lingling

I'm not on any meds anymore, stopped about 2wk ago. Feeling less itchy lately - glad that I am not the only itchy one!

Don't sweat it guys - this surgery is probably more minor than having your tonsils out - the risk of blood clots is a lot less as they don't really cut much at all!

Just your port babe! Your band is up much higher!

Great work everyone! Good on you guys for posting your pictures. Cannot wait till we all post skinny ones!! I took some 1mth ones today (took my last ones on 18th of March) but there isn't much difference so I won't post those. Hopefully my 18th May ones will show a bit more shrinkage!! I guess when you have so much to lose then 10kg doesn't show up as much as if you only have 10kg to lose!!

Have I done this right? Or was I just meant to post my own? Bunny Bandster's July 4th Challenge Bunny's name ------ Bunny's target loss --- Bunny's start weight --- Current date --- Bunny's Current weight --- Bunny's target July 4 weight PharmaGirl ----------------- 20lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ?-------------------------- ? NYLady --------------------- 20lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May ----------------------? ------------------------- ? Lingling---------------------20lb (9kg)----------------?-----------------------1 May ----------------------?------------------------?

Hey Isabella, I was banded two and a half weeks ago, and I have been having the same feelings about fear of failure and was feeling very depressed until I went back to work last friday. I was thinking that I will fail at this too, or that I am not being a "model" bandster like everyone else getting 90g of Protein or whatever, and that people banded the same time as me have lost more and what if that means I am being bad or doing it wrong or it wont end up working for me. Moreover, I was/am scared that what if I get thin, and I am still not happy, the black cloud doesn't lift, I don't find the man of my dreams, and it just doesn't work. However, I have realised that all I can do is do my very best. I have come to this place in my life, where I "resorted" to surgery because this battle became too hard to fight on my own, and because I wanted (come hell or high water) a shot at a normal life because I believed that I deserved one and that it would be so much better as a thin healthy person. The band is a tool. You will hear that over and over again on this website. It is a tool it is not a magic wand, it will not make our fat melt away 2 or 3 weeks post op, but it WILL make me less hungry, it will make me full easier, and with sheer determination I will wake up every morning and make the most of this chance, and I swear it will work. (And when I say sheer determination, I don't mean extreme dieting and extreme exercising, I mean normal life. Get up, drink Protein shake or have porridge, go to work, sit on ass at desk for 4 hrs, have lunch - 1 cup of whatever - something healthy - go to gym for 1 hr - sit on ass at desk for 4 hours - go home - sit on ass for 4 more hours, sleep. But seriously. All we have to do is be sensible, get the exercise and type of food that "healthy" people get and the band will help us with the rest. This is not another "hell for leather" diet, it is not the quickest is the best. The simple equation of energy in vs energy out will come true in the end if you stick with it and you go for your fills and you keep coming back here for support as those three things will keep you on track. I know it is overwhelming, but we are all here to help and all in the same boat. Feel free to PM me if you want xx PS. Hang in there.. normal food is just around the corner

I would have a chat to your doc for more pain meds. Throwing up is not good!

Great work everyone! Here are this week's results: We are still missing WannaB, Contemplating, Lulu and AngieB for this week. Biggest Loser of the week is Hannah! YAYAYAY HANNAH!!! Biggest Loser in pounds to date is a tie - JayTee and Sissy with 46lb! and Biggest loser as a percentage of starting weight is Sissy!! :thumbup: AWESOME WORK!! Keep it up!! xx Friday2.doc

Yay! Everyone is doing great! For those who had a TINY gain, do not sweat it, we are in the early days and our bodies are still adjusting!!! We will all gain on the occassional week. The important thing is "ITS WHAT WE DO MOST OF THE TIME THAT MATTERS!" and for us... thats LOSING WEIGHT!!!!! yeeehaaaaa Welcome to all the newbies! Our shrinking group is expanding rapidly (oh we can have so much fun with weightloss jokes. hahah) I think Celtic and Sexy Lips have fallen off our group? Just waiting on Friday's weights from Angie, Lulu, Contemplating (although I think she just got banded?) and WannaB. For those of you who have posted "down 30lb all together today" and not given any weights - welcome, and thanks for contributing - thats awesome - however if you want to be part of the spreadsheet (you don't have to be if you don't want to) I will need your weight before the LB journey and this week's weight. Off for a night in a flash hotel with a friend of mine (no, sadly not that kind of friend) ha ha. So signing off till tomorrow xx

Hey Doodle - Great that you want to join. What I need from you is the following or your calculations won't work. Highest weight - (ideally your pre-preopdiet weight) or at least your highest weight within 6mths pre-band. (as we want to track the band weightloss journey) Last week's weight (if you have it) This friday (17th April) Weight. I weighed in this morning (it is Friday here already!) at 127.9kg or 281.4lb. Down 1.7lb or 800g from last week. Total running loss of 9.5kg or 20.9lb! Yay for me! Nearly 10kg in a month!!! If I can keep this up (which I won't be able to) I will be at goal in another five months. hahahah Good luck everyone for their weigh in within the next 24hrs!!! We are kicking some butt!!! (our own, ironically!!)

Yah its fun to do it!! Nearly ready to do it all again for this week tomorrow for me! Remember to weigh yourself on Friday and let me know what your weight is!!

Wow Swishbc! you have amazing eyes!! Great work on the weightloss too!

I was banded 2 weeks ago and I have recently got so itchy! My legs and my arms - but mainly my legs. Little red bumps, but not sure if they are from the scratching or from the actual reason I am itchy! The more I scratch the worse I get!!!!

Hey Kara You will be surprised at how "okay" it is. I too had the same fears, I am 2 weeks post op and I have been absolutely fine. I have eaten with friends and been to parties and out to dinner. On those occassions I had pureed versions of what they were having (at the party) or mexican refried Beans and sour cream (at lunch) or out to dinner (mashed pumpkin and gravy) nothing exciting but it was not the end of the world. I haven't been hungry at all - except one day. Keep your fluids up and try to keep your Protein up, and just eat whatever will go down. My doctor and nutritionist both said to me - this is not a time to lose weight - this is a time to heal and to let your body adjust to what has happened to it!!! Mainly though - you will get through it! I promise. Keep telling yourself ONE DAY AT A TIME and "This too shall pass!" We're all here to support you if you need advice or want to vent!! xx

Confused There is two kinds of gas: 1) The gas from what they pump into your abdominal cavity to make surgery easier. 2) the gas that your stomach and bowels make normally which is heightened as a result of having a band. The first gas causes shoulder pain and pain under the diaphram The second gas causes normal "I need to fart" pain. I have suffered the first (for two days after surgery only) and not the second. But I have heard the second can happen. Not sure which Gas-X helps.....

HELLS YES MT2BH!!! I AM SO EXCITED. Even had a little flirt with the barman tonight at pubquiz night!! YAYAYYAY JUKEBOXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Congrats!!!!xx

Thanks KMCD!

Hi guys Am having a bit of a freak out today. What if I don't lose weight? What if I have shelled out $16,000 and I don't lose weight and I get to be the size of the earth and am alone forever?

Daily weighing is TERRIBLE I cup of Water probably weighs 1/2 a pound or 250gm! Stick to once a week weigh ins and you will be fine!!!!Join the friday group if you haven't already! And 2 lb in one week is awesome! Don't compare this to the pre-op diet stage, this is LONG TERM SUSTAINED WEIGHTLOSS. YOU WILL GET THERE!!!!!!!!

Hey Guys I'm getting nervous about my pre-op diet. Unfortunately it falls on my birthday - so am trying to think of other things that are non food and alcohol related to lavish upon myself! Have come up with spending the day at a spa and having 100 different types of massages -will be great! Anyway, there seems to be a difference in pre-op diet approaches. My Doc has me on Optifast from the 19th March to the 2nd which is potentially my operation date. 4 sachets a day, plus 1 cup of veges at night. Nothing else, for two weeks. I am a little scared!! He says that the liquid optifast sucks all the fat from the liver the best - and there is a risk of the liver rupturing when they lift it if it is still infiltrated with fat - so I am really worried about messing it up and then either having complications or them not being able to do the surgery cos I am useless!! What is happening with all of you guys?

The headache will probably be dehydration - try 2 litres of water a day! And don't worry about a thing - best step you could ever take for yourself! Jukebox - did the insurance company set your banding date etc and then tell you to show up and the date (sorry i am not from america so have no idea how it works) if so, then they would have told the doctor/hospital they were pulling the pin on the surgery and they would not have called you. If however, you are arranging it and then just taking a pre-approval letter along to the surgery then that may be a different story. However, either way - if they have verbally told you that you are accepted surely the letters are computer generated and wrong.

man, it's all good, it can't not come off. Less weighing, more relaxing! Stress itself makes you store fat! But your body is going through a period of adjustment right now so all the "textbook" things might not be happening exactly as you expect. It's a long road and it will come off in the end. Just make sure you're drinking your Water too!

Hi guys Great going everyone Here are the results from week one. Please note that some of the calculations won't work as we don't have highest weights for everyone - these will impact every week's results for these people as we need a point of comparrison. People are away getting banded and for easter so I am sure they will come in due course! The other reason some of the calcs aren't working this week is that we don't have a 4th of April weight for everyone - never fear! this will Iron out next week as most people have given this week's weight. Ignore the funny calcs in red - its just an error because of above! Overall so far Hannah and JayTee kicked butt this week with 13 and 7lb loss respectively! Although if you look at everyone's loss as a % of their starting weight we are all doing really well!! Hang in there we are on the road to healthy happy lives!!! PS. Sorry not sure why the JPG is so tiny!!!! I have uploaded a word doc to show the spreadsheet Friday2.doc

Agh! I typed this whole thing and then lost it Darling, i totally get what you mean, I was banded the day after you and I am feeling FAT AND FRUMPY and like I will never find a man! haha. We need to take a and realise that this month is for healing, and the results won't start to happen till after first fill and when you can start exercising and getting the benefit of the band from eating solids etc. Just relax - this will happen!! xx

I have taken 2 weeks off, but didn't need it at all. Could have physically gone back after 4 days, but I sit at a desk. Can tell you I am bored out of my mind at home - but I go back on Friday (is Monday PM here now) so I bet I will be regretting wishing this time away when I wake up at 6am on Friday morning!!!