Chickie

I am an Ovo Lacto Vegetarian. But most of what I eat is organic and whole (un-processed foods). I try to eat muesli, fruit and yoghurt every morning. Some salad, and veggie based Protein at lunch, and something similar at dinner with fruit for afters. I also exercise daily (I run 5km a day, and weight train about 3 days a week) And I honestly think that the way we exercise is as important as the way we eat. Actually, aside from me being veggie, Jacqui and I are very similar in the we we approach banded life.

The band is right for you if you are prepared to work with the bad (eat right exercise and stay away from liquid calories) But really, the question is best answered by your doctors. Best of luck!

It is very likely that you will have a slight rebound in weight. When we go from full liquids, to mushy / solid foods, we are taking in more calories than we were before. Its pretty normal.

I think this is the whole point. We know the band works. But we also know that the band takes hard work, and dedication to our new lifestyles to make it work. And that takes an amount of maturity. At 12 years old, there is no way that she has the amount of maturity required to make the choice to be banded, let alone the maturity to make it work long term. Lipo at what age 10 or 11? Let me just say, if a child (I have an almost 11 year old son, so I speak with some experience as a parent) was to have lipo, it would be the PARENT making that choice, not the child. No child at age 10 or 11 has the slightest idea what they are getting into. Even at age 12, there would be no way that the child would fully comprehend that there are risks attached to any surgery.

No. But at the same time, a 12 year old is not going to understand full what is happening, or be able to comply with a banded lifestyle, even with support from her family. A better idea would be to educate the child on what would be a better choice (food wise) and help her to develop an active lifestyle. And if she loses weight, fantastic. But if she doesn't, she will be learning a better way of life. And when she turns 18, if she elects to be banded, she will have a head start on the rest of her banded peers. It's not about approving, its about not using being banded as a quick fix. And that's they way it came off to me. The lipo didn't work, now on to the next quick fix. I cannot imagine having my 11 year old son banded. Maybe having been banded for almost 3 years, I fully understand what it takes to make the band work, and I understand that it really isn't a suitable device for a child.

The Mother is a moron. No way in hell is a child as young as that mentally able to deal with the lipo she had, let alone banding.

If you are on liquids, and are not hungry on the amounts you are eating, I say you are doing just fine. If you *are* hungry, I cannot see the harm in adding a little more. If you are supposed to be on solid foods, no way are you eating even nearly enough.

For my money, banding is a effective as it is made out to be.

You were banded not quite 2 weeks ago, correct? In that case, I really wouldn't worry too much about what you lose (or don't) till you have had your first fill. In the first 4 to 6 weeks we should really concentrate on healing. Any weight you do lose before your first fill is a bonus, really. But at 2 weeks out, and 12lbs down, I think you are doing really well. Congratulations!

I think it is pretty normal to freak out before any major surgery. Let alone a major surgery that will alter your life in a dramatic way. You will get through this! Good luck.

If I lay down, and feel myself up, I can feel the port. Can I see it? Nope.

I had a tummy tuck a year ago on the 15th. And when they did the tuck, the pubic area was lifted to a degree. For me, that's all it needed. It doesn't stick out any worse the other women my size (not that I am looking on a regular basis!) I think getting down to a healthy weight usually takes care of the pubic area fat.

Being skinny. Dammit it sucks! (totally tongue in cheek people) I would have to say a nasty PB I had about 18 months ago. Apart from that, I have had it pretty easy. I still eat out with family and friends, I still attend family functions with no food issues (issues with the family, but I can't eat them, so they are not really a band / food problem) I don't think I have had any real problems.

Thank you for your honesty. I actually wondered if people felt this way.

The "after" is a few months old now... "But here is a before and after"

(Bold mine) I honestly never had the sorts of issues you are talking about. When I was getting to know my band, after every fill I was on liquids for at least 24 hours, then mushies for another 24, and slowly introduced new solids into my diet. I took things very slowly, and perhaps that's why I never had problems. Have I ever PB'd? Yeah. But I worked out why I did it (eating a bit fast) and I avoided the actions that resulted in the PB. I guess what people are taking issue with is the fact that what you are talking about is being touted as fact, and as normal for every single bandster. And it simply isn't. Not 100% of bandsters will have these issues. But a lot will. If the wording had been slightly different, maybe that reaction would have been different. Have you given thought to going on full liquids for a week or so to see if any swelling will settle down before trying mushies and solids again? You might find that that you will have better luck eating, and keeping food down.

Yes. Very. I am two and a half years post op, and have been at goal for a year. Without my band, would be where I am today? I highly doubt it.

Congratulations Susannah!! Hiya Dazey! I am in Brisbane too. Good luck on the 28th!

(bold mine) I hate to disagree, but I still rather enjoy food and eating. Its just that I eat far, far less now, and a higher quality of food. Eating *is* important. As is *what* I eat. But the main difference now (when compared to my morbidly obese days) is that I don't eat all the time. I ate without thinking. Now I think before I eat. Before I just inhaled my food, now it sit down and savour my meals. What I had to do to enjoy my life was to fill it with other non food related thing I enjoyed (running, knitting, swimming, photography, gardening - maybe that is food related! It's a veggie garden!!) Basically, I am living my life rather than eating it.

I actually enjoy food more now than I ever did before. I savour my food rather than inhaling it (pre band days) and I enjoy high quality foods rather than quantity. It's an individual thing I guess.

Just another thought... Perhaps you are so swollen from PB'ing all the time, it has created a nasty cycle where you PB because you are swollen, causing yet more swelling, leading to another PB and so on. Maybe if you stuck to liquids for a week or so, allowing any swelling to go down, then start trying softer solid foods before trying any "solid" solid foods. Just a thought.

I didn't want to die. I was 24, almost 300lbs and was sicker than my 94 year old FIL. I knew that if I did get to 30, I would be a very sick person. I had a young son, and I wanted to be there to see him grow up. I wanted to be a good healthy example for my child. I didn't want him to be ashamed of his mother. Oh yeah, I wanted to be hot too.

Congratulations!! You look fantastic!

Was an 8.5 now a 6.

I have been at goal for over a year now. And by this stage, I just feel normal. And normal is fantastic.