MissK

Glad it is all over and that you are doing okay, I hope the pain subsides soon :-)

Hi Everyone I just wanted to write a little post to say that on the few occasions that I've quickly popped my head into this forum, I've been impressed by the friendship and support that you're all showing each other -- and then quickly been stung with a little bit of guilt for a serious lack of effort on my part. My life has been crazy-busy recently, I've been in hospital twice in the past week after collapsing at work for some undetectable reason and my best friend has just had her husband walk out on her after he was kicked out of the police force (leaving her with an 8 month old baby, and a $500k mortgage - jerk!) so I have been spending a lot of time either feeling unwell, or trying to care for her - in between my very busy career! Alas, these are all still excuses which aren't good enough - having lap band surgery is a major event in my life that deserves my full attention, and it is going to be important to my success that I create a support network around me, not only through friends/family members, but also through you guys as YOU are also going through what I am going through, and the ability to share with each other will become invaluable. The support that I will find here if I invest my time in creating friendships will be so important, because I am single, I live alone, I am surrounded by males at work (I work in mining), my family are 1000kms away (and haven't even called to see how my pre-op diet is going!?!?), my best friend is being a jealous dick about the surgery and... well... I'm a pretty tough cookie, but I think I may just need this place to help get me through :-) So I am about to soon turn in for the night at the end of Day 5 of my pre-op diet, which means only 9 days to go until my surgery on 18th of August. I will do my best to find more time for you, to be supportive of you and to create friendships here!

People can just be shit sometimes, there's no other explanation for it - and mostly, when people are shit like that, it's because they have their own insecurities. Do you think perhaps being thin is something she's always subconsciously thought of as something she has that you don't, and she's scared that when you lose weight she'll lose that 'edge'? It's possible. One of my supposed 'best friends' has been horrendous, and it seems MY surgery is all about HER at the moment - she is a big girl who really enjoys being indulgent, especially with unhealthy foods - and she can barely even find the time to speak to me, leave a comment on my facebook when I update about lapband and never asks to spend ANY time with me since I announced I was having this done... and everyone who knows us both has said to be that it's clear to them that she is flipping out about me losing weight and her still being big. I've never once rubbed it in her face, but if she's not willing to make the sacrifices that I am, what can I do about it? So anyway, somehow this post became all about me and it was meant to be about you... in summary, people are just shit

MissK (Kellie) - Tuesday, 18th August :-)

Holy crap, I can't believe you were in/out so quickly! My surgeon requires a minimum overnight stay, if not two nights, before he'll let you go home. That's amazing that you were banded and outta there within 4 hours!

For those on the pre-op diet, if you are on a diet that allows two cups of vegies a day, can you please share with the group what you are doing with those vegies in terms of preparation? I have stir-fryed mine in garlic and soy sauce, but I swear to god that is going to get OLD real fast. I am allowed to use soy sauce, garlic, chilli, herbs/spices and tomato paste in the cooking process but I am not that good at experimenting with these things and as such as wondering wtf I can do to make them appealing?

The theme of the party was black/silver/grey so I wore the platinum blonde wig, a black/grey diagonally striped top (which had a silver sparkle through it) with black pants and boots.... so it was sorta costume, sorta not. You forgot me... although technically I started a day after you girls as I started on 4th, but we are a day ahead of you guys in Australia so essentially I started around the same time.

I am on my pre-op diet at the moment; I can have 3 x protein shakes plus two cups of low starch vegetables a day (tomato, lettuce, zuchinni, eggplant, cauliflower, broccoli, carrot, mushroom, peppers, etc) In addition to this I can use a teaspoon of olive oil, herbs/spices, garlic, chili, tomato paste, soy sauce in cooking. My issue is that I am not a very experienced cook when it comes to experimenting and I don't know how to do ANYTHING with my vegies other than to stir-fry them in garlic and soy sauce. This is getting old, very fast. Can anyone share with me any ideas or tips for what I can do during this stage to make the vegetables more appealing?

Hi Everyone! It has been a while since I have posted in this particular section of the forums - but the time has finally arrived for my 14 day pre-op diet. I am currently on day 3 of the pre-op diet which is to consist of 3 x Optifast Shakes and 2 cups of low-starch vegetables per day. They say that you never know how strong you can be until you have no other choice, and I have to say that I have impressed myself. There were almost tears 24 hours into the diet, but I pulled myself together and I have been coping exceptionally well. The only question I have is in relation to the 2 cups of low-starch vegies; all I really eat of the options I was given are capsicum, mushroom, carrot, cauliflower, broccoli and zuchinni. I stir-fried a batch of these up and added some garlic and soy sauce (which are allowed)... BUT... after 3 days of eating this, the thought of having it again tonight for dinner is making me a little nauseated. I am not highly experienced in experimenting with herbs and spices, and I was wondering if anyone had any hints or tips for different things they did to make their vegies into a semi-appetising meal? Appreciate any help you can offer, and please move this thread if I have posted in the wrong place. I'm still smiling, are you?

SuzanneG - Thanks for the info on crystal light, I've never heard of it, I don't think we have it here but SO many people on here seem to use it. Yes they do play Lady Gaga here, I love her music - that's not my real hair in the pic, it's a wig, I wore it to a party ) LL67, I am trying to avoid the 'funny' people and Luke has been told to pull his head in, so hopefully things will be okay from here. I woke up this morning feeling like I was going to vomit from being so hungry, and surprise surprise the protein shake doesn't taste as bad when you are STARVING. I am on the Optifast shakes, I wasn't given an option, and they have to be made on water not skim milk. I am feeling much stronger today than I was yesterday, you are right, we can do this!

Hi Guys, Mine is my starting weight taken yesterday, 5th August 2009 - 109.2kg/240.2lbs I started my pre-op diet yesterday; they say the hardest days are the first three. If this is true then I am half way through the hard part and have only had tears once. I can do it!

I have a question.... what is crystal light?

Girls, I am SO with you. Today is also day 1 of my pre-op diet (14 days), and right now I am wondering how the f**k I am going to get through this. The protein shake I had for breakfast was thick, sickly sweet, gritty and slimey. I almost gagged trying to get it down. Lunch was a Berry Crunch Protein Bar... I held high hopes for it, but seriously, it wasn't much better. I've just thrown together the protein soup that's supposed to be my dinner, and oh my god, not a chance. One tiny sip had me gagging. A male friend emailed me a photo of his vanilla latte and then proceeded to tell me about his chilli chicken burger for lunch, and somehow thought I'd think this was humorous... another friend sat down and ate a massive bowl of stir fry and rice with a can of coke in front of me, I couldn't believe it, I thought SHE would have a little more compassion than that. My stomach is growling, I feel like I'm going to puke, all I want is food. I didn't want to be the girl who whinged her way through this. I really didn't.

Yes, I am scared - but right now I am more scared of not surviving the pre-op diet which started today.

Hi Guys! My name is Kellie and I am a very busy personal assistant supporting three senior managers at a gold/copper mine in New South Wales in Australia! I am 27 years old, 5'4" and approximately 240lbs. I have just 14 days until I commence my pre-op diet, 25 days until my family arrive to be with me for the surgery, and just 28 days until I am banded on 18th August 2009 by Dr Henry Hook. I am excited and terrified all at the same time, but I can't wait for the results! Wishing you all the best and looking forward to sharing this experience with you!

I have to do 14 days of protein shakes; there's a full explanation of my pre-op diet on my journal. The pre-op diet commences in 14 days, surgery is in 28. Getting close!

Hi Guys Keen to do the weekly weigh in as well, and I already have a blog but it's not on blogspot. Address is listed in my signature!a

Hi Guys I wasn't given a choice, it will be the lap-band for me!

Hi Deekel, Before you can convince others to believe in you, you need to ensure you believe in yourself. You need to be sure that this is what you want to do, and why. I didn't know if the people around me would be supportive or not, so I didn't tell people until after I had been to the seminar and decided to go ahead with the consult. When I decided to have the consult, only my immediate family knew. Only once I made the decision to go ahead with it, and it was clear in my mind that I was making the right choice for me, did I share my plans with others. When I told them, it wasn't telling them that I was thinking about doing it and asking for their opinions; it was an announcement. I am having lap band surgery. Be prepared for people to ask why, they will. I was ready with answers. The vicious dieting circle that brought no results, the health risks that obesity is threatening to deliver, the psychological trauma of being overweight, the need for a solution once and for all. The message I gave to the people around me was clear; this is my body, my choice. They also have a choice to make, they can either be supportive or they can no longer play a major role in my life. Be prepared to distance yourself from the toxic people in your life, and stick to your guns. Believe in yourself!

I am more scared of bandster hell than the surgery itself. Please god, let it be tolerable!

Thanks for the responses guys! I started my voluntary health kick today, but sadly I had a restless night and woke up in a seriously foul mood. I had a protein shake for breakfast, a low-fat/sugar yoghurt for morning tea, a chicken salad sandwich for lunch and almost a litre of water, so that's not a bad effort. I just went for a 20 minute walk but my heart really wasn't in it. One step at a time, I guess!

Hi Guys I am scheduled to be banded in just over 9 weeks time, on 18th August; my surgeon has asked me to do the optifast diet for 14 days prior to surgery to shrink the fat around my liver, so that commences on 4th August. I met with the nutritionist yesterday, and told her I was planning on commencing a self-imposed health kick as of tomorrow to get my mind and body into the right mindset. I asked her whether any other lap band patients had done something similar and she advised me that she had never had another patient come through and voluntarily kick-start their weight loss early; in fact, most of the patients had basically gone on a massive eating binge right up until the mandatory pre-op diet commenced. I started to second guess myself and wonder whether I am making the right choice here; but I've decided that this is the right decision for me. I'm interested to know whether any of you chose to voluntarily kick-start your own pre-op diet, whether you were one of the binge eaters, or whether you just existed in blissful ignorance until the mandatory pre-op diet kicked in... and, why? Miss K

Hi Suzanne! Just wanted to say that my banding will also be my first surgery ever, and I am scheduled to go in on 18th August, so not too far behind you! Best wishes, hope you share your journey with us. - MissK

Hi, Welcome to the forums. I can't relate as I haven't been banded yet, but, you may have more success in the post-op section of the forums. - MissK