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I exercise 6 days a week. About 15 minutes conditioning work on specific areas, then about one hour cycling. Love it. You've got to enjoy your exercise and not see it as a chore. I started doing 4 minutes a day, and slowly built it up. Now, I'm 'functionally fit' as I call it, meaning that everyday activities are easy. I'm never going to be an athelete - that wasn't the aim. One exercise that I find harder than most is swimming, even though I have two pools within 5 miles. Me and swimming don't mix. I can swim, but never really enjoyed it. Find sports/exercise that you look forward to doing.

Yep, I was going to have mine in the Nuffield, but because I had Sleep Apneoa they backed out. Like no overweight person has SA eh? They didn't have the emergency facilities, so they said, and would have to take me to the City in a blue light ambulance if anything went wrong. Useless. I had a blazing row with them. Paul Leeder did my first operation. Very good guy, very friendly and professional. Good luck with your operation.

Hi there, I'm just down the road in Rainworth, Mansfield. I was banded in Derby at the City Hospital. Is that where you are going?

A poll to see what we use to access this and other websites. Not trying to say which is best - we all have our favourites - just to get a snapshot. You can vote for more than one browser.

They saw the leaking fluid on the live xray images. The NHS paid for the replacement.

I had my tubing and port replaced after fluid leaked during a fill. Easy operation, one night in hospital. Not looked back since.

Not everywhere. Derby PCT don't operate that way. It looks as if some do though, and that's a disgrace. Operating at BMI 50+ is more dangerous, so why do they not follow the guidelines? That'll be money and league tables won't it?

Hello all, I'm Steve and live in Nottinghamshire UK. I had my band fitted in November 2007 in Derby, and had to have a second operation to correct the port and tube in May 2008. My operations were by the NHS. I was 303 pounds (138 kgs, 21.7 stones) at the beginning of my journey, and now I'm at 173 pounds (79 kgs, 12.4 stones). I reached my target weight on 24 Septemebr 2008. I'd now like to lose a little more weight, maybe to get to 161 pounds. My BMI was 41.2, now it's 23.6. I was a music teacher, then worked for an international computer software company (don't let that put you off!). I'm now retired and spend my time reading, computing, cycling and around the house. I like to travel when I can. I'm married to Denise (nearly 30 years) and have a daughter Jennifer who is 23. I also have nine cats (utter madness). If you feel that I might be of help to you, please go ahead and make contact. I think I'm a very patient man with a good sense of humour. I've had both good (lots) and bad (one) experiences with the band. It has helped change my life. I've had a lot of support from my family and health professionals, which I've found essential for my success. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Hi April410, Thanks for your post. Good to hear from you. You have done so much already towards your weight loss in terms of preparation, which is great. Let's talk about motivation. I'll tell you what motivated me. I couldn't get up the stairs without being out of breath. Ordinary things were a real bind - even putting on my own socks was difficult. But more than anything else, I was scared. I could see my life just drifting away. I am mortal, and this is where I met my mortality. I knew I had to do something, not just tinker at the edges. I had to be radical. That's where the lapband came in. The pre-op diet isn't a sexy thing. It's a necessary step to take for the surgery to have more of a chance to be successful. Sometimes, I just had to grind it out. Grit my teeth and ask myself 'how much do I want this?' I realised I wanted it a lot. That's what kept up the motivation then. When I started to lose the weight, I started to see NSVs. Clothes fitted better, then not at all. I needed a new smaller belt. Then someone would ask 'have you lost weight?'. Then, I could exercise a little longer. All of these steps kept me motivated. In the next two months, you can start doing exercise. Slowly at first - just do a minute each day for a few days. Then two minutes and so on. You don't have to starve yourself, just eat sensible foods and get rid of the junk. Eat slower - take your time to enjoy your food. The disappointment in not getting your surgery earlier is over. Look to the future and try to attain a positive outlook. Look forward to a new exciting future that weight loss can help bring. Above all, enjoy the experience. Don't look for negativity or ask 'what happens if' questions. The next period of your life is set to be one of great achievement and people will be so proud of you. Just make sure that no one is more proud of you - than you. Please keep in touch, either email, PM or this forum. Best of luck for your journey - you can and will do it I'm sure.

BBC News item BBC NEWS | Health | Gastric band patients 'at risk' Comments?

Hi Keri, Well as a nurse you are ahead of the game in many ways. That's good. As for being nervous, there are so many 'what if' questions. There is no way to answer them ahead of time. The chances of complications post band operation are very low. I can really only talk about myself here. I had to have a second operation because my port and tube needed replacement. It was no big deal at all. One night in hospital and a very quick recovery. I was very unlucky but hey, that's the situation I faced. Try not to focus on what might go wrong, rather on what will go right. Being around food is no problem for me, because all the food in the house is healthy. The aim=lose weight. The method=band+self discipline. Learn to say no to food. Do you exercise at all? (I've just come in from my bike ride - about 9-10 miles). Losing weight can be hard, hard work. It's a challenge. Rise to it and be excited:smile:

Well done Chris. I too have been able to get rid of my CPAP machine due to my weight loss. After four years of using it, I'm now just about used to not having it. This is one of the benefits of weight loss that is so important. My blood pressure used to be sky high, not any more. It's really liberating to have these health issues cleared up.

Hi there, Thanks for the information. If you are getting banded soon then you must be excited, perhaps nervous, but looking forward to the changes you are about to make. You will have to follow a pre-op diet to reduce the size of the liver. This makes the surgery so much easier and therefore safer. That will be a liquid diet. I remember having Soup, and more soup. Don't cheat this. How much do you know about the surgery itself?

Then the 50+ rule/guidance is a disgrace. I was 41.2 and got banded without any problem whatsoever. I'm sick to death of this lottery - and I've benefited from it - it's supposed to be a National Health Service, not a regional one. At BMI 50, you are 20 points into obese, your life must be hell. Don't they see that? If I'm being really basic, think how much the hospitals could make from doing the lapband operation and charging other PCTs, as mine was funded. How much they would save in terms of diabetic, heart and other problems. It really gets me steamed up! Letter to the MP (for all the good that would do).

Hello Keri, Welcome to the forum. Can you please give more details about yourself? Where are you from, at what stage in the lapband process are you? What 's your weight loss background? Any specific issues that are bothering you? There are lots of people here who I'm sure can help you and give you advice.

Hello Honey76, First of all, well done for getting your band. You have started a really exciting weight loss journey that is going to improve your life in so many ways. You are still in the very early stages and should be on a liquid diet. This is to help your body recover from the operation. I had soup of different kinds at this stage. It's not the most exciting diet, but it worked for me. Be patient and the time will come for you to move back onto solid foods. The band will not be tightened at this stage and it will only be at the fill stage that you may start to feel more restriction. Before that happens, you will need self control. Drink lots of Water, sugar free squash etc. Remember why you had the operation - to lose weight. As so many people say, the band is just a tool. It really comes down to how you use it. Try not to eat/drink the wrong foods. That defeats the object. Try to stay positive and look forward to all the benefits the band can bring. I'm sure you'll be fine and in no time be really making great progress.

SP3 is getting a bad name due to installation issues with some systems. Mine went fine. If you have had a problem, post it here and we'll see if we can help.

Can you prove that? Have you done a survey of the PCTs that offer lapband surgery and you can back that up with hard facts, or is it just your opinion?

Why aren't you on medication for high blood pressure? Next move = wait for phone call from the dietician. May happen tomorrow. As for chances of getting the operation on the NHS, I'd say they were good if your GP can show that you have made the efforts to lose the weight. Get your GP to consider writing to Derby PCT and see what they say. What you don't do is give up. Stay positive, even during difficult times.

Good idea. Yesterday I had: Breakfast: Porridge and a cup of tea Lunch: Tin of chicken Soup Dinner: Small amount of stir fry - tiny (really tiny) amount of oil, loads of vegetables. During the day: 2 cups of coffee, 2 bananas, 2 apples, glasses of Water, sugar free squash. That is a pretty typical day. Always the same Breakfast, variety of Soups for lunch and whatever the family is having for dinner, just a small amount. For me the thing to remember is Portion Control.

Yes that does sound strange. It should be with the bariatric team. Perhaps that surgeon also does bariatric work. Have you had a look at the hospital's website to see if there is a bariatric team? When you go to your appointment tomorrow, the surgeon will already have been appraised of your situation by your GP. In that case, he/she will try to judge whether the surgery will benefit you or not. He will possibly look for your commitment to losing weight, your support network at home and your expectations of the operation. He will go through the procedure with you, and you may meet other people in the bariatric team, such as a dietician. He ought to be able to tell you whether or not he recommends the operation for you at your meeting tomorrow. Go into the meeting in a positive frame of mind. They want to help you and are on your side. Good luck with it and let us know how it goes.

You qualify for a lapband on the NHS with a BMI of over 40, or a BMI over 35 with co-morbities. You should talk to your GP and get him/her to refer you. You should also have shown that you have tried to lose the weight by other means - diets, slimming pills etc. Your GP writes to the hospital confirming this. I had my operation on the NHS - who were wonderful - and I had to show that I satisfied the criteria above. I had a six month waiting list, which is now down to three months. Hope that helps.

WOWOX7, That's great - you look so much better. Congratulations on your weight loss.

Max, To have a plateau is perfectly natural. We all get them. It's nothing to worry about in the longer term view, which is what you should try to focus on. I've had several plateaus and they have all gone after a time. You've got to try to stay positive and give yourself a reasonable timescale to lose the weight. I gave myself a year, which has gone really quickly. You've done really well so far to lose the 50 pounds - the plateau will go - honest.