Kelliebelly

OK, I hadnt lost weight since Christmas time before the tuck but thats not included. I had looked at these threads so many times thinking how yucky it would be checking in every week with no loss. It is just under 6 mths till my wedding and I really need a kick in the butt to get down to what I want to be for it. I was banded exactly one year ago today(Aussie time) and have lost just on 70lbs, slower than most but I am getting there. I have been big on and off most of my life and have never lost weight before without starving myself or something stupid like that. I have come this far without exercising very much so when I am able I am going to kick in some serious exercise. I am going to try and stay totally focused and get this weight moving again. Congrats heather on the huge loss, you are an inspiration!!!! Highest weight - 265lbs Current weight - 191lbs

Jess, Its all over and you wont know yourself right now. I have been thinking about you all day. Cant wait to hear how it went. Rest up and pump that pain pump like its never been pumped before

Well, I jumped on and immediately logged into the general forum and posted a thread for you. I should read evrything properly first. Oh well...2 well wishes threads can only be better for you. I wish you all the luck Jess and I know once you get through the initial discomfort life will be sooooo different, in a way you really cant imagine. Concentrate on that, especially when you start stressing tonight. Cant wait to hear how you go. Hugs

Hey Jess, Good Luck with the Tummy tuck and other procedures tommorow. Just wanted to get some well wishes behind you and let you know we are all thinking of you. You wont know yourself when you are finished. Anytime you feel pain in the first couple of days, softly feel your tummy and imagine how great you are going to look in and out of clothes now. Having little peeks at your perky new boobies will also help take your mind off the pain :eek: Hugs and feeling nothing but excitement for you right now.

I never had reflux before banding except when I was in my late stages of pregnancy. I ended up having it pretty bad before I went and seen my Dr and he put me on Omperazone(sp). I think I might get him to check it out because if I am late in taking my tablet the reflux comes back full force. Thanks for the heads up! Ps Good to hear from you Delarla :eek:

I am doing great also. I am down 70lbs, slower than most banded at the same time but I sure am not complaining. My life has done a 360 turn since I was banded. I am so much healthier. I do so much more, my kids enjoy me more. Instead of sitting around eating and moaning I get out there. I have got back into sport. I love volleyball and I gave it up. I have taken it back up and I am loving it. A couple of weeks ago I had my TT and that was just the icing. I didnt know life could be so good. When one good thing happens other things seem to follow. I dont know what it is but I am one happy chappy at the moment. I love my band!!!!!!!!

It must be something about the scales not wanting to go under 200 because I have spoken to so many people who lose some weight but once they get close to 200 it just wavers for a month or 2 teasing them week after week. It did the same for me for weeks. Damn scales...

Its something we all look foward to, and it feels oh so good to get there. I went up and down for ages before hitting it. Relish it!!

I have been banded a yr and have done my best to improve my food choices. I have cut down the Take Away to once a month or so. I have converted to Light and low fat everything. One thing I just cant give up is choccy. I have to have some choccy every couple of days. I think with all the improvements I have made it my life and how far I have come that a bit of chocolate here and there is godd for me, after all it is full of antioxidents :confused:

I bet after that LBL the clothes look so much better on you though? DO not concentrate on clothes sizes ever, they are so innacurrate. Cut yourself some slack, I bet you look bloody awesome!!!

I think of it like this, without the band I would still be 265lbs...no I would be bigger by now. You have take every moment with the band and embrace. Lose your weight, live, learn and enjoy. Retrain yourslef as much as you can. Try and teach yourself to eat like a "smaller" person does. Eat when you are hungry, get through the head hunger. Prepare yourself for the day that you may lose your band but dont let it rule you. Just know after my big speil there, I am re reading it and thinking I really have to take my own advice more. Its soooo much easier said than done, but I would do this again in a heart beat...over and over again.

Hey, Thanks you guys. Umm as for size I was a C before and a C after. Before I actually had to lift and squash and tuck my boob into the cup. It was so grose. Now they just go in there comfortably...My areolas were huge, like saucers. he said he would give me a more "youthful" areola. Now they are the size of 20 cents. It doesnt hurt and hasnt from the beginning. Like I said my boobies feel like I am getting my milk in...a discomfort or pressure type thing..no pain. The areolas still have the stitches will come out Saturday, they will then relax and work back into a nice rounded shape. Areola cookie cutter...I like it!!! Heather - I am being straight up with you guys so you know what to expect. Honestly the insicions have never hurt. They are numb. Inside hurt from the muscle repair and where I was lipoed hurt. Lipo is the killer, I felt beaten and bruised which I was. I know it all looks yucky, I was the same when I researched, it scared the pants of me, but its nowhere near as bad as it looks. Just imagine and picture the after and it will get you through it. Thats what I did. Ill take some more pics this weekend after the stitches come out and let you see. I am not looking foward to the rest of the BB stitches coming out as they have skin over them ughh. Oh yea that reminds me, Jess...yes the BB stays an outtie yayyyyy!!!! Remember if you want an outtie let your PS know. They can usually do it both ways, makes no difference to them. Hugs everyone

Here is a close up to show you the scar technique my PS used to lift my breasts. He didnt have to cut me along under the boob just the lollypop cut. Around the areola looks yucky right now, but when the stitches come out(Saturday) it relaxes and settles into a nice shape. I wasnt sure if this close up is a bit much, but just wanted all you guys that are saying you want a lift see what is involved. Any offence, simply email me and I will delete them...no worries.

My life has been one big yo yo of dieting. Up and down, but mostly up. i would starve myself down to a half decent weight for a while then put it all back on and more. I often think about the difference in the way I am treated by people when I am big and when I am not so big. I decided this time around that all those stuck up snobs that put their nose in the air and looked down on me when I was big will never get the time of day from me. I am still the same person with the same personality, just a lil extra cushioning. It was those sort of people that had me believeing I am worth nothing when I am fat....that I am ugly and not worth the air I breathe. No more of those type of people. I am taking NJchicks advice..Surround myself with people who are positive and care about me...and that always have. The others well they can go jump.

Jess, I did the same, I went and bought trackies and stuff a couple of sizes bigger...it all wasnt necessary. The swelling is huge but I can still fit into clothes that I couldnt pre op(TT). The skin they cut off gives you so much more room in your clothes, it will be a pleasant surprise. I also thought I would live in trackies and jammies, but 1 week later when I was feeling btter, I went through my cuboards like a mad woman trying on all my clothes from when I was smaller. I have been getting dressed up to just go up the shop and get milk. to be able to wear pants and not have to wear a big long shirt to cover the gut is a great feeling. You will see. How long is it now and can I ring or txt you after a couple of days when you are feeling better?

Margo, Before this week the last time I lost weight was January. I have beenon a major plateau. I know myself I was making bad food choices and I am trying to improve that. I often have to remind myself to look at the bigger picture also. I feel like my weight comes off so slow, a lb here, a pb there...a lb a month. I wonder if I am ever going to lose it. Next thing it has been 12 mths and I have lost 70lbs. I know it is quite a slow loss, but hey I got there, slow and steady and all that right?? Well looking at your stats slow and steady your not. You have lost as much as I have in 5 mths less time. Remeber keep looking at the bigger picture, it paints a prettier picture

I know in my opinion when I reached my sweet spot I just knew. I remember posting question after question asking but how will I know?? How long will it take? It will come to the stage where food isnt constantly on your mind. You will eat a small amount of food and you will feel full rather quickly, it will also keep you satisfied for 4 hrs or so. There are days when I will have a naughty day and eat chocolate, ice cream and lots of bad stuff. I think during these days that maybe my fill is disappating but then I get back onto the solid proteins and realise that I still do have great restriction. No matter how much restriction you have you will always be able to easily eat chocolate and ice cream, remember that when you are working your way up to the sweet spot. Good Luck

I had 2ccs put in the time of surgery. At 6 weeks he took me up to 4.5ccs. I never felt restriction till I got to about 7ccs and each time it would just disappear over a period of a week or so. I have now had 9 fills and I have 9.6ccs/mls in my band. I have great restriction and have had so for about 5 months. Dont worry if after this fill you find you have great restriction that just disappears in a week or so, it happens! Also our bands can take up to 12ccs safely if needed. Good Luck

Heather, the TT scars havent been painful yet at all. I am numb on the insicion, above it and below it. I have a little sensation in the scar right at the end. This will last up to 12 mths. Kathy, it amazed me too, one of the lapbanding scars is completely gone...now that is what amazed me.

Close up of my belly button. They took my old belly button and made a new one. My old one was a big ol hole that resembled the grand canyon. Having an outtie is so exciting.

I seen a question I forgot to answer regarding my port. My port was not moved in the operation. He worked around it. I could have had it replaced with a low profile one, but didnt want the extra cost for someting that really doesnt bother me anyway. It doesnt protrude and it isnt noticeable. The only thing was he couldnt pull me as tight as he would have liked because of the port and because of the stretch marks. Stretch marks being pulled tightly around the insicion can raise your risks for necrosis(skin dying) which I didnt want. He did upper ab lipo in the middle, but not the sides, because my port is on the side and it would not have been even. I think thats all the questions I had forgot to answer

Remember its midnight here and I am in my nighty and suffering from swell hell

Day 13 close up of scar front and side. Take note of the scars left from my banding and how keloided they were/are. My PS has said after looking at my new scars they are going to heal very nicely. I still have alot of stretch marks which arent quite that noticeable. They did go right up to under my breasts before, so it is a great improvement for me.

Hiya everyone, I was thinking about the pinny pics and I really tossed and turned about whether to post it or not. I am a shy, self conscious person and I have NEVER I repeat never let anyone besides my partner and Dr see me like that. Like I have said, I wanted you guys to get a real picture of the before and after, and the fact is, you do get a pinny lift and you do get insane swelling in the mound. I think blacking it out would take away the effect KWIM? If anyone is desperate enough to want to do anything but use my pics for anything but educational purposes then they must be sick!!! Heather - I had my first baby at 17 and have had a body like my B4 pic since then. It was terrible being a teenager looking and feeling like that, so I can totally relate. Wait till you are done with the kiddos and go for it, you will never look back. Kathy - Thanks for all the compliments you give me, you sure know how to make a girl feel good. I agree on the links thing, I didnt want someone coming to read an update and being confronted with me in all my glory, what a sickening thought. I am treading very carefully with this post as I really dont want to offend anyone. HUGS The next thing I really wanted to mention was the keloiding. I am going to dig around for some pics of my lap banding scars. They were reallyyyyyy bad. I keloided so bad and one of the main things worryiing me with the TT was keloiding again. I chose a PS that specialised in minimal scarring and was prepared. He spent alot of time suturing my scars so they would be ultra fine, and they are. I really am happy with them, so dont let that be the reason to stop you doing this. I am going to go take a pic right now of my scar so you guys can see. Be back soon PS Thanks EVERYONE for the compliments - it means alot :faint:

Jess, Pain is all but gone now...aches yes...pain no. It is coming from the lipo. the thing that really bugs me now is the lipo. I will get up put some shorts or pants on and by mid afternoon I have to take them off because they dont fit me(too small). The swelling I expected but never really comprehended the extent of it. I literally look preggers after midday. Hugs