lellow

I hope this fill is the one for you, Lanakila! I can eat just about anything - bread, Pasta, a little bit of rice, chicken, beef. As long as it's moist, I can stomache just about anything. I just can't eat MUCH of anything. I'm sorry you haven't had much restriction. I went 'over' from no restriction to restriction with one fill, so I hope this is the one that does it for you. And well done on the weight loss so far (considering you've been doing it on willpower alone!)

I think the main thing is: we're all different. If you are cruising along and losing without a fill, why mess with what works? Me, I needed to curb the hunger. I was still losing well before I got restriction, but getting restriction meant I didn't have to combat hunger anymore, and that's what I wanted the band to do. So I got fills everytime hunger started to creep back in within an hour of a meal. And now I'm at the point I hardly think about what goes in my mouth anymore. In fact I often forget to eat. I don't think it's necessarily BAD to get fills. If you need them, you need them - after all, we're all after the same tihng: to lose weight. Alternatively, I don't think it's any more exceptional to NOT get a fill. You just work the band to suit yourself, so that you too ultimately get to that same goal of losing the weight. I think ANY success should be appreciated.

LOLOL!! Aw bindi you crack me up! Esp since you're almost 20kgs lighter than me already anyway!! And no, I'm not at goal yet! In fact the first half of the week was horrendous, because despite exercising and eating well, I started GAINING. But the good news is in the last two days I lost all that weight plus some, so I think it may have been water-weight. So these are my stats: Last week: 71.1kgs This week: 70.4kgs Loss: 0.7kgs (1.5lbs)

Nat, I actually asked Steve Watson who he'd recommend, and he said Dr Bruce Allbrook. So I got a referral from my GP, called Dr Allbrook's rooms and made an appt for the 21st of Jan. I was about 73kgs by the time I went to see him (3kgs off goal). Dr Allbrook said he was happy for me to have the surgery as soon as I was ready, so I booked myself in for the 2nd of April at that first appt! That's basically the short story, but I have to say he was really nice, seemed to know what he was doing, and Steve's recommending him made me feel a lot better about deciding to go with him!

I don't have a moveable port problem but I did think, at one stage, that my port was moving up, because it used to be under my incision but now it's above. So I asked my Dr, and he laughed and said your port isn't moving, your skin is! As I've lost weight, my skin has started to sag, and the incision has dropped a couple of inches! My port is where it's always been! Not saying the same thing is happening, though!

Yep lingling, if you lose enough weight, you can see the lump where the port is. I can see mine now. It's not very obvious, but you can see that there is a 'hill' where the port is lying under my skin. My DH can also tell where it is by looking at me closely. I do wonder though if after my PS, if it'll be relocated deeper in, so it doesn't stick out. Though if it doesn't happen, I'm okay with that too.

Yes, if you're at the point where you've eaten too much already, yes it can be uncomfortable. Painful even. And yes, if you eat too fast (don't chew enough) those first few bites, the discomfort is very similar. I think you do in fact have some restriction, because you can feel the effects of the band when you eat too fast. You just haven't gotten to the point yet where it's limiting the amount of food you can comfortably eat. I'm sure you'll get there soon though. I barely felt ANY discomfort at all until I got to 6cc, and even then only immediately after a fill.

I didn't feel restriction until I had 6cc in my 10cc band. And in saying I got restriction, I want to make clear that, to me, it's not the same feeling as being 'full' pre-band. When I have had enough now, my band makes sure I know it. If I feel like I won't be able to 'hold' anymore food than I've already eaten, I've probably eaten too much already. It's not the same as that 'full' feeling you get pre-band, where your stomache feels like it's heavy and expanded. I can feel like I've had more than enough band-wise and still feel hungry in my stomache. I guess it's because it takes a while for the food I've eaten to move through the band and into my lower stomache. So I guess I've learnt when I'm satisfied, and that's different from feeling 'full'. And if you can't feel that difference yet, then yes, you've not yet gotten sufficient restriction.

Hi nat, haven't seen you in ages! You look great! I see you're still losing despite getting to goal. I hope I do as well as you!

Patti, when did you get your fill? If it was more than a couple of weeks ago and you're still only able to eat soft foods and not hard Protein, you're probably too tight. You may be losing right now but if all your can stomache is soft foods, you're not going to be able to get enough food down and will eventually have trouble losing more. You don't have to have HEAPS taken out - even a small unfill may be able to get you to a point where a cupful of hard protein will keep you full for hours.

After that first initial 'burst' of weight loss directly after surgery, it's actually quite normal to then start to average about a 2kgs a month loss. I exercise quite a lot (3-4 times a week at intensities where I'm pouring with sweat) and I only lost an average of 3kgs a month. And as a bander, that makes me a fast loser!

I am nervous too, don't worry! The pain is the part that makes me most antsy, but it doesn't stop me from wanting to do it anyway! And re the breast lift/augmentation: I get it now. I guess when they lift, a fair amount gets taken off, so it makes sense to put some back in so you don't lose a cup size. I can't imagine being an A cup either after never being any smaller than a C since puberty! I'm sure you'll look stunnning at the end of it, and the pain will all be worth it!

Oh bugger. Oh well, I guess I couldn't expect to keeping losing 3 kgs a month forever! It had to start slowing down and eventually stopping at some stage. I hope I'm in the 'slowing down' stage and not the 'stopping' stage yet because I personally just want to get to the goal my Dr set me. It's just over a kilo away, so close and yet it feels so damned far right now!! I mean, it's one measly kilo! I feel like everytime I get on the scales, it's taunting me! Lol! I've lost 27 kgs so far, what's ONE lousy kilo????

It's funny I came into this forum wondering exactly the same thing. After losing an average of 3kgs (about 7lbs) consistently every month, this month my weight loss has slowed substantially. Okay for the first two weeks after my last fill, I didn't exercise quite as hard (my Dr didn't want me to lose much more before my PS) but I was still losing. Not much but still, it was a loss. Then about a week ago, I decided that I actually really did want to get to goal at least, just that last measly kilo so I can at least claim it as a milestone. So this week I've gone back exercising hard and I've been watching what I eat extra carefully. And all this week, I've gained. Again, not much, but enough so that on average, all I've lost this month is just over a kg (about 2.5lbs). So I guess I'm wondering, is this normal as you get slower to a normal BMI? Does your weight loss slow?

It's going fast, isn't it, Tina? I have about 4 weeks until my surgery and am freaking out! I'm not having a BA (still a D cup even after losing the weight, though they're a little 'emptier'-looking than before), just a LBL. How much bigger are you going?

I've been told I'll have to be completely unfilled one week prior to my LBL, mainly because if I get nauseous from the anaesthetics, my PS doesn't want there to be any obstruction to my being about to throw up. He said I could get re-filled a week after surgery, so I've booked myself to be unfilled 8 days prior to surgery, and then to be refilled 7 days after surgery, but my bariatric surgeon says he'll only put back 80% of what I currently have now, with me having to get that last 20% back with monthly fill appts. Meaning it will take me months to get back to my current restriction. Not happy about that at all, tbh, but I'll do as my PS says.

Start 158.4lbs Goal 150lbs Now 156.4lbs To go: 6.4lbs. Since my goal is to lose that by the 1st of April and not easter, and it's only 4 weeks away, I'm not completely sure I'll make goal for this challenge.

slimmy, I'm seeing Dr Bruce Allbrook, you can get his contact details simply by googling him. Good luck with it, matey!

My understanding of this, Jack, is that when you consume far fewer calories than you would normally burn at your Basal Metabolic Rate, that your body conserves energy by reducing your metabolic rate in an effort to survive starvation. It is why yo-yo dieting can reduce your metabolic rate and work against you in the long run. As for ketoacidosis, I've personally don't believe I've never experienced it, having not been on a liquid diet for more than 2 days, but I understand it can be a byproduct of starvation when prolonged over 3 or more days. So perhaps in that strict term 'starvation' isn't the right word, but it's my layman's way to explaining it. But I have no doubts that eating 600 calories or less a day (as you do when on a liquid diet) can cause your body to burn not only fat but muscle in an effort to provide energy for your body. I also believe that bulding muscle can increase your metabolism, and therefore increase your metabolic rate. So after a spell of eating 600 calories per day, increasing your muscle mass and getting enough sleep (all other fatcors being stuff you can't change, such as how many children you've birthed, and how old you are) can be a way to kick start your weight loss.

For the weight loss to stop at around 4 weeks is actually so common that if you have a look at some threads, you'll see a LOT of people complain about the same thing. It's because when you were only liquids only, your body went into starvation mode, started burning muscle as well as fat, and your metabolism slowed. Now you're eating better (and hopefully exercising) not only is your body building muscle again (which weighs more than fat), but you're also combatting a slow metabolism, which wants to hang on to every single kj. Eat well (try to get around 1200 calories a day to stop your body from going into starvation mode) and exercise to kick start that metabolism again. Your weight loss will crank up again. As for the biggest loser, this guy lost 20lbs one week, 30lbs the second week and the third week he lost 15lbs. He must have been eating a LOT of crap before going in to lose that much (65lbs) in 3 weeks!!

Thanks for the great advice, kareyquilts, I'll definitely be packing my ipod and a few books, and I have asked my DH to bring in my laptop if I ask for it. I'll also have a look around for that toilet riser, it sounds like I'll need it, and hey, I'm prepared to try anything that may make life more comfortable!

In Australia - where the lapband surgery has been perfromed for the last 15 years - they recently undertook a study that compared lapbanded diabetic patients with diabetics who control their diabetes with diet and exercise. They found that in 75% of the cases where the diabetic was lapbanded, they went into remission. I looked into the lapband because I have a very strong familial history of diabetes and heart disease. My mother and 6 of her siblings are diabetic. My younger brother is diabetic and my younger sister had GD and is now at a high risk of diabetes. The study was what spurred me on to having the lapband surgery done. A friend of mine, having followed my journey, got lapbanded 3 months after me and has PCOS and diabetes (she was on met). In less than a month, her blood suger levels were normal. In 3 months, she was pregnant after having her first 28 day cycle in over 2 years the month before. I'm not saying that GB wouldn't help, I'm saying I don't think the nurse is completely correct in saying that lapbanding won't help with diabetes, and would not 'cure' it. Of course there are no gaurantees it would cure it, but then again there are no gaurantees with GB either, and it's a MUCH bigger surgery. Google 'lapband' and 'diabetes' I'm sure you'll be able to find some info on the studies around the place.

A guy on the Biggest Loser here in Australia dropped almost 30lbs in one week! I can't imagine all of it would be fat, surely?

Tina, You, me and OH Juli are all having body lifts at around the same time. I'm actually first cab off the rank with surgery on the 2nd of April, so I'm right there with you on the butterflies in the tummy! I'm not having a BA though. Despite the crap skin on my stomache and hips, my girls have come through my weight loss relatively okay. I've gone from a DD cup to a D and they're pretty good still for having breastfed 4 kids! How are you going for preparations? When is your bloodwork? Have you been measured up for your compression garment yet?

Hi AussieTrace, just wanted to pop in to say that I too was very nervous, and had a lot of the same concerns as you, when I was about to be banded in August last year. In fact I too couldn't imagine losing the excess weight, esp since I hadn't been that thin in over 20 years. But to my surprise, with regular exercise and the lapband, I did in fact lose the weight, and now, almost 7 months out, I'm 1kg away from my Dr's goal (and about 6 kgs away from my own personal goal). So yes, it can definitely work, if you're prepared to exercise and follow the band rules. Good luck, I'm sure you'll be very happy with the results!