Bel

I have been to Dr Martin for fills and he is wonderful, he actually takes time to sit down and talk you through any problems you may be having. My normal Dr is Jenny Duncombe and she is fab, i go to her because her hubby banded me before he went to New York. I would go with your gut, who you are the most comfortable with, they are both reputable surgeons but in the end if your not comfortable with em your the one who suffers Bel

*pops head in* hi from a Queensland girl, Welcome and look forward to hearing all about your weight loss! *pops head out* Bel

No offence, but your doctor sounds like a twit. The stuff the band is made of is very tough, it takes more then 11 weeks to eat it away, unless you have a super-stomach lol. Ask for a barium swallow to see if there is a leek or its positioned wrong, it sounds suss to me. I would also take the stills of the swallow to someone else for a second opinion Bel

My nutritionist always told me, if you slip just make sure you keep going with your exercise and eating right, if you do that you generally don't give your body time to turn it into fat because it uses it immediatly for fuel, it depends how much you ate but it can always be counteracted. Don't be too hard on yourself though, life is all about the mistakes ya know? Bel

Everything in moderation, thats the whole thing about the band it teaches moderation. If i have a craving and i've had my treats for the week i just push through it, its all you can do. Although as the above poster mentioned distraction is key. Bel

i've been banded 7 yrs. Lost 45kgs and have not put any back on, the band is a tool that teaches you to listen to your body. If you learn to tell when your REALLY hungry and when your content NOT full early on your will not put the weight back on. The people who think the band is going to do it all and who use it ot starve themselves will put it back on because they haven't lost any of their old habits. I haven't regretted getting the band, i had days where it pissed me off because i got it too tight thinking that if i didnt eat i would lose weight, then i'd throw up but once i learn't that you NEED to eat and listen to your body i realised what a gift this was. It saved my life and i cant say enough how wonderful it is for me! I now am at my sweet spot and can maintain easily with exercise and correct eating habbits but i can also eat a lot more then i could at the beginning so thats where the learning about when your content comes in, if i eat too much i put on weight. Bel

set a time everyday that you are going to exercise, you find yourself watching the clock to make sure you dont miss that time. Or exercise when you first get up in the morning, if you dont exercise you stay put until you have. I personally find that having my 'fat' photos plastered around me is the most motivating because i dont want to ever go back to that... use things you find inspirational and make sure they are around you. Even things like a piece of clothing you want to fit in to, an event on your calander you want to look good for. I also made myself a book of inspiration, its a scrapbook type thing with pictures of things i want to achieve in life and people i aspire to, when i get down i look at it and its instant motivation. This site is also wonderful. Despite being at goal weight for 5yrs i am still a little bit chubby, i came here and it inspired me again, i have lost 1kg in 4 days because im being diligent again! Bel

lol, i miss my last suppers! i used to have them every week thinking i would start losing weight next week. The band changed that and it will for you too, enjoy your last suppers while you can, i did....probably shouldn't say that im a bad influence. If you have any questions or anything i would be happy to help by the way. Im so excited for you, it reminds me how much the band changed my life. Bel ooooh i just thought of what your new nickname will be, SEXY LEXY lmao you like?

I exercise a minimum of 30mins heavy cardio 6-7 days a week but i have had a long time to get used to the idea that exercise is not really a choice if you want to lose weight and maintain :-) It just takes a lot of getting used to,stick with it and you will get there no worries Bel

It's fantastic that you realise this and im so happy for you! It took me ages to realise the band wasn't gonna do it for me. Good luck on your weight loss journey, don't forget to share your fab results once they start rolling! Bel

Hi All, Just wanted to introduce myself, its great having found this forum because people here acutally know what you go through! I have been banded 7 yrs, lost 45kgs and been on maintenance 5yrs, maybe a bit longer. Anyways, everyone looks so fantastic!!! Bel

Definatly a doctor thing, but i will still give my opinion because i just cant help myself! I had the band a while and had lost a lot of weight when it all of a sudden stopped, i got an adjustment and that didnt work so i kept getting them, till i couldnt eat or drink. I ended up in emergency waiting for a doctor who could take the fill out. After that i realised that you shouldnt be uncomfortably tight, you shouldnt throw up all the time. Since i got the band adjusted to a comfortable tightness i lost weight and got to my goal weight. This was because i focused more on being content then FULL. You need to eat, as the above posted mentioned your body goes into starvation mode, eat more and lose more. Water is also key as it flushes your body. Bel

HI Joanne, Good to see another future bandster! I have been banded for a long time so if you have any questions feel free to drop me a line. I tried optifast before, it is hell on earth! I got so malnurished i passed out after a few days on it, and that was with eating dinner. Congrats on the weight loss so far, it shows you will do well on the band since you can stick to optifast. Good luck on your journey, we will all be here for you Bel

hi, I have been on maintenance for something like 5yrs. I can eat what i want, i can eat almost as much as anyone else, get a little pain but i generally CAN eat small amounts or large, depends what i feel like lol I usually have 1 cup meals during the day and 2 cups for dinner. Still feel content for up to 4 hours but my body just stopped losing weight when it had lost enough luckily. I find a good test is if you can drink 1 ltr of water fairly quickly and you have slight discomfort then you are at the sweet spot, works for me anyways. I can still lose weight if i chose to though, its just a balancing act and takes more work. Bel

Im no doctor but IMO i think you had the bread stuck, gas doesnt generally make you heave and the only way to get it out is ... expelling it ... um ... farting and burping. Bread is a real no no so i think that would have done it, especially being 2wks post op because the stomach would still be really swollen (not having a go, i know you realise this) The pain takes time but walking is a huge help, not too much because your still 'raw' but any walking you can do will shift the gas. Trust me i know from experience it helps. That and water. Your band should be fine, they are tough but during early post op is when you can do the most damage so please be careful ( you would know if it slipped) Hope this helped. Bel

hi, i do a 30 min walk around the neighbourhood and every other day i also do 30mins hard on the elliptical. I eat REALLY healthy and have one day a week when i get a small treat (bar of chocolate) I have found that when i drink Water the weight stays off and although i have reached goal and aren't trying to i still lose weight when i drink heaps of water. I do drink pepsi max (sugar free) and have since a year after i had the band because i can tolerate it, dont need to flatten it either. Although it makes me FULL quick, not enough to stretch the band. Wouldn't recommend it though lol. I eat more then i did when i was trying to lose weight but not by much. example is: 2 weetbix salad sandwich or baked Beans fruit if i get hungry, usually dont and small piece of meat with veg. 2-3ltrs of water (when i drink this much im normally to full to eat a heap during the day) Bel

thanks so much, im very lucky i had that option because it was life or death, i was 115kgs :-) Bel

I would talk to your doctor, but i actually think it may be gas escaping from the band. I had this for weeks after surgery. Because they open your stomach it lets the air in and this hurts to buggery, walking helps. Still, talk to your doc Bel

I wouldn't worry, after all you can't do anything to stop it if it was to need replacing so enjoy, you can always get a new one anyway

sure thing, i posted them in the pic post, heres a link http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f17/before-after-pictures-pix-only-4642/index82.html Bel

YAY, i love sharing pics Bel

Yes i was banded in early 2001, i was VERY young for the band but i was also VERY young to be at risk of a heart attack

I weighed 115kgs, my story is much like most people i guess, i was obese from asthma steroids and being a piggie. I had severe depression and couldn't see how big i really was. My wakeup call came when i went to the doctor (was 14) and he said i was at a serious risk of a heart attack and would drop dead within the year. I then saw the band on today tonight, conincedentally it was my friend on the telly who had it and i didnt even know! I looked into that night and had the band around 6-8wks later just after my 15th birthday. It has been a rocky ride because i always thought the band would do it for me, young an naiive i guess. I soon learn't that i had to make a concious effort to control intake, at first the band did that for me but 7 yrs down the track i still get full faster just not as fast. I still have trouble seeing myself as normal now, i have a lot of emotional problems i had to deal with...its not just lose it and move on. I have also had two surgeries to get skin removed from my stomach and legs and will need more to have it removed from my arms and a boob job but its SO worth it . Bel

Hi, I was 15yrs when i was banded so i understand the worry! As far as things to expect ... the first 2 days are the worst pain wise but they will keep you drugged up, its hard getting used to not eating solids for a while but its so worth it because thats when you drop a heap of weight, as far as adjustments go ... they dont really hurt very much at all if you have a good doctor. Um....remember that the band will take some getting used to, you may get reflux while it settles and have trouble getting anything down for a few days including Fluid depending on how tight you start. You may also feel hungry after the first few days, if this happens dont worry because it just means your stomach has settled and your nearly readly for your first adjustment! A bit of advice from someone who has been banded 7 yrs, listen to your body ... if you learn how to tell when your content NOT full early on it will be easy to keep it off. The people who put it on i personally think dont listen to their body and learn to change their habbits. the band is a tool not a miracle worker :-) And exercise is important if you are intent on a lifestyle change but take it slowly. hope this is what you wanted, let me know if there is anything else you want answered as its kind of hard to answer you without specific questions. Take Care Bel

I have has the skin chopped from my stomach and my thighs, next will be my arms and my boobs. I am 22 and i feel like i want the body i would have had if i had been this size my whole life.It is an indiviual choice but i figure when i have kids i can get a c-section and they can fix it up while their in there lol:lol: I did have so much skin it was unhealthy cause i have rashes and stuff though(you needed to know that) Bel