gillian

I know what you mean sammy! i cant believe any of the photos over the last few years have actually been me!..its a big downer after coming back off a good holiday when you see the photos..I dunno if there will be much difference with this years holiday photos (i put on 2 stone between oct and jan 16th when i had band done)..but hopefully ill be a lot happier with next years holiday photos..might even have a swimming cossie on instead of the cropped jeans and tee shirt around the pool..and hopefully ill at last be able to get in that pool without thinking everyone is staring too!..I know its been wrong of me to think that for years and i know its other peoples problem, not mine....but im sure im not alone on this forum with this way of thinking!? (tell me im normal-ish?!) i was feeling miserable, but now im doing summat about it..that makes me feel better and more positive in myself...and i dont want(and wont get!) a supermodel figure, just a normal one, that weighs a normal weight...ok, yes, i do want a supermodel figure thinking about it...i will start saving hard for all kinds of body lifts!..gillian x

well, we gotta laugh about these things, or else well cry!

hi fatpants!..it was wishfull who saw the incident as she was walking!..dont worry, when you read loadsa posts all at once they start to blend into one dont they!?..OMG, your cakes sound gorgeous, if i set off for inverness now, will you save me a bit of each!?..i dont care if they hurt going thro the band, it will be worth it!..gillian x

gone out for the day with her boyfriend!?..thats child neglect,be it on her head...but lets hope they are ok, and she is gonna feel terrible,as she should...mmm, pancakes!!.well the banana is fine and tiny bit of ice cream, and little drizzle of golden syrup..just have half?..i just like a whole tin of lyles golden syrup on one!..but i will have just half a pancake with a drizzle on..cant miss out totally, and its half, infact less than half calories as it would have been for me normally, cos i woulda normally have about 3 full ones!!..just a bit dubious cos of the yorkshire pudding thing, but they are thinner and moist,so will try!..happy birthday to Dave for tomorrow!..and enjoy circus!..bet our daves secretly went to the one across the road from campanille while we were in hospital?!

Hi mmm!!..its nice to be missed!!. i think the way you are feeling is because like someone else has said, that you are a very quick healer!..i felt like you in about the third week..when your band is first put in, your stomach is all bunched up in it ,like its being strangled!..as the swelling subsides, the stomach starts to "re-mould" itself around the band, if you know what i mean (do i make sense?! i dunno if i do!?) so it appears that your band gets looser..its good that you feel like this in one way cos you know your healing, but you do think.."is there a band in there? what have i paid thousands for?! the first month is really about healing, when your band is "activated" with a fill, you should start noticing a difference (mind you, having said this, it can take a few fills)..but dont worry you will feel restriction and will lose, some people lose it in first six months, some it happens in second six months, but nearly everyone has lost it within a year to two, everyone is different. dont lose hope!..i know its frustrating cos we wanna lose it NOW when weve had the band..but its a big big change in our life, and we do need to get used to it...this is the hard part, the changes we have to make forever..Hey!,well all get there, if its quick or slow...i am gonna be a slower one!, but, thats ok, ill just be patient, i know it will be a different story next year...its not a race its a change of life, and its a big thing!..small positive steps..and just think even 1lb a week is 52lb a year..which is going on 4 stone!.. gillian x

Hi and welcome cant weight!..love your dancing hippo!!. it reminds me of someone i know?..oh, its me!!..but it wont be for long i hope!..your op will be here sooner than you know, and youll have to put another dancing animal on..maybe a whippet?!. Gillian x

hi wishfull!..well your day was eventfull yesterday!..let us know how the children are if you hear wont you..its boys just being boys,they arent scared of anything, and dont see the danger like we do...but where were the parents!?. my boys are in my sight at that age..but come to think of it i used to go places i wasnt allowed and tell my parents i was going somewhere else.so was exploring the woods nearby when they thought i was playing horses in my friends back garden, and her parents thought she was in my back garden! we should know where they are at that age though.. anyway, hope your doing well?..im doing ok, albeit slowly!..just gonna be a bit more strict with myself this week to help it along..need that fill next week!..pancake day tomorrow, thats gonna be a hard one as i love pancakes...altho after my yorkshire pudding incident, i might just rip a corner off one of the kids, as its batter and thats hard for me to get down..i cant take bread in any way shape or form, and potatoes in any way shape or form...whats your "no go" food?..i know everyones different. x

Hi Freckles! sure your nails will be fine if they are well stuck down..dont think you can wear nail varnish though?. my friend was doing a course in nails like your daughter and wanted me to have mine done..I said id leave it til after op just incase, but i think they would have been fine, as long as they are not like talons!.maybe it is for the finger monitor fitting?..anyway, im glad your op is sorted and your going very soon!..wish you all the very best and, hope you have a great weight loss after the dissappointment you suffered before..looking forward to hearing how you go on, as only heard from belgium patients up to now!. if you can take your laptop in then do, and keep us up to date with your progress!. Gillian x

Hi fatpants, i eat one thing at a time, and it only seems to take about one minute to start to know its gonna be hard work..you get a pain in your chest first (this is your muscles as they start spasming as trying to push food past the band) your mouth may start to water (this is your body making saliva to either help ease "blockage" through your band, or to help you bring it back up...it does hurt for a few minutes, if it is really bad then drink a little bit too that will help it down..or up. (normally you dont drink anything for 15 mins after eating as it washes it through band, and you can eat more)..if you have small enough amounts, then you shouldnt be sick, but if there is a big blockage then it is best to maybe just throw it back up, as it will hurt...i have only been sick a tiny bit once, i had about half a small yorkshire pudding(wont eat that again!) and it hurt like mad, so i had a drink to try and push it through but it was that stodgy, and painfull,and the water stuck behind it too, that it was gonna be better out.. i hate being sick and aviod it at all costs, but it really isnt like being sick, its more like what they call a productive burp(PB), it comes out easy and doesnt taste horrible cos its only been stuck in your throat so its not mixed around in your stomach..so just the mouthfull you got stuck on comes up, it doesnt hurt your tummy muscles either like when your sick normally..Its a bit like if you got some bacon fat stuck in your throat and you just heave a bit..you do get warning,so can get to the bathroom if your out!..hope this answers your question?!.Gillian x

sorry Gary!!.youll soon be there!..you can make some very good choices with chinese though, and a good place to start is a buffet restaurant with your family, you can test a bit of everything then!..but it is only a treat for me, only go maybe once a month if that. you sound like your doing great..isnt there a chinese type soup you could have, if your fancying?!..gillian x

i got one from netto bigsister!..mind you its not a very good one just a cheap one(well credit crunch for me init?!)!!..well, its saturday (!)curry night tonight missed it last night!..had to do summat last night so we went to Wokmania...chinese buffet..good idea to go to those places cos you can "test" what goes thro your band and what gets stuck..i had bit of everything really, it took me twice as long to eat it..i was starving and just wanted to shovell it down, but am getting used to the fact quickly that shovelling down really hurts!(im really ready for that first fill next week too!)..anyway..the soup was ok, noodles went down ok, so did the mushroom foo yung (like omlette)..the king prawns went down when chewed well,all the other veg was good too,inc beansprouts, as was the salad..BUT, the rice hurt a bit, think it sort of builds up above your band, and most of the meats in a mixed curry were bit uncomfortable..tiny bites of chicken chewed well was fine..so i stuck with the chicken and mushroom..oh and anything that has a batter,like lemon chicken and sweet n sour chicken was very hard to get down, so i gave up on a few things and wasted quite a bit, but i know what i can have now if i go for a chinese meal. and after, the banana and apple fritters were ok if you take the batter off!. did have a little bit of ice cream with choc fountain sauce. there were loadsa other sweet treats but didnt do it!. in all i had about a third of what i normally would. as bigsister says, i have big trouble with bread..that is painfull, any bread, even toasted..and with me potatoes even well mashed seem to be a problem..but i know bigsister is ok with rice and potatoes...everyone is different it seems,so just experiment!....Hello and welcome to all you new bandsters, and pre-bandsters!! and big HI!..to the guys!..its not just us girlies on here now..hope they dont feel too overwhelmed with women talk! we are all in the same boat..and its great that we can all support each other..i felt i was delving into the unknown before i came across this forum and i honestly dont think i would have made the decision to have this band if it wasnt for all the great advice and people on this forum..when no one out there in our everyday life seems to know how your feeling, its easy to become absorbed, and its good to know your all there,and just a click of the mouse away! at least one friendly forum member will answer any question you have no matter what,we are all or have been going through the same..the very best of luck to all you bandsters, and pre bandsters!!!! gillian x

:cursing::blushing: yes as mmm said..lactolose does help to get the trapped wind flying through...try it def....it may well help!...just keep away from others as you explode!!:tongue2:

hi wishfull. i also got it in my left collar bone bad..which i also broke falling off a horse..maybe it was worse cos of that?!..me and bigsister have booked for a fill in leeds in 2 weeks, cos im able to eat more now, so feel def need it!..im also still going for a fill in sheffield at nearby hosp two weeks after that, then just sticking to one a month in sheffield after that.hope your fill is helping you?!

OMG its awful isnt it..you can feel it travelling up and getting stuck..its like you want an enormous burp but cant..i tried everything but nothing works totally..it gets a bit better every day, but is miserable..i suffered bad with it too..and it lasts til about day 10-11 really.. remegel helped a bit,also get yourself straight as poss, walk around and put your arms above your head..i just didnt know what to do with myself.ans stayed in for the first week...but it will get better..anything spicy doesnt help, stick to milky based things like actimel,petit filous..it gets worse at night too when you sit down..sorry cant tell you a miraculous cure, but it will go bit by bit every day..sometimes i still get a bit of it if i eat something too quick or dont chew enough or eat too much..it seems to hurt around my left collar bone, but like you say travels around the chest,like your gonna have heart attack,it had me close to tears sometimes. hope your feeling better soon..Gillian x

hi gary, try the boxes of dried baby food ..the cereal ones are lovely..i like the HIPP porridge or the rice one, they have loads of nutrients and you can make em as sloppy or as thick as you can take just by mixing with boiling water..i was having these about 5 days post op..they will fill you up more..but as you get used to eating less, those "im so starving!" feelings will start to dissappear.also when you just feel like summat savoury try drinking bovril, that helps for a while and suck sugar free sweets when you feel like summat sweet..it satisfies cravings for a while..youll feel a lot better when you get on solids as then your band starts to work for you and make you feel full up..obviously as your stomach heals, youll be able to eat more, so thats when youll need a fill..im getting to that point now myself!..as i can eat more and quicker, but have to be strict with myself. sounds like you went through surgery no problem and are recovering very quickly too..well done! gillian x

I know it sort of fills me with dread now going for a five course meal!..just have a taste of everything and then swap plates with dave!. i have been asked out for big curry nosh up with my old workmates next week and im sort of trying to make excuses up. these buffet type eat all you want places are ok for going out for meal cos you can put as little as you want on your plate, and make better "band friendly" choices, and no one notices. good luck anyway, or bring a doggy bag back..it will last you all week!

hi gary and welcome!..your doing great and must be healing quickly...you wont feel any restriction while your on the liquids, but its important to stick to em for first week at least as your stomach is still swollen from having the op and the stitches in your stomach holding the band in place need time to heal..you will start to feel restriction when you start on the solids..hope you get great results anyway! gillian x

well TC..if it works for you then it must be ok!..i too eat quite a bit,and seem to be able to get more down as the days go on...i think thats a sign i need a fill!..will have to be a bit stricter with myself!. still having half the portion as i was before though..everyones metabolism is different and what works for one doesnt work for another..but if you are losing thats all that matters, you certainly sound like your getting all your nutrients and calcium. weetabix is a good breakfast cos it has fibre you need, low fat,its fortified with all the vitamins and minerals you need, and theres the calcium you need in the milk, ive been having two every morning. when i get a fill maybe ill be able to eat less, as its stacks up more waiting to get through the band..thats why you get that full feeling, and why you shouldnt drink till after 15 mins cos it will just wash it through, as liquids are no prob they just pour through. a woman at my work who was banded june knows this..she drinks a lot of wine at night as it goes straight through, but its a lot of calories..i dont think she has grasped what a band does for you! and hasnt lost any weight since two months after having her band done. she has had one fill but says she doesnt want another one cos she wont be able to eat as much!?!..she paid 8k to have it done private at local hospital, doesnt seem to get very good aftercare. gillian x

welcome jacks mum! (im also a jacks mum!) and well done on your weight loss, keep up the good work!! youll soon be there, although the last bit is the hardest ive heard?!..but lets hope by the summer most of it has gone!..your more than halfway there in such a short time..gillian x

hi wishfull..im having cereal or porridge for breakfast, (half the amount with granulated sweetener)have to remember to eat it slow though or its builds up, and can be uncomfortable,but thats just the band doing its job..drink about half hour after. dinnertime is summat like cottage cheese and tuna with biscuits type crackers and bit of yogurt and fruit..tea is summat like fish or fish in sauce and loadsa veg,or whatever families having really. but i found potato hard to go down so i go easy on that now, or chilli and bit of rice, or bit of pasta..maybe bit of desert after,custard or a cream caramel,if i can manage it..it feels like your full to brim after that as it sits in tour "little stomach" for hours..before bed i have a hot chocolate drink, takes my choc cravings (which are def dying down now) off. i am def only eating half the amount as i was before too..will expect after fill it will be sitting in the "little stomach" for longer as the hole its got to get through gets smaller. only thing i havent tolerated at all is bread and chips, which is no bad thing, but we took kids to macdonalds today and they ate the menu while i had a kids happy meal ..the fish finger one..i gave the chips away cos i wasnt even going to try again with those,i had the three fish fingers ate them very slowly and i was ok..had an innocent smoothie as my drink and i got a little cute cuddly dog in my happy meal box so i was sorted!!..and felt full...it usually takes me 2 big mac and large chips to feel anything like!..you know i love (sorry loved) my burgers though didnt you!..esp burger king!..shame about the bread being outa bounds now but, ill get over it..especially as the weights coming off again now.thats a better feeling than a burger (ill keep telling myself that til i believe it?!) ive been living in these stretchy trousers since i had op, but put my normal ones on that i couldnt fasten before and i could pull em down without even undoing button and zip..dead chuffed!..like you were with your smaller size jeans. i keep looking at clothes but am trying not to buy owt till i lose bit more..cos i wanna go in a normal shop, instead of fatty shops!..im gonna go mad in sept cos booked hol for 30th sept..may even buy a swimsuit?!..hope ill be couple of stones down at least for then, and next year, im hoping to be the next M&S bikini model,like myleene class..surely shell be too busy to do owt, shes on everything!!.ill help her out. x

Hi mmm!! glad your back and ok!..your doing really well!.wasnt that asparagus Soup in hospital the most yuck thing?!. lets hope you feel more better every day too, its just important to get the rest for a week...i watched everything id recorded on my sky+ planner that i hadnt had time to watch..one thing was 18 months old! and old films, and daytime tv that ive never ever watched before!..take it easy, and look forward to that first bath, its like heaven!! x

youve got everything except the kitchen sink!!..better to have too much of everything than not enough!! (except choc after band!)..i had most of what you have and did take the arnica tablets also..the book i had was called something like "everything you need to know before and after gastric band surgery or summat"..got it off amazon..by doctor sewell and linda rohrburg i think..youll find it if you search gastric band, there are a few other interesting ones on too like recipe books etc.. and yes that is a good tip about slip on shoes!.i had boots on that zipped up the side, wish i hadnt!..stretchy trousers and baggy tops are a must too!..good luck anyway!. gillian x

well what your doing is working for you anyway!..22lb well done!..it sounds like your getting your portion sizes right anyway..you will slow down as your body gets used to it..just make good choices and stick at what your already doing..the band works in a different way to a diet if that makes sense?!.i have started losing again after being stuck for a week..oh and dont forget weetabix or shreddies or summat for breakfast..it kick starts your metabolism and stops your bowels from slowing down..its important to keep some roughage going through or you can get bowel problems.go slowly and surely and weight will come off.it can take about two years in all (prob my case!), but as long as it does go in the right direction, i wont fret! anyway,best of luck!..im just going to work now thats my exersize for today, inc the walking there! x

its normal this slowing down after couple of weeks thing..seems like we all do it!..its bit disheartening after a good start though!..wendy is right you should not be calorie counting, cos to be long term succesfull its all about portion size..so dont bother with diet stuff cos it will send your body into "fasting mode" where your metabolism slows down if you are taking in too few calories and nutrients...also..if we are just gonna calorie count..then what use is it having the band?!.i am now virtually eating the same as before, but half the portions..cos i cant manage any more,and thats with no fill..and i have found out the things that hurt like bread and chips, so dont want them now...that is how the band works..if you just have liquids (apart from the initial few weeks and for 2 days after fill).then there is no point in having the fill really cos it can be at its very tightest and you will still be able to have liquids..then you might get into trouble big time if something gets stuck when you do try something more solid,like you do have to to get the advantage of the band, so they dont like to do fills until you are on solids...i have a very good book wrote by a top bariatric surgeon, it didnt make sense before i had the band but i keep refering to it now and it does. his patients are very successfull too. so i am reading up on it!..didnt you buy that book also TC?. gillian x

sorry, its sunday sister big, the holy day, i have been in church all day,i have confessed to the giant millies cookie i had,and i am forgiven,but must only eat dust tomorrow.