Mrs J.J

Hi all, It sure has been awhile since I have been here. Generally the band has been a huge success, I managed to get to goal and then lose a few extra kilo's too. I am now at 138lbs and very happy! (63kgs) Been suffering a bit with reflux which has been worrying me lately. I plan on getting that checked out as soon as I have some extra time. I am feeling fantastic!! I LOVE shopping for clothes now. I went to visit people at my last job, some people walked by me and didn't recognise who I am.....hahaha!! That was so funny and so liberating too.

Beautiful beautiful beautiful!!! You have every reason to be proud of yourself.

Over the last two months people have realised that something is different with me. I have received so many compliments from people telling me how nice my hair looks to saying you just look fab! I strut my stuff and tell them I am on a health kick and loving it. That seems to satisfy most of the people that notice.

Don´t stress about putting a pound on here or there. It will soon drop off with a few extra as an added bonus. I went through a two week stint where nothing happened on the scale and then whooops it dropped down. This is normal. Also remember the quicker you lose the weight, more chance you will have sagging skin. Take one day at a time. live your life and use your tool to your advantage. I´m trying really hard at the moment to get over my head hunger at night, it really is hard.

You are doing very well without a fill. I´d also say carry on until you feel that you don´t have the same restriction you have now, and then get a fill.

Hehehe!! Isn´t it such an amazing feeling! I´m also down at least two sizes. I love that I bought some jeans a few months ago and I couldn´t even get the zip up. Now they´re just about hanging off my a$$. I (heart) my band too. :-))

Add it to your salads, avocado, salmon, rocket leaves, spring onions etc and then hummas. LOVELY STUFF! Blend red peppers into a paste and add it to the hummas put on crackers or pita bread...hmmm yummy! I use my hummas on just about everything. I love the stuff. Want to add more garlic to your diet? Blend garlic cloves till they are a paste and add to your hummas. This with grilled chicken is yummy yummy.

Pat did you take the train to Vilvoorde from the airport and back? How long was the train ride?

FANTASTIC!!!!! Well done!! You look amazing and you can see how much happier you are.

I love threads like this. My bouts of happiness because I have been banded is: * I can see my cheek bones appearing. * I can see my collar bones will soon start showing. * I love walking! * I love that I cannot overeat. * It felt really great that I had to go buy a new pair pants today and I just slipped into them and they are two sizer smaller than what I was buying three months ago. * I feel fantastic. * I LOVE ME.....ALREADY, so this can only get better. :wink_smile:

Hi bobobaldy, I´m another of Dr Chris´s patients. Just want to reasure you that he is wonderful, Fredrik too and the hospital is fantastic! It´s very clean the staff are great and you will not regret this decision. I was banded 1st July 2008, since then I have lost approx 30lbs! It´s been the easiest weight loss I have ever had. The best thing is knowing I will never put this weight back on again. My food choices have changed drastically. I am definately eating a lot more healthier. I also induldge in a "cheat" every now and then, but I do not over eat anymore, I simply can´t. I´ve had two fills by Dr Chris, my band now has 7cc in it and I can really feel that I have good restriction. The package deal you have taken with Fredrik is ubber fantastic. A friend of mine took that route and it was so much easier than organising everything yourself. I did everything myself because I didn´t know about the package, so I know you are saving money. Will you be going with someone to Brussels? Ask away if you have more questions, there are a few of us here on the forum that have been banded by Dr Chris.

Please Aminaqc, edit your post. Dr Chris and his team are very professional up front people and you writing words such a scam in the same sentance as his name makes his reputation seem shabby. That also says a lot for those of us that have had our bands fitted by him. Dr Chris and his team are very professional to the point kind of people. No one is being scammed. If you´d just waited long enough for others and me to reply to your private message then you would understand why they work the way they do with the money. The money that you transfer is 400 Euros and it´s not to Dr Chris but to an agent he uses that gets him business. The agent uses the money you transfer to pay for your hotel stay and all your taxi´s from the airport, to the hotel, to Dr Chris, to the hospital and then back to the hotel and finally back to the airport. The only reason that they prefer the money up front is to avoid admin costs. If they had to employ someone just to look after the money side of things, we´d all be paying a lot more for this procedure.

Hi everyone, I´m sitting in the hotel in Brussels. Just been to see Dr Chris and received my second fill. I now have 7cc in my 10cc band. So far so good. Dr Chris is really such a wonderful person, he told me that if anything goes wrong during the night I can call him on his mobile and he will see me. Hope everyone else is doing well.

What an amazing feeling this must be for you. Well done!!!!

Hi Angie, Just to let you know that you will get a medical check the morning before surgery at the hospital. The nurses there will check your heart, blood pressure etc. So as long as there is nothing else worrying you, I´d say wait till you get to Brussels for the medical check. Obviously if there is a medical issue that you need to discuss with the doctor then do so. What date do you go in? Good luck!!!

Hi Ursula, Dr Chris will ask you not to eat or drink anything after midnight. There is a kettle in the room so your mom can get her cuppa. :thumbup: The internet was a bit expensive from what I remember. Seriously though, you are not going to be able to be on the net after surgery. Try not take too much luggage with you, you won´t be needing much. Also remember you have to carry whatever you take with you back on the plane. Travel lightly, you will be sore. Good luck with everything and let us know how you are getting on when you are up and going again.

Hi Angie, I just want to reassure you that you are in good hands with Dr Chris and his team. Can I suggest that you tell him about your liver tests. It´s not that he won´t operate on you because of it, but I really think you want to have an open dialogue with him. None of us on the forum know anything about your medical history and maybe there is something that could affect your surgery. E.Rose, you are being a wonderful support person on this thread and I really hope you don´t take offense to my reply to Angie. It´s not meant in a bad way to you.

I think you ladies are being a bit hard on yourselves. The band is a tool, not a magic wand. You are not going to lose your weight overnight. It takes time and dedication. Listen to your bodies. Hear when your stomach tells you it´s full and stop eating at that point. I too am battling at the moment to get the scale moving again, I had a very serious talk with myself today and realised that my band will only work if I put in the effort too. I am a food picker. It´s taking so much strong will power for me to stop myself from opening the fridge door "just to look what´s there" and nibble on it. Be strong and our bands will work with us.

Hi Canary Queen, I´m wondering how you did on this?

I´m sitting here giggling like mad about the eye candy compliments paid to Fredrik and both Nurse Chris and Dr Chris. I know that Fredrik on this forum....I bet he will love reading this....hahahaha!! I agree though, they´re all good looking guys and as English Rose mentioned it´s not fair that they have seen us not just naked but the iside of us too...ewwww, that´s a nasty thought....lol

I promise it will get better and you will heal. I really believe a lot of this is also a matter of having your heart and mind in the right place too. My first few days after surgery I had quite a bit of nausea, I didn´t know if I was feeling hunger or nausea, so I drank Water, Protein shakes, sipping yoghurts and Soups. You have to feed for your body, it needs the nutrients to heal. I´d suggest you keep sipping at whatever you can so you know you are feeding your body. Hang in there, soon you will feel like a normal person again.

Thank you 1day at a time. Your words have inspired me. It really is a struggle everyday. I honestly thought the only reason that I am overweight has to do with the fact that I LOVE bread. But is not my problem. It´s the food picking. Over the last few weeks I have realised that I don´t have an issue with bread, it´s just that bread was the easiest thing to fill my need atthe time. Now I am still food picking but picking at other foods. I have to sort this problem out in my mind. There has to be a good enough reason why I do this.

People have done this trip alone. I found it to be painful after surgery. I was also very tired and slept a lot. I was going to this band on my own and I was ready in my mind and spirit to do it alone. I thank heaven that my huband insited at the last minute to come with me. It´s from this experience that I can give you and others tips that can help you prepare to do this alone. There is nothing wrong with going on your own, just know that you will have to work a little harder and be independant. You can do it.

Can I ask why you chose to go to India? Also where are you from? I don´t know anything about having the band done there, so that is why I am curious.

Yesterday was not good at all. I´m not watching what I´m eating carefully enough and feel like I´m slipping somewhat. I was tired or maybe just plain damn lazy and didn´t go walking or cycling. Shame on me. Today is a new day. I intend to pick myself back up and work this eating problem one day at a time. I seriously never realised just how bad a food picker I am. This is probably why I gained so much weight over the years. I need to figure out why I do this...boredom, frustration?? I don´t know...but it has to stop! My short term goal for today will be to eat healthy and walk for at least an hour today.