peek

I didn't have a bad week or weekend but I am still in this plateau phase. It has been 6 weeks and the scales haven't moved in that time. I have had a fill, and I go back for another in 2 weeks. I am eating so much less than pre-band you would think that the weight would be coming off. In fact when you look at it: 22 Feb - Band date - lost 9kg on Opti 22 Mar - start solids - lost another 4kg 26 May - 2 months later and I think I have lost 2kg all up I am doing all the right things - watching what and how much I eat, eating slowly, not drinking when I eat, exercising. I am wondering what more I can do and I am to be honest a little freaking disappointed!!!!

Thanks ladies. My DH has just joined the gym so we will see how he goes with excercise and how that affects his chol readings in a few months. He really doesn't want unnecessary surgery at this point as last year he had a particularly nasty foot infection that was not controllable by many drugs. He spent many multiple weeks in hospital on drips with some really heavy drugs after he developed a horrible multi-resistant staff infection that he picked up in hospital being treated for the initial foot infection! He has to be very careful about anything going wrong with his foot or any surgeries. Of course this has scared him. The other thing is that when he was in his 20's and at about 65kg he still had high chol. He is not convinced the LBS will fix his chol at all because of the hereditary nature of his chol. It will certainly help his weight and his heart and that is a positive I am pushing at the moment. But he has to make the choice! I am hoping at some point that he may 'come to his senses' and join me on the other side. He has seen my progress and has shown a mild interest but at this point, I think he is waiting for the 'success story' to happen (I am only half way there). Thanks again.

I always hated shoes as I have heel spurs and never felt like I was dressed up especially for work. My shoe collection consisted of entirely flat shoes or runners and I usually wore only one or two of the same pairs to work. After my loss, I have also lost 1/2 shoe size! Go figure! I also bought my first pair of heels the other day and not one ounce of pain in my feet even after wearing them to work 2 days in a row. People said I looked different, perhaps I was walking taller or more confident, I don't know, but I will be looking for more fashionable shoes in the future. I just have to lose a bit more around cankles (where the calf meets the ankle!)and my shins to look glam in a pair of stilletos!

Yes I feel satisfied now. But it takes about 15-20 mins for the message to get from the stomach to the brain to tell you that you are full. So you have to be careful or you could overfill yourself and end up throwing it up. Eating slowly I think will be the key for me. As yet I have to master that one! The head hunger is the worst of it. I find that I am still in the habit of picking things out of the pantry when I go in there because that's what I used to do. Or at my desk, even though I eat lunch at 1pm at 3pm I am still looking for something to eat. I have to stop myself every time and 'feel' the fact I am still feeling satisfied. I am sure once the mind is properly trained, that it will no longer be habit to 'inhabit' the pantry!

Hi all I am trying to convince my hubby to becoming a bandit since his cholesterol professor recommended a bypass, which my husband rejected outright. He doesn't want anything that's not reversible. The problem is there's no medical research or evidence they can find that the lapband will help with high cholesterol other than the studies done with patients who have had the bypass surgery. He is 47, overweight, has heart troubles and has had high cholesterol for many years that is not controllable with drugs. He has tried it all but they just seem to have a bad effect on his liver. Except for the weight, all these conditions are hereditary. I want him around a little longer! Simply, I would like to know if anyone here has been successful in reducing their very high cholesterol after having lapband surgery. Thanks in advance.

I am going to chime in on this pity party! :party: I too was banded on 22 Feb...I have lost ~28lbs (or 13kg) and was disappointed with my 1kg loss last month. I had my second fill last week and at last have some restriction. I am eating far less than I was last week before the fill and I am satiated for a lot longer now. I just wonder how long that will last! Plateaus should be spat on, they are a curse for us bandsters. I was hoping to lost 3kg last month but hey, 1kg is a loss and not a gain. And it will be a loss forever, and I am not grieving that 1kg at all! However, these pity parties, cannot go without recognising the fact someone is in need, so let's have a group hug: ((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( HUGS )))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) After that tight squeeze, my motto is to get back on with it. OK, let's feel a little more pity and move on. Turn the corner, do what we have to to make ourselves feel batter. But don't eat for the sake of feeling sorry for ourselves. This month, I am determined to lose 3kg. I am going to work my butt off (my DH says I have less of a butt, meaning I am less of a pain in the butt to him now!!!), but I am going to ride the stationery bike at least twice per week after work in order to work off more. I already play netball twice per week now, but I need to step it up a little more. Of course I will only be on the bike for 5 minutes each of those nights so I will start slow. I have set myself a goal of getting to 18kg lost before the end of June. The single biggest loss I have had is 18kg with WW a few years ago before I fell pregnant with #3. So that is my mini goal! I have 6 weeks to lose 5 kg which could be a push, but hey one must set goals, even if they are a little unrealistic. I hear you, I feel for you, I am with you all the way RSG. We are all here to support eachother during our good and bad times. It's just a bad time at the moment, but it's only temporary. And a good friend once told me a long time ago which is my motto: The grass is not greener on the other side, it is just a different shade.

Hi all I have had my second fill and it went just as well as my first. I asked how much they would put in my band and the surgeon said that he would feel the resistance in my band (via the port as he is filling it) before making that decision. As there was no resistance, he put in another 2ml. I now have 6ml in a 12ml band and I am happy to say that I have felt restriction. Over the weekend I didn't feel hungry at all, opting to pick if I felt peckish. I was absolutely satisfied with a toasted sandwich for lunch yesterday and didn't feel like much for dinner despite having it cooked for me for mothers' day! I hope this continues. I saw my nutritionist on Friday also, and the only thing I need to change is that she wants to see me have a solid Breakfast rather than the Up-and-Go as it slips through the band too easily. So I am to have Cereal or porridge, toast, yoghurt and/or fruit for breaky and to hopefully see if that will do me through until lunchtime! Even though I only lost 1kg over the last month, my doc was very proud of my progress. Even though I am not, I am counting it as successful nevertheless as it is a loss and at least I didnt' put on!!! I mentioned to him that I was very concious of how much I ate and that about 15-20 minutes after eating I felt satisfied. I was sort of hoping that I would feel satisfied as I was eating, but he explained to me that it takes that long for the brain to register it is full. He said that if I was still eating and I felt full then, then maybe I would have eaten too much - something I don't really want to feel! So I have to change the way I look at things and approach my eating now. Eat something about 1/2-1 cup then wait 20 minutes to see if I am satisfied. If so, don't have any more! I continue..... How's progress with everyone else?

What a hoot Josh! You have done so well. Keep up the good work, you are a lot of an inspiration.

BatKitty I am interested. Depending on the dates of course (I turn 40 on the long weekend and I am trying to organise a trip away with three of my gf). Don't know when that will be though, so put me down as a tentative.

Unfortunately eagerbandi, the rumours are true. Optifast sucks!

Crushbro, that's a hard question to andswer as we have all had different experiences. But 2 months post band, I can say that I am so glad I opted to go down this path. This is my experience: 2 weeks pre op, I did the optifast and I was strict to the point where I had nothing else but the shakes or the bars. I did one night of stir fried vegis, then thought I was cheating by doing that so I stopped! Silly me. In that 2 week period from memory I lost 9kg. So far to date I have lost 13kg with another 17 to go, but my goal weight will be reviewed when I get close to 70kg if that's possible! I had my first fill 4 weeks ago and it was a godsend. The previous 3 weeks before that I struggled in bandster hell being so darned hungry that I could literally eat a horse! After the fill (which was a breeze for me but not for others) I had momentary restriction and from day to day it changes. I can still eat large amounts but I am very aware of getting things stuck or overfilling, that I might PB or have pain like the other stories and cut down on what I eat. Funnily enough, I feel full 20 mins after eating, but not whilst. I am having my second fill on Friday and expect another 2cc in my band which would take me to 6cc in a 10cc band. They expect that between 7 and 7.5ml will be around the sweet spot for me (from their experience). So third fill won't be another 2cc but it will be at a slower rate. It's good to do things slowly otherwise you are changing from one lifestyle to another very quickly and it would be hard to adjust. Not only have I lost 13kg, but I have lost so much bulk. The scales might not have moved much in the last month, but my clothes are definately looser and fit better, and I have even invested in new clothes. People can tell I have lost weight but typically won't say it to me but others! Only my husband, kids, two good friends and my workmate knows I have had the band and I am so glad that I didn't tell many people. I don't want to have to justify the fact that I don't look any different 6 months down the track! My doc said that after fills the average weight loss expected per month is between 2 and 2.5kg. The scales have not moved this month, despite the fact I am eating way healthier foods and I exercise by playing netball at least twice per week. Again, another one of those crazy things that happen to me! I have been hit in the port site quite a few times playing netball. Mine sticks out some days and hides others! It feels to me like a baby's foot in there some days (I love and miss that feeling so I can always go feel my port to remind me of when I had the three kids!). My scars are still pinkish, totally healed, but just waiting for them to fade. My biggest problem is my thighs and my butt. I have no stomach per se to lose. I have lost weight in my arms and my legs and most importantly in my butt. A noticeable difference, but I am going to have to work hard at it. My progress pics are in the Photos section if anyone cares to look! I would post them here if someone would care to tell me how! I wish I had of taken them differently especially the pre-band ones. I have the oddest look on my face so you will have to ignore that! I still have a long way to go but I am being very patient at this stage. I am at least content at the moment especially as I look better and because my self esteem has sky rocketed. I hope you have a good outcome. You will feel better soon, and be on the mushies and loving it!

You look really happy...and darned hot!

Hi Lita Don't be in too much of a hurry to get to solids. There is still some healing that needs to occur with your band placement that is vital. Any solid foods too early may jeopardise your healing process. It is only another 7 days.....

I have hit on a great recipe I found on the reverse side of a mountain bread packet: Roast pumpkin and Ricotta cheese Pie Cubed pumpkin pre roasted in the oven until cooked (about 200gm) 3 spring onions chopped spinach slightly steamed and drained of excess Water 100ml cream (you can change this for ff variety if required) 200ml milk (light ok) 1/2 cup ricotta cheese crumbled (I use fetta - much tastier) 3 eggs Layer 3 sheets of mountain bread in a quiche dish. Brush with water between sheets. Put in pumkin, spring onions and spinach around the base. Mix cream, milk and eggs and pour over the top. Cook in 180 deg oven for 30-40 mins. Yummo I too look at the American recipes and get totally lost. What in the **** are pork grits?

Batkitty Good luck tomorrow. I hope it all goes well. When do you feel like catching up again for a coffee? My shout!

Hi Lita The breathing exercises were the worst for me! It took about a week before I could do it properly. The physio gave me a contraption that I had to suck the life out of to lift three balls. My god it was difficult, but I got there and I am glad I persisted. I didn't have any gas, but I had mild shoulder pain but I never took pain killers for it. It did last about a week and then voila you start to feel alive again. There was no hunger from me for at least three weeks after surgery. You may or may not feel the same. Keep up the good recovery.

HI Aus_girl. I can understand your disappointment. However the doc would have had a couple of valid reasons for not wanting to fill you. You are only 5 weeks post op and there's still healing to be done there. Perhaps there's irritation there due to all the vomiting etc? That cannot be good for the healing process. You don't say how much you vomited or had food stuck, but it would ring alarm bells to me. That is definately not normal. It begs the question that perhaps you may not be chewing your food until it almost dissolves in your mouth, it could be that you are eating too quickly or perhaps the wrong things. Have you seen a dietician? The doc is doing the right thing by you, not for him. You are paying him for that privilege and while it is a huge downer, he knows best. I know you understand this although you don't want to hear this right now. I could suggest that you have a few days off the solid food and go back to mushies until the vomiting settles down a bit. I know you are hungry, I know it I have been in bandster hell (and still I sometimes go through it depending on the day!) but you have to stick with the rules to make this work. As a general rule, I don't eat anything until lunch time. I have a cuppacino and a Sanitarium Up-and-Go for Breakfast, I have tuna, avo and mayo for lunch and for dinner some Protein and a salad. This is pretty much every day for me. 8 weeks post op, I have not once PB'd nor has anything stuck. Consider changing what you are eating to give your body something different. Even if it's a Soup or porridge for one of your meals, I am sure if your band is having some difficulties, that it will be relieved to have something slip through it rather than get stuck. I feel for you, but remember this is a slow process. You loss in 5 weeks is staggering, you should be proud of that, and keep building on that success. Things will improve - I am sure. Hugs

Hugs. What an ordeal..one that will test you. I am sending ***good arm vibes*** your way in the hope it will awaken those lazy nerve endings....Stay positive. Your loss is also an inspiration.

2 weeks ago I tried on my denim skirt and my jeans which were both too tight across my bum enought to be uncomfortable. Whilst I didn't lose weight those two weeks, I must have lost bulk as I fitted into both! So that's a NSV for me! But yes, I have lost 13kg (28.6lbs) and some of my old clothes that I still barely get away with definately look better on me now than they used to. In fact they probably look all wrong as they are so big! I have bought a couple of items of clothing, but I have a wardrobe full of clothes that I have kept 'just in case I lost a few kilos' that should now fit. I can't wait to buy new things in a size smaller than I can remember!

I am two weeks past my first fill and there are times when I feel restriction and times when I don't. The lump in my throat appears some mornings and doesn't on others! Fickle..... As I do most of my eating in the afternoon/night I obviously feel it most then, but I do know when I have had enough. I haven't had pain, but what I feel is quite bizarre and kind of hard to explain. I have two weeks until fill #2!

I play netball two nights per week and that's about all the exercise I do. I am way too busy (does that sound like an excuse) to dedicate more time out of my week as I work full time and I have three young kids. Bit hard when I spend all weekend doing usual family stuff. I find that I am coping much better with my fitness around the court. Last night's game was a cracker and although I was pretty puffed, there was no time when I actually 'gave up' and didn't follow the ball. I think my fitness level has improved by at least 50% by losing 13kgs! I wonder how I will go when I have lost all 30kg! I am going to have to change my routine as my body will get used to that type of exercise. I did body combat and body pump classes a few years back and loved it, so I may take that up again if I can manage the time! The exercise has definately helped, even though I was already exercising preband.

Jet. Who are you being banded by at Warringal? Dr Aly? Good luck - stick with it. You will be fine.

Jamie I have just indulged in 3 new bras. I feel like a real woman in them. I stand tall and proud and even though I have lost weight there, they feel bigger! My husband plans on getting me some sexy lingerie when I reach goal, so he has some plans. :biggrin: I thought I would put $50 bucks away each time I lose a couple of kilos (1kg = 2.2lbs). That way I can splurge at the end on whatever I want! When I was on weight watchers a few years back, I lost a total of 18kg and at the end of it my hubby and I got tattoos. I had never wanted a tattoo before until I saw one that I liked. Never considered the pain or the lifetime thing, but it is still a great reminder of what I could achieve. They can be quite addictive, so I might get another one!

Little black dress with CFMB's! I haven't owned a dress since I was about 14 and would love to get into a size 14 without "wide load" being displayed on my bum! CFMB's here in oz and probably other areas are Come F*** Me Boots..not that I need that as I a married woman with three kids!! :biggrin: As we are heading into winter here, I might just be able to slide into some this year. I am 40 in 10 weeks time, and I would just love to be able to wear both.