasn't good last month and loss was minimal. I put off ringing the dietician as I kept thinking I will do better tomorrow... When I finally spoke to one of the team she just said it showed I was ready for my next fill. All that guilt and she shrugged it off!!!! I had my 4th fill one week ago which has taken me to 6.85mls in a 10mls band and wow!! I have restriction. ( I had been told it happens around 7mls or at 70% capacity if band is bigger). I can only eat 2inches of a banana in one go( I'm sad, I measured) and am experimenting again with what I can eat.

As per my norm I have dry Cereal in the morning, chicken salad for lunch and vary my evening meal. 6 weeks ago I could still have eaten a Sunday roast!!

Hope you weight loss kicks in properly soon. We can't help compare ourselves to others, I think it's human nature. I have a friend who still hasn't achieved 14lbs loss after 12months and another friend who has lost 70lbs since surgery Feb12- both have bands.

xxx

Congrats on your weight loss x Some people gain in the first month never mind losing small amounts. Yours is a MASSIVE amount. I think I achieved about 9lb in that time. x I'd be feeling pretty smug if it was my loss. Your doc might have been having a bad day maybe?

xxxx hugs xxxx

Hi. Relatives can't half be hard work at times!! My mom can get irate very quickly out of the blue. She doesn't swear or be offensive directly but does lots of slamming, banging, etc which for someone of 60 seems really silly!

If I were you, I'd try and make a stand. It sounds like people have put up with her ways but she has really overstepped the mark. If you don't do this now then you're giving out the signals that it's ok for her to continue doing things like this. We can all say things in anger/temper and I really do hope she regrets her behaviour but she does sound stubborn so it might take some kind of 'meet in the middle' actions, maybe instigated by your dad to help move forward. Do you picninc as a family? Maybe dad could suggest going somewhere away from 'her territory'.

I hope you get a happy outcome xx

Hi. My surgeon 'primed' my 1mls band with 4mls at time of surgery. When the nurse checked at 1st post op appt, this had reduced to 3.5mls. She said it happens!. 3 fills later I'm at 6.25mls in my 10mls band and am still fighting the demons of bad food choices on an evening and all the wrong things go in and down(and not small quantities). I'm not winning this week! I do find I have restriction morning and lunch so maybe need to munch some crispy lettuce mid afternoon to keep it going.

I wish I'd had the full 1ml offered last week instead of chickening out and only having 0.75ml. Last month it was 5 days after my fill that some restriction seemed to kick in.

Lol! Not sure those particular 'house guests' would work for everyone but heck! Whatever works for you xx

Sometimes I think I would have liked to have kept my op quiet and see who comments on my weightloss but I am the type of person who tells all about myself. I started telling people one by one at work but they all knew before my op. The only thing is now( 9weeks post op) people like to ask how I'm doing. They seem to wait until I am alone with them. SInce trhere are about 20 people at work this is getting a little annoying as I can be spending soooo much time talking about the band.

There are loads of people on here who have been there and done that with certain issues and can advise you of their experiences so use them.

I've found I was spending hours and hours every day on here initially but now feel more confident so I come on for 20mins every day or even every other day xx

Hi. I seem to have a hungry day every third or so day. My weightloss has been ok, alot less than others but I'm pleased. I have been having treats but mostly within a calorie allowance. I don't see it as a problem as I know my food intake will become more and more restricted so what I eat day might not be possible in a month. I'm not hard on myself(anymore).

I had my second fill this week which has taken me to 5.5ml in a 10ml band. The last two evenings I felt I was eating almost hourly as I wasn't satisfied. Today tho some restriction has kicked in because I can't manage more than 4-6 forkfulls of food as I have vomited.

Hope I get that with every meal as I'll be well on my way!!

I had 4mls put in my 10mls band at time of surgery. When I went for my first fill I was told the 4mls had reduced to 3.5mls.Apparently this isn't uncommon. I had 1ml added to this on 5th May and am due my next appt in 3days:)

I've eaten more over the weekend and must have touched 1500 easily but have dropped 2lb in two days. Maybe I do need more than I was having. Am due a fill in 3days so will chat to dietician then x

Hi. I was banded at Dolan Park on March 29th. I got an email with my first appt but when the dietician rang(13days post op) she brought the appt forward slightly and also booked my second fill( which is this Thurs, my first fill was 5 weeks and 2 days post op).

My hunger started at about day 5. Although you might feel fine immediately after surgery, your energy level increases and the swelling from surgery reduces so you naturally have more of an appetite. I have had ups and downs all through, lost weight immediately gained about 4lb then down more and up a bit. I think it's only when you've been through it that you realise daily weighing is perhaps not the best thing lol.I do still weigh daily tho:)

Congrats on the weightloss.. My surgery was 3 days before yours and I'm 24lb down overall. I'd like another 4lb by the end of the month when I see the dietician but once I've been to work and walked the dog a couple of times, I have no more energy left for more exercise!

I can't imagine having lost another 14lb at this stage. It really is a fab loss

I was told by my surgeon that as a guide I will probably have 6-8 fills/unfils to get restriction. I'm hoping it's more like 2-3 tho ;0)

Yes pus and discharge is a sign of infection and need sorting asap. xx

Hi. I couldn't exactly 'place' mine initially but then I suppose I didn't want to touch it incase I unsettled it. I'm over 6 weeks post op now and mine tends to sit below and to the left of my scar. As I'm sitting now, it feels it's only an inch below.The port is stitched to your muscle so won't seem to go far but as we're losing weight/body fat, things will shrink and reposition slightly. My port does sit slightly tilted so that could give the impression of moving but it was no problem when I had a fill.

Before I had my band, I joined my local support group for banders/bypassers and sleevers and had a feel of 3 peoples ports. They all felt very different and the positions varied.

I'm over 6 weeks out and have a personal target of 800cals a day but find evenings I need more so sometimes end up at 1,000-1,200. I have gotten a dog 2 weeks ago and we walk 2-3times daily.

My weight has remained the same for up to 5 days in a row and then it will start dropping. I dropped 1lb on May 13th, 1lb May 18th and can feel I might be down again in the morning. i dropped 3lb overnight on the 6th May after a slight gain the week before, what a great feeling!

I'm really happy with the speed of the loss overall but it's taken some time to realise that it's true that we shouldn't compare ourselves to others as our bodies deal with everything a little differently including burning fat etc.

I went to The Hospital Group for my surgery. I had 4mls put in at the time of surgery( apparently just something my surgeon does). I went for my first fill 5weeks and 2 days after(5th May). Nurse checked and my 4mls had gone down to 3 1/2(she said it sometimes happens) and then she gave me 1ml. I am scheduled for another fill on 31st May but am coping well and losing ok so it will be small if at all I think:)

I think once we are on a restricted diet, the odours and look of normal food can't half leave us wanting!! We have to deal with the fact that others still get hungry, have normal/large portions.

It doesn't mean we can't have a little inward sulk every now and then at 'missing out' lol. By going and having an early shower or busying ourselves with chores in another room while they are eating, we can do some mental reminding of the long term targets and the reasons why we have to get through these things.

Wishing you the best of luck:)

Hi. I'm Chris.Banded 6wks 1 day ago at Bromsgrove.

Congrats!! You're on your journey to the new you xx

Many congrats!!! You must feel like celebrating every single day xx

My work trousers were too loose and I could take them down without undoing the button/zip and hook. I went to buy a smaller pair but they didnt fit so had to buy the same sized trousers again. When I measured the waistband on my old trousers tho, I had stretched it 3" as my stomach grew!! It could just be that you've done the same Simon. We tend to wear the same 'comfy' clothes day in and day out and the regular washing/wearing will mean the fibres loosen

Dads Eah?? I wnet for my first fill 2days ago. Dad came in the nurses room to watch ( mom wasn't keen). Dad decided to tell the nurse that I was 'born hungry'. He apparently had to feed me 15mins after being born.

Why do parents feel the need to embarrass you? I should be used to him now ;0/

I'm only 5 and a bit weeks post op and have made a couple of mistakes with chicken. I bought 2kgs minced and bagged them into flat palm-sized portions for the freezer. This way they are to hand and defosted/dry fried in minutes. I have eaten shop bough chcken with pata meals and have been a little sick so I need to pay attention to my band.. miced(ground) is good,small diced(but not minced) is not so good.. Also my first(and only) attempt at boiled egg so far resulted in the same sickness even though I chewed, chewed, chewed!!!

My dietician said yesterday that I should try all food varieties now.. ALL. scarey as my handbook says certain things should be after 3months post op. Hope this next stage of trial and error isn't too bad!