Maincat

I've now got to target weight :rolleyes2:, so here are my before and afters.

Hello, Good luck with your surgery. I suspect everyone gets nervous - I certainly was - but it will be worth it! You are about to start a fantastic weight loss journey which can transform your life, so I really wish you the best. I'm assuming you are going private - does your provider not do fills? Also, if you live in Derby(shire), why didn't you go NHS? They have a brilliant facility at the Derby City Hospital with low waiting times.

Katie, I'm really pleased that you are going back to your GP. I don't know where you are in the country, as I'm sorry to say, the post code lottery does operate. However, obesity is getting a higher profile and the band is a cost effective treatment. If you are nearish to Derby then you are lucky in my opinion, as their services are expanding to take on gastric bypass as well as the band. It does sound like you are ready to make those necessary changes in your life to tackle your weight. I had to get really scared about my own mortality in order to make the changes. Keep in touch and let us know how you get on.

Hi Katie, I had mine on the NHS. When I had mine done, the waiting list was six months, which I know has now come down. My BMI was 41.2 with co-morbidies. I went through the diets, pills etc and had wonderful support from my GP. I didn't find that getting on the list was an issue. Losing a lot of weight can sound very daunting at the beginning. Give yourself a reasonable time scale to lose it - I gave myself a year. Eat smart, lower the portion size, don't eat the obvious - bread, fizzy drinks, sweets, deep fried foods, takeaways etc. I also exercise - Mr Motivator is great - and cycle. It wasn't easy at the beginning, but now is a natural part of my life.

I knew I had sleep apnoea before the band was fitted. I had been using a CPAP machine for about three years. SA can be a very dangerous condition - falling asleep while driving etc - so please get a sleep study organised asap. Now the weight has come off, no more SA, no more CPAP.

Good luck Becky - I'm sure that everything will go well and hope that your weight loss journey brings you happiness.

Just to say well done and hope that you continue to thrive.

I hear that the waiting list at the hospital I had my band fitted at are now three months. Not such a long time really.

I don't have a Bodybugg. I feel like a failure now.

I heard that BMI is a pretty rough measurement of obesity, due mainly to muscle weight v fat weight, so I Googled and discovered the Waist/Hip Ratio. It seems that For women: an ideal figure is 0.72 or less and For men: an ideal figure is 0.89 or less. Go on, get a tape measure. I can wait.:thumbup: I would say that BMI is the better known and more widely used measure, but has faults. Any views welcome.

There are so many possible reasons that people put on weight. Over eating, lack of exercise, medical conditions.. the list goes on. I had a similar start point to you in terms of weight. My wife has also lost some weight as I have, without making the conscious effort to do so. My family have been wonderfully supportive on my journey. She certainly didn't need to lose weight, but says that she feels better for doing so. Although your sentiment is worthy, you may have gone about it in the wrong way. If she is not unhealthy, has a normal range BMI, exercises etc, then I think leave her be. The motivation for losing weight has to come from the person him/her self.

Hi there, I would take your doctor's advice on this. I wouldn't have thought that there is a problem, but with rugby being so much of an impact sport I can't be sure. I cycle, so I can't compare. I haven't seen anything that bars people from doing sports, but the last thing you want is a problem with the port or band - or tube becoming detached.

Hi there, The nerves and doubts are perfectly normal. You are about to take a really big step towards changing your life and any change can be stressful. But, it is worth it. Your weight loss journey will transform your life in so many ways. Stay focussed on that and try to remain positive. The band will prompt you to make changes to your lifestyle and eating habits. It will not do it by itself. I'm sure you know that. This is a great week for you. Go for it!

Hi there Marienola, Welcome to the forum. I'm sure that you'll find lots of positive encouragement here, as well as information. I'm approaching the end of my weight loss journey with my last target being six pounds away. During the journey I've been through a range of emotions but I've always tried to stay positive. You'll find that sometimes you hit a plateau that can be difficult to deal with, but with time and work from you the weight will come off, along with other medical issues being dealt with along the way. Give yourself a reasonable time scale to lose the weight. I gave myself a year. You'll probably lose a lot of weight quickly at the beginning, then it tapers off. Did I mention stay positive? You'll also have NSVs (Non Scale Victories) along the way. Mine had a lot to do with clothes fitting, dropping sizes, people saying how good I looked... I'm sure you'll have those too. Take loads of photos! Good luck with your weight loss journey.

Thanks again for all the posts - it's great to read them. I know it's an old expression, but really, if I can do it, anyone can. If you're going through a slow or demoralising patch, keep with it and the weight will move in time - probably sooner than you think. Take strength from NSVs and don't get too hung up on scales. Give yourself a reasonable time scale to lose the weight. I gave myself a year. I'm very fortunate to have a great support network, including all my family and friends. Above all stay positive and have fun losing weight.

Thanks for all your posts. It is a good feeling to make a target. For the first time yesterday I felt confident about my appearance in public, when I was doing my voluntary work at a hospital. I wore their uniform (medium size) and it was just a little too big!

My port and tubing was changed, but I did not have a new band. Why swap the band if the port is the problem?

Totally agree. They are the best people to give you information, advice and reassurance. I wouldn't deny the part emotional issues can play, they are very important. At the very least, see your GP.

Guys plateau too! I've hit many plateaus during the last ten months. Try to take the longer view. I lose around 7-8 pounds a month, including the day to day plateaus. Try to stay positive and motivated.

Hi all, Weighed myself this morning and I've reached my first target of BMI 24.9. This means I'm now in the 'normal' BMI range and has given me a great lift in morale. It's taken 42 weeks from the banding operation to get here (44 weeks since pre-op). My next target is to get to 80kgs. I don't think that I will set any other targets after that, except to maintain the weight at that level. To everyone, thanks for your support. To those setting off on their journey, you can do it too! Believe in yourself, stay motivated and go for it.:party:

Hi there, Of course you can have the spreadsheet. It is downloadable from my blog - address below. It is available in Excel .xls and .xlsx formats. When you get to the blog, scroll down to near the bottom and you will see a weightloss icon. Click on that and you should see the files. Any problems, please let me know. Hope you find it useful.

Hi BernieDoc, Welcome to the bandster club. I remember eating soup for several days after I got home. The discomfort does soon go and you'll find that you don't know the band is there except for the job it's doing. These are very early days for you and you may find that you lose weight quickly for a while. That usually tapers off and you go into a steady loss stage. Good luck - you'll find a lot of support on this forum.

So sorry to hear about your daughter. Good luck with your banding. I'm sure you'll find that the weight loss gives you relief from your aches and pains - it did for me - and that, given time and work from you, you'll enjoy a whole new quality of life.

That's great Arran. I meant to ask, where are you having your operation? I've PM'd you but forgot to ask. You will always find support here, no matter what your feelings are. One idea is to keep a diary of how you feel about the operation. Take loads of photos and/or movies of yourself doing even the most ordinary things. I've also got a spreadsheet that I use as a weight loss diary. You may also want to consider your exercise as you lose weight. Think about what you can do that is sustainable over time. I use - wait for it - Mr Motivator videos, an exercise bike, my road bike and some weights. Works for me. Finally, get your loved ones and friends on board. I'm wonderfully supported by everyone who knows me and it feels like a shared weight loss journey. Look forward to your new life and I'm sure everything will be fine.

Sorry if this is in the wrong forum, but I'd just like to say that we in the UK are thinking of the people of the Gulf Coast/Cuba at this testing time. I really hope that the measures taken mean that loss of life is kept to a minimum and that property damage is low. Hope all turns out well.