lellow

I too am not shy about lifting up my top and showing people my scars. The main reaction is that they're surprised by how small and unobstrusive they are! (luckily the scabs have all fallen off and they're just pink and slightly puckered now) In the last week, I've had 4 people comment on my weight loss, two of them virtual strangers. I told every single on of them about the lapband. One lady actually was thinking about doing it herself, and grilled me with questions, which I was more than happy to answer! I don't even care if I get a negative comment anymore (haven't had any though since I started losing weight, except perhaps that I didn't need to lose weight - yeah right!) because people can see it working. A bit hard to argue with success, even a little success (like mine).

Lol so it's your mind rebelling about being TOLD what to eat!

And tell yourself you'll get to eat all those foods you're craving...eventually. It won't be lost to you forever. If you convince yourself you'll never be able to eat those things again, it will be massively difficult to resist the carvings. So REMIND yourself you will be able to eat 95% of things in a month, but just in smaller quantities before you're satisfied!

I can't say I've had anything like that innotu. Maybe you should give your Dr a ring, just tobe on the safe side?

Good luck for tomorrow and we can't wait until you are all back and telling your stories! Sending massive speedy recovery vibes to Roheryn and her dad, April410, zenfy, claramae, lamvmomof4, Kathy1991, MrsEOD, jeannierk, Ready22706, lolo619, Luv2prayz, sd2tx2006, JgCraighead and angcal26!

I agree, I was banded on the 1st of August and now can eat quite a lot (though I don't). I also get hungry much faster than when I first got my band. And that's a sign that your stomache is healing, which is what it's supposed to be doing post op and prior to your first fill. My Dr's post op notes warns his patients that in the 3rd or 4th week after their op, their appetite returns to close to pre-op levels and they will be surprised by how much they can eat. But he also suggests not eating until you are full, eating slowly so your body has time to register it's satisfied and then only eat again when you're actually hungry again. So I only eat a cupful or so, and won't eat until my stomache is growling again. When you start getting fills is when you actually will start to feel restriction. Hopefully, with enough fills, you get to your 'sweet spot' where you only feel as hungry as those first few days post op -in other words, not really hungry at all! So just remember this is a long game, and it's not all going to happen for us in the first month after surgery. I completely know the frustration you're feeling right now, because I've had it too, but I'm reminding myself all the time that the fills will help, and not to lose hope.

Sam, great to see your with your own username! Yeah the pre-op diet was hard for the first two days - I got the worst headache I've ever had in those two days, but it got easier and easier right up to surgery!

edel and Claudine, looks like we're all the same boat, but just remember, my sweets, that this is a long game, and this is only the very very start of it. My appetite too is almost back to normal, and increasing every single day. It means I'm fighting the head hunger again. I miss not being hungry! But I know there is a method to this, and in a year we're all going to be looking back on this and know it was all part of the process. All you guys on your pre-op diets and just post op who've lost weight- YOU ROCK! Well done everyone!

I ended up not getting a measuring tape as I got caught up on my day off but will be getting one this weekend for sure! And yay on being banded by this time next week!

This week: GAINED: 0.4kgs (one lb) Exercise 5 X 30 minute brisk walks (one steep uphill - so sore the next day) 1 X 25 minutes on a stationary bike BUT I have gone down 1 belt notch! Go figure! LOLOL! So I'm not concerned about the weight aspect. I would like to keep losing but I suspect that won't happen until after my first fill. I can actually eat quite a lot now before I am full, easily a cupful or more, but am still portion controlling, and not eating until I'm full anymore, just enough to get me to my next meal without me starving. I do get hungry much faster now, so I know I need a fill before the weight will starting moving again.

get a tape measure out cutie! I was talking to my brother who is a personal trainer and he reckons we lost muscle as well as fat when on our liquid diet (our bodies don't discriminate between muscle and fat when in starvation mode) and now that we're eating and exercisng, we're gaining muscle back, which is heavier than fat. It's why our scales will now stay the same or even go up. But our body shapes should STILL be changing. I didn't believe him until I put on a top I wore last week and it's noticeably more loose! And I haven't lose on measly lb. So I'm getting a tape measure today and am going to measure my waist, butt and boobs as well as weighing myself. Ichatter was saying she only lost .3lb this week but lost 6.5 inches!

Lol I was just posting somewhere else about that ichatter! I was saying that despite not losing lbs (and some days gaining a bit) my body shape is definitely changing from week to week still. In fact I put on a top today that I wore last week and it's noticeably more loose. My brother (a personal trainer) reckons that when I was on liquids, I must have lost a lot of muscle mass - it's what your body does when it goes into starvation mode, it burns fat and muscle indiscriminately. But now I'm on solids and am exercising, I'm probably gaining muscle back, which weighs more than fat and is why my scales aren't moving or even going up. I think I agree with him, because my clothes are telling me I'm still losing even if the scales aren't!

Lol I think I DID post something like this a week or so ago when I was 2 weeks post op! And the responses were much the same, though there have been far more detailed posts here (which have helped heaps! Thank you!) I too am eating not a lot, and exercising everyday, but am not losing a lb. BUT my shape is changing - I can tell from the way my clothes are fitting! My brother (a personal trainer) reckons I must have lost a fair bit of muscle mass when I was on liquids, and now I'm exercising and eating solids again, I'm gaining muscle back, which weighs more than fat. I still weigh myself everyday but am not as fussed now if I don't lose or even gain a bit. I'm now watching the way my clothes fit more closely, and I think it's been a better indication of the way I'm going.

Claudine, if it's any consolation though, my weight loss slowed once I started on mushies, and has now stopped completely now I'm on regular food! This is despite still only having around 1000 calories a day and exercising most days!

My list of mushies was quite liberal, with me starting with pureed food at the start of the week but eating moussakka and sheperds pie by the end of the week. I even had Thai fish cakes (extra soft). I reckon I could have sucked all of those through a straw if I really wanted to. I think the Aussies doctors are a lot less strict than the US doctors by the sounds of it.

Lol Lanikila, I'm actually getting a waist! PMSL! I can't wait to see your 3 week post op pics! I know you're going to love them.

Because I think I am! Okay I know my clothes were getting loose, and I know I've lost almost 20lbs, but I wanted to see it for myself, so I took some pics today and compared them with my pre-op photos (which aren't of me when I was at my heaviest either) with the same singlet on. But I can see a difference! Anyhoo, being brave and putting them up to share with my fellow August banders.C'mon anyone else with progress pics? Before 3 weeks post op

WTG Michelle! You're on your way now! I hope the rest of it is as easy and you are at your op date before you know it.

When I first got my referral for the surgery, I wanted to keep it as quiet as possible, and told very few people. Then as time went by, I actually became more confident about my decision, and my ability to defend my reasons for doing it (if I needed to). I've never been one to shrink from a good argument, so figured WTH, I'll not hide it anymore. And I haven't. I tell anyone who comments on the weight I've lost (even when on my pre-op diet), or anyone who asks why I haven't been at work, and so far haven't really had any really negative comments at all. In fact, the fact that I've already lost a noticeable amount has helped me over the 'hump' of people's expectations, I think. And it means I can come and go for Dr's appointments without hiding what I'm doing.

I was given a book by my surgeon which was written by Dr Paul O'brien, the pioneering surgeon of the lapband in Australia and who has been doing the surgery for 15 years. The book is excellent about letting the reader know what foods they should eat. He said quite clearly that after the first two weeks post op (though I know other surgeons ask you to stay on liquids longer) you cannot go back to calorie containing liquids, even Optifast. As a result of the advice from the book, the only liquids I now drink are tea (no sugar or milk) and Water. He also said that a lot of banders drink calorie-laden drinks to make themselves full (as it slips through the band easily) whereas the more 'hard' Proteins you eat, the fuller you stay, and for much longer. he defines 'hard' proteins as slow cooked meats, chicken thighs, fish. So yeah, after your band has healed, don't drink anything that can slip through the band, because you're being counter-productive. I've heard of a bander who used to blend Mars bars in milk to drink so she could have her chocolate 'fix' , and after finally deciding to put the band in, I don't want to ever sabotage myself in that way!

I'm actually able to eat everything right now - steak, rice, anything. So far nothing's gotten stuck, so I'm assuming I'm going to need a fill or else everything is going through. Last night I had chicken nuggets because I worked late and it was all the canteen had left, and they didn't even make me feel full, they were so processed. So until my fill, I need to be extra careful about what I eat.

Ro is right (you've got a fantastic memory, matey!) my first fill is the 5th of Sept. I am still eating less than I used to to get full - about 1 cup of food per meal. But I'm not losing any weight (or if I am, it's very slow now) so until my first fill, my main goal is not to gain any weight.

Oh I hurt and I didn't hide it. My first post after my op was 'sore and sorry for myself...'. But it does get better after that first week. That first week I was in pain, was grey and drawn from only having had liquids, and so so tired. But now 2 + weeks post op, you wouldn't think it to look at me, and I feel pretty damned normal (bar the much reduced food intake). Ro, I was also given anti-nausea tablets in hospital as well as to bring home. Hopefully you'll be okay this time.

Oh hell yeah I'm so glad I'm not the only person who is doing that! I also look at anyone my size or over and wonder if they know about the lapband. I watch how much people eat now and am shocked that I used to eat as much or more. I also look at thin people eating like crazy and wonder how long their metabolism will hold up before they expand like I did. AND I chastise myself all the time for thinking like that! I mean I know nothing about these people or any of their stories, so feel awful about my mind going off on all these tangents on its own!

My surgical tape started peeling off about 5 days after surgery but I still have bits of it stuck around the incisions. I reckon in another week, all the remnants will be gone. The incisions started intching like crazy at about 1 and a 1/2 weeks after surgery, but it only lasted about 5 days and now doesn't itch anymore. And yeah laughing hurt in the first week, but now it's no problems! Sometimes carrying my 2yo still makes my main (port) incision feel like it's under pressure, though.