LouLouBell

I just had my 1st bandiversary and I am close to 30 kilos down. Since my last fill I am greatly restricted in what I can eat but I am still enjoying my new body and I am willing to accept the restrictions of my band. I still feel very positive and would recommend a band to anyone who is commited to a life change. I do have my down days but all I have to do is look in the mirror and I feel a whole lot better! My tip is to have fills and don't be discouraged if you can't eat some foods, - that is the whole point! I figure that I have eaten enough in my lifetime and now I have to accept that there are some foods that I will never eat again.

Well it is nearly midnight and I am in agony due to taking my Zoloft before bed without thinking! I had forgotten all about this thread and now after re-reading it I know exactly why I feel so shocking right now.

That is great news! I know what you mean about excited, - it's the beginning of a new life! Your husband will get a surprise!

Congratulations!!! You will love it!

It just doesn't let me down! I am losing slowly and steadily and still enjoyng the food I eat. I LOVE it! The best decision I have ever made (in terms of weight loss!) and I am so grateful for it!

I hope everyone is loving their band too!:thumbup:

Hi Majj!

Glad you made it here.

Lap-banding is not magic but it is a great tool. I think that you can expect good results, - it just may take a while if you are unable to exercise.

There is heaps of info on here! Lots of people to answer your questions. Sometimes just reading other people's posts answers your questions.

I hope you get what you need from your seminar.

You are welcome! I hope you get some good advice and info from here!

I am sorry you are having such a rough time. Is this the way you ate before the band? I know that before I had the band my eating was out of control and I would definitely eat past the point of feeling full and keep eating if I felt sick or overfull, - I had to finish what I was eating, - all of it! You are eating despite the discomfort it is causing you and I am sure that you are not enjoying it.

Have you seen anybody about your depression? Anger and anxiety go hand-in-hand with depression and maybe you are dealing with it with food.

I have sabotaged myself a few times since having the band, - mainly finding an excuse to eat something I shouldn't, - but it hasn't become an ongoing problem, - just the occasional slip-up.

I hope you are able to stop this self-sabotage by being aware of it and trying to deal with how you are feeling.

You are not alone.

I don't drink with meals and I wait a while after which is fine because I don't feel like a drink anyway.

I have no problem with drinking before bed. I have no reflux at all.

I can only imagine your frustration! Once I had made the decision to get the band I wanted it done yesterday. My advice is to try and maintain your weight while you wait if you can, - you don't want to get heavier and therefore have more to lose.

I am not sure about the health funds and their 12 month wait but it probably has something to do with keeping customers in the long term.

I think that you are so fortunate to be getting the band at 21 while you still have your whole life ahead of you. I wish I hadn't wasted my 20s and half my 30s in a fatsuit!

March will be here in no time and once the ball is rolling time will fly! (Gee I am full os cliches!)

I could have written your post myself, - except that I am banded and it is the best decision I have ever made! It will be for you too.

Good luck!

Yes that happens to me! Sometimes I eat something and it feels fine, then it feels as though it is too heavy and just sits. I walk around rubbing my stomach and hoping for relief but I just have to wait for it to pass through. I have found that this happens with some crackers, - but not others!

I waited about 9 weeks. I had an initial appointment, an appointment with the dietician and then a booking appointment. 3 weeks later I was banded!

I haven't had any issues with taking Zoloft but I am so glad I read this thread as I feel reassured that there are others who take Zoloft long-term and are better for it!

I have been on it fo 7 years and can't imagine not taking it!

Like you I read many negative posts before my surgery. I finally decided to focus on the positives and didn't read any negative posts or posts in the 'Complications' forum! I know that might sound like sticking my head in the sand but now that I have my band I know that it was the best decision for me and I am going to do whatever I can to look after it and help it to help me by making good food choices, - with a few treats thrown in too!

It is not magic, - but being thinner is!

I feel full up to my neck for a few days after a fill! It then loosens up a bit but I do have to change my eating habits. My Dr doesn't advise liquids after a fill but I tend to stick to 'safe' soft foods. To me good restriction is the feeling of fullness wth very little hunger. After my last fill I felt like my band was too tight for about 5 days but then I felt great, - I am pretty sure I am at my sweet spot.

btreiger I was glad to see you replied again! I think if we could totally avoid all high fat and high sugar foods we would have lost our weight without the band!

The band gives us the Portion Control that we couldn't keep to in all our previous attempts to lose weight. Of course healthy foods are the way to go but it is nice to be able to have the odd treat.

I think it depends on your body shape and where you carry your weight. I always lose top down so my butt and legs are slower to go down than my top half!

Don't worry, - you will get there! Just be patient!

I can't tell you what you will be able to eat but I can tell you what I can eat!

Coke? I could but I don't

Diet Coke? Yes

Ice Cream? Yes, low fat

chocolate? Yes I can but I am satisfied by much less

pizza? Sometimes, - only a little, no crust. Sometimes not at all.

Vinegar? Yes

potato chips? Yes, just a few

white bread? No

pastries? No

croissants? No

Someimes I can eat things and the next day I can't, - or a can before a fill but not after.

Are you still deciding about surgery or are you definitely going ahead?

Hi there!

I was banded on September 24 and have lost 40lbs. My eating habits have changed dramatically and I am so happy that I no longer eat the way I used to. I do need to up my exercise though. I have 3 demanding kids who keep me on my feet and I need to make time to get active. It has been Summer holidays here so it is very hot and I have been hibernating in the airconditioning!

I have had 2 fills, - 6.5cc in a 9cc band. I am very happy with the restriction I have. I still have a sweet tooth but it is easily satifisfied.

Isn't it great to be banded?

Hi there!

I am near Bunbury so not too far from you.:biggrin:

Congrats on having the band and for your loss. It is the best thing I have every done and have no regrets.

Don't worry about the kilo, - your Fluid levels can make a difference day to day. My dietician says that I should only weigh at my appointments but I can't help jumping on all the time, - a bad habit!

I have been banded since September and I have only PB'd about 3 times, - I am very careful to eat slowly and not to eat past my restricton because vomiting does not appeal to me either!!! I have a friend who vomits constantly and has lost a lot quicker than me but I am not going to make vomiting part of my lifestyle.

You don't need to take a day off work for a fill. It only takes a few minutes and does not hurt at all. You can feel it for a little while, - a fullness, but no big deal. Make sure you ask your Dr how much he is putting in.

I look forward to hearing how you are going.

I am not sure if I am dong ok.

I have lost 18 kilos (about 40lbs) since my surgery on September 24. I lost alot to start wilth and now I have slowed.

I am wondering how other September bandsters are going.:biggrin:

That's sounds like great advice Fanny! Thanks! My dietician tells me to eat every 3 hours but if weight loss really is about energy in and energy out then what you are saying makes sense.

I do have a question, - if I am eating a meal and I feel full but know I haven't eaten much, should I wait a while and try to eat a little more or just leave it?

Thanks.

I am doing a happy dance! I think this fill is effective! The only problem is that I am feeling absolutely no hunger and I have no appetite, - I don't even feel like eating at all, - nothing appeals to me because I am full already!:eek:

That sounds lovely thinin10! I have never seen snow! We are looking at having our hottest Christmas ever! Around 40 degrees celcius or more, - not sure how you measure that in the US but here it it bloody hot!