fairydust

Hiya everyone. Just wanted to make my journey official to try and gain some control! I was 364lbs before surgery in August 2007 and have only lost 50lbs since then, so I still just have over 150lbs left to go. I am starting to feel very dismayed with my band I don't really know how to use it and don't feel like I have a lot of support. So I was looking for someone to really get me over this stop I have been at and help me along the way. So many of you are doing well. If any of you have any advise or words of encouragement I would be grateful! I have a pretty good level of restirction I think, my surgeon won't add any more at the moment, he said I need to try and sort out my eating habits but doesn't seem to help in that way! By the evening my band is pretty loose so that is mainly when I think I need to be more careful.

Thanks for all the replies I agree with everything that has been said it is a tool and I KNOW IT IS MY FAULT!!! Going back to basics I am gonna try a couple of days on liquids to try and get out of any habits and plan the next few days healthy meals and concentrate on portion size. Lets sort this out!!

Thanks everyone for your ideas. I have just joined a gym to up my exercise so that will surely help. I am going to look into seeing a nutritionist i'm not sure how to go about it but think I will make an appointment to ask my Dr. Any more suggestions or things which help you is always brilliant to know about!!

Thanks Jack, I know I am my own worst enemy! Perhaps you could tell me the one thing that you find essential to using your lap band. I know the basics are don't drink with food, which I always do, don't eat slider food etc. But what one thing should I focus on to get this moving again? Also what do you all think should be the calorie allowance per day? I wish I had a proper eating plan but my surgeon only gave me details for the mushy stages and then said "all you need to do is eat healthily and small portions" Well if I could just do that I wouldn't have had surgery!!

Hop you guys can give me some advice! I have had my band just over a year and have only lost 60 lbs, I keep playing around with the same few pounds over the last few months. I had my last free consultation at the end of August and the Dr wuld not give me a fill because he said there was a lot of Fluid ihn the band (9) in an AP Large and he said I need to focus on my eating but he has never given me a food plan! I have been doing WW but my body seems in a mess when it comes to losing weight! I can eat a lot more than a starter sized plate which is what I understand I should be eating. I am planning on going back to my Dr but it costs £150 and I want to go in with some idea of how I should be feeling and whether I should have a fill or not. I don't want to get there and have to pay for me to be told no fill again. I'm desperate I really need to keep losing weight I am strill just under 300lbs!! Any ideas?:rolleyes2:

Thanks for your responses I am going to keep a food diary. My surgeon hasn't got a food plan to give me! I can't believe it! Gonna try a get this moving a bit more before I go in a think. Gonna look at the slow losers now! mnn2501: I do think that if you have a lot to lose like us this is perhaps not the best option I am trying to lose it as a tool but I really was hoping for it to be a bit more useful than this! Stilol lets keep going and see how far we get, it will be a lot further than if we tried on out own!!

I have been at a stop now for weeks and I know I can do this! Today is a new start and if I stay on track today it will help get me started losing again! So I have oficially said I AM GOING TO BE GOOD TODAY AND I NEED EVERYONE TO HOLD ME ACCOUNTABLE TO IT!!

Hiya! I have posted on the UK forum before but nowhere else and now everything is going ahead I thought I would introduce myself properly and see if anyone had any advice! I am nervous and excited, I start my pre-op liquid diet on wednesday and determined to stick to it! My current weight is 24st 3lbs so I have loads to lose and I can't wait to start. If anyone has any tips please share them! I can't really imagine what life after my surgery is going to be like!

How di dyou all get your band? I am going private but I don't have the money. I am hoping my family will agree to help, so Mum is coming with me to my consultation in a couple of weeks time, but a may need to get a loan . I am not a home owner so how can I get money? Any advice greatly received!!:help:

YEP!! Most of those, I am not bothered about Tennis and luckily am not on any medications! But I can not wait to.. .........shop anywhere I like .........show my arms off rather than cover them up in the summer because of the size and horrid shape (think that will need more surgery!!) .........run a race .........not feel self concious in a room thinkng they are all staring at how big I am .........be more adventurous in the bedroom!!:smile2:

This may seem a strange question, but I am not sure hw much of it I have! I have a large AP band with 9 in it. I definately eat less quantity than I used to. I have just had my 3rd fill and I feel a tight sensation where the band is and I had some swelling after te fill which caused discomfort but I have not noticed much change int he amount I can eat. I expected to be able to eat only half a sandwhich and I ate a whole one yesterday for lunch and I seem to have no problem with bread. I do find Pasta is not good and red meats and I have had some sliming but only once where I was sick. What do you reckon? Am I just eating the wrong things? What foods are good for restriction. I was only given basic healthy eating guidelines and I feel like I need a diet manual!! Any help gratefully received!!:biggrin:

Thanks Jack I think you are right, I really have to work on that. I guess I still think the band can do more than it does sometimes!! If you have any good techniques or support for this sortof thing I would love to know!! fairy x

Hiya I went with HW Centre, not got the easy band though purely because felt there was more research on the other and thats wht I felt more comfortabe with. If you are worried about the fills don't be they really are a walk in the park. I now that on many of the threads you hear people say (especially in the usa) that it hurts and they have a local-but HW don't use anaesthetic and it really doesn't hurt. I would reccomend them-who are you talking to there? I had Rachel she was brilliant. The only thing I would say is that it is harder than I expected because you still have to diet to an extent e.g what you eat. I strugle with eatng crap when I feel low-I am an emotinal eater and I am not getting much support for that. Any questions feel free to PM me, we are near the same age aswell so that is good!

Just wanted to share my news!! Just weighed myself an for the forst time since I was at school I weigh less than 300lbs!! 297 to be precise!! I still have a way to go but the fill I had last week has really given me the boost I needed! I wish i had not waited so long to get it done trying to go it alone! Anyway hope you are all doing well!! xXxXx Fairydust to you all!!!!!!!!!!!!:thumbup:

Can you chew chewing gum post op? I am thinking it would be a good way to chew something in the liquid stage but I am not sure if it would get my stomach doing something it shouldn't! Let me know if you have been told either way or have experience. Thanx

Hiya! Just wanted to say I went with Healthier Weight and they are really good, I had it done in the UK though not abroad. Good luck with everything!

Hi everyone, just wondering if there was anyone near me who fancied getting together to just have a laugh and gove support. I am in need of a buddy to keep me going and feel a bit lonesome!! Xmas was tough but I didn't put on anything but my weight loss has slowed right down. Going for another fill next week hopefully I will find that sweet spot! If anyone else want a buddy get in touch!!

Hiya evberyone, hope you are doing well. I ahve been doing great so far and lost a lot of weight since the op but I have come to a standstill and don't know what to do. The problem is that I feel I have pretty good restriction and I would be nervous of having another fill incase I became too tight, is this just my body trying to catch up?? Any suggestions appreciated Happy new year!!

Don't know if you have already made your decision but Healthier Weight are excellent. It cost me 7500 ish and that includes free fills for a year and ane xcellent after care package including support groups, lots of phone calls from nurses and 24hr helpline and world famous surgeons. I am doing really well and would deffo do it again with them. Don't think of the money think of the care needed. fairy X

Hi everyone! Hope you are doing well on your bandster journeys! Well I just wanted to update you all. I got through the liquids and mushies without cheating and my surgeon reccommendd 8 weeks of thyat! But it was not that difficult because I wanted to heal properly! I am on solids, have been for a week or so and loving food again but unfortunately I have no restriction. I am still eating less but it is through choice, and I have exerienced no pain or pbing at all-infact sometimes I am not even sure I have a band! So I cant wait to be filled and see it on xray. I have lost almost 50lbs since I started my pre-op diet, I was 24st6lbs and I am now 20st9lbs which is unbelievable! I am feeling great and have more energy already. I shall let you all know how my first fill goes next week, I am quite nervous about that! I am going to enjoy bandster hell until then! If anyone reading this is not sure about the procedure I can quite honestly say that in the last 2 months I have changed radically and I feel like it has saved my life! Do your research, find a good surgeon and start to watch yourself change! xxXXxx:whoo:

Just wondered if anyone else has experienced this? I have been fine had no pain for ages and then this week I was starting to introduce more texture to my mushies ready for proper food starting tomorrow but I have had this startbge pain and I can't work out where it is coming from! It is in the area of my port site scar, maybe just bit below, and i is like a short sharp stab that occurs after a few mouthfulls-although all I ate tonight was mince and I stopped as soon I felt it incase I am doing damage! Do you think this could be my full sign? I hardly ate anything and it only seemed to start this week? I have been good about following the rules from my surgeon so I don't know what it could be but I don't want to have to travel for a check up unless necessary since I have my first fill booked for a few weeks time. Any ideas welcome!

Hiya! I was banded 25/08 and I have been doing fine. I am coming to the end of my mushy stage and start proper foods on Saturday. My question is this-I was instructed to eat 3-6 small meals a day of about 6tbs and by the end of the mushy stage have a 3 meal a day pattern in place. This is fine, but rather that measure my mush I have been putting it in a bowl or small plate and just eating slowly and when I feel full I stop. I have literally no restriction and I am pretty sure I have healed well since I was on 3 weeks of full liquids the 3 weeks mushies and I have had no pain when I eat. I have building up the texture ready for proper food. Do you think the amount really matters (too late now though!!) I feel fine I have no indication that anything has gone wrong and I certainly can't eat a full meal, only about half of a normal UK serving. I just have the odd worry about stretching my puch! But my understanding is that I don't have a pouch until the first fill. Anyway this probably makes no sense, I guess I am looking nfor a little reassurance that other people have done what I have. It will be interesting to see what I can manage at the weekend!

Hope everyone is well! I am on my pre-op diet and doing well. It is not as hard as I thought it was gonna be, the shakes that have been provided to me and the Soups are quite nice and I am able to eat lots of fruit and veg so thts ok. I have lost 7lbs since wednesday!! My operation is on the 25th in Manchester and I can't wait, I am nervous and excited at the same time! I live in Dorset (Poole) and don't know anyone from around here that has had this done so if anyone can reccommend a support group near here that would be great. I am starting to get things ready for next week, so fingers crossed! Hope all of you are doing well on your journeys and I can't wait to join you in bandland!!!

Just started mushies and I was wondering if it is normal to not feel any restriction? When I was first on liquids and had swelling I could feel restriction but as I have healed I have not felt a thing. My Dr has said to have 3-6 tbs of mush at each meal and not to exceed this which I have not but I cannot feel any fullness or anything? Is this just a sign of healing? Will I feel restriction on solids before my forst fill or will I have to wait? Thanks.

This will be the best thing you ever did! The risks are small and the benefits huge! The pre-op diet really will set you up in a way you mean to go on. Good luck! You could always ask specific questions about what your worried about, but general nerves are normal! I was fine until I was on my way to the operating romm and I got a bit teary, then all I remember was waking up and thinking I had done it!! You will be fine!!