MummiesBB

I'm in Northampton yes lets wait until after the hols. What days would be good for you? Take care Claire

http://www.tickerfactory.com/weight-loss for tickers Glad you are feeling positive today go get those pounds!! Claire x

Please be gentle on yourself. Firstly don't compare yourself to others on here as you have read you will see we all react very diferently to the band and have restriction at different points. You will lose weight and just need to be aware of what you are eating. I know I am not really in the position to tell people what they should or shouldn't be doing. I found (please remember I had restriction from the 2nd fill which is unusual from what I have ascertained and been told by Chris Duprez) that I could no longer eat somehting just for the sake of it. It had to be nutritious as I was probably going to get one chance at eating something at that point in the day and couldn't afford to mess it up, otherwise I would have my head down the toilet. Sorry if too much information but sometimes we need to know what the worst case scenario could be. Perhaps try a smaller plate size and split the plate up into protein (important!) then the vegetables and a little potato. Make a healthy chunky soup and food process it down and store in the fridge or freezer (in portions). Have the dessert if you fancy a treat but just don't go overboard. You will get there and when you have restriction you will definately know about it and the pounds will start to fall off. As for the others around you just say time will tell and say positive don't let them goad you into hitting the biscuit box or whatever your achilles heel is. What is your achilles heel? I had a photo of myself that I placed near the fridge when I was losing weight to get married (14 years ago) and I found that did wonders for me. I lost a lot of weight and my dressmaker was always having to take the frame of the dress in until she said enough I have now got to cut the real thing and need you to stop losing weight or you will be walking down the aisle in this. I lost quite a lot and my wedding dress definately doesn't fit me anymore - it's far too big!!! So I must have been bigger than I thought! Stay positive and look after yourself. Take care Cx

Fabulous photo you are lovely and have lost loads. Well done beautiful lady! Have a good weekend. Cx

Hello all Wow Fattypatty wonderful weightloss, come on post a picture of the Karen Millen dress! Want to see - I have a very glam Monsoon dress so if you do then so will I! Dare you! It's always good to see how you have done and photographic evidence is usually the only way we start to acknowledge and see that we have changed. Nat 1977 - when wouldyou like to meet up? Where? Let me know... Laila160 - well done on your loss keep going as it will come off and it isn't a race but what is right for you. Such wonderful progress. Well I set myself a new target today as I had a GP appointment yesterday and in order to have the breast reduction I have to have a BMI of 25 or less. That equals 10 stone 7 lbs so I have the extra challenge of another 6.5 pounds. So 25.5 pounds to go. Only then will the GP put the application in. He thinks it will be accepted but they say that you have to have lost the weight for a year. As he said with the band they will probably see that as a positive. So hoping to go back nearer to July and have another chat. My fingers are crossed and I now face South instead of South West and West hasn't featured in a very long time! Anyway have a good week everyone and look after yourselves. All for now Claire x

Hello Yes it is the Salcey Forest in Northampton. Wow just up the road. Fancy meeting for a coffee? Going for hopefully my final fill on the 5th May. Would be great to touch base. You have done well with your weightloss, it's 4 stone you won't regain - yippeee! Take care Claire

Thank you that's really lovely. I was very brave last night and went live to friends on facebook. Why? Well on Friday I bumped into a previous client and I felt when she was talking to me that she didn't know who I was. Especially as I had my two children with me and she has never met them. Probably thinking who the hell has stopped me and is asking how I am, and saying isn't it wonderful news about so and so.... so I decided to post. Anyway the cat is out of the bag although I didn't say on facebook what I had had done because everypne who I openly and honestly tell is genuinely very good and says well done you! I did get an odd response yesterday as if to say "ohh my god why?" I was so positive that she said that all she had ever heard was negatives and had never actually met anyone who had had one. I thought I bet you have but they just haven't said. We aren't that small a minority or are we? Anyway have a super weekend what's left of it. Enjoy ... I'm off for the enxt two weeks bliss! Cx

Thank you I always think it is good to put a name to a face. So I have taken the plunge and be open and honest all the way, "you've lost weight"- "yes I had a gatrric band", "ohh I only ever read about that in magazines and heard so many negatives", "never met a real person with one and such a positive experience you have had, wow you have lost how much!"! So yes open, honest all the way and wouldn't want it any differently. Even went live on my Facebook page tonight how brave am I or perhaps that should be stupid. But then I always believe that there is a message for everyone that there is always a choice and that it isn't dependent on someone from the NHS saying yes or no and that we can take control of out own destiny! Hence why so many of us end up with Dr Chris. Thanks for the lovely comments, I am now stepping off my soap box and going to make cupcakes for tomorrows visit to nanny & gramps and hopefully a trip to Salcey Forest tree walk! Have fun Claire x

Evening all Enjoying a lovely glass of Frascati. Had a lovely day with the children. My oldest took a really lovely spontaneous photo of me and I thought I would post the link as I don't have any photos on here. Please don't be shocked by the first ones as they were pre-op (night before) and then at intermittent periods during the last 36 weeks. http://www.mummiesbirthbuddy.co.uk/weightlossphotos.htm Update: Week 36 Well 20lbs to go. I have lost 81 pounds and 67 inches. Wow wow wow! I can't believe I am so near my target. I started thinking if I was going to be happy at this target as I have been working towards this for the last 36 weeks! What if I don't stop losing after I have got to it, is that wrong? Is it what my body needs? I am also wondering if I will get less restriction etc. I know that I may have to go for a bit of maintenance in terms of fills but will my body know when it needs to stop losing weight? I'm already shocked at what I see in the mirror. I can't quite get over the change from July 2010 until the beginning of January and until now. It's amazing. I am so not used to seeing myself like this and sort of miss a stage of my life when I felt I was ok. I suppose that would be the day I got married. Anyway I am going to have to get used to it as it is a part of me and I'm not going back to the 18 stone + me. So how did I do this week. Lost 3.5 lbs and 1 inch so BMI is now 28.7 getting nearer to 25 to be referred for boobs! Well going to close, have a super weekend. Take care Claire x

Hello Congratulations on choosing Dr Chris and his team. They are great. I didn't have a choice of which band, I was given what Dr Chris thought would be best and it was a helioscopie. I paid all the money by bank transfer via my bank and they charged me £27 for the service. I think others on here from Ireland used the Credit Union not sure what the transaction fee was. I went in July last year and my husband came with me. There are quite a few on here who have gone solo and had very positive experiences. HTH and good luck. Keep us posted. Best decision I have ever made and so pleased with the results. Take care Claire

Well done and congratulations on the loss. It feels wonderful so enjoy because it is hard work but so worth it. Onward & downward! Hooray!

That's good news, you can start getting excited now! How much would you like to lose? Take care and look after yourself. Claire x

Fantastic, well done and congrats on the 100+ weight loss. Are you planning to lose anymore? Agree with the PMA as you need to be very focused and meet the challenge and not give in or up. Well done Claire x

Hello all Week 35 Well I have got tighter and tighter again and only really managing cuppa soup. Even yoghurt is difficult but then that could be that I tried to rush it down as I needed to go and teach. Soon let me know as I get the most terrible pain in my back and just have to go get rid of it. Feel absolutley dreadful afterwards aswell and very reluctant to take anything in. Weighed in yesterday and had lost 1.5 lbs and 1.25 inches so total loss of 77.5 pounds and 66 inches. Phenomenol! So on the downward path for the last 25 pounds to get to a total loss of 101 pounds hopefully by the anniversary og having the band (30th July 2010). Had a setback yesterday whilst walking to pick the children up as I managed to fall over (didn't trip over anything or anyone) my dad said I should take more water with it BUT as I don't touch the stuff (alcohol) then that's not possible. I feel absolutely exhausted and wonder if my lack of water could have been a factor. I ended up in A&E with my knee brace on and just wanted to be checked over because of the ACL replacement I had done in 2008. Just as things were going so well with teaching yoga and school! I realy don't want to embark down this path of my life again. So fingers crossed that it is the swelling that is causing all the twinging in the back of the knee and nothing more sinister. Apart from this, feeling very positive, I was asked by the nurse in triage if I had taken any pain meds and explained that I didn't think they would go through because of the band so she gave me soluable paracetamol as I can't take brufen. She was really interested in how I had got on wth it and I was really proud to tell her how much I had lost and that I was waiting to buy new clothes and just replacing little bits as I go along. She was very impressed. So all in positive but in a lot of pain. Take care and have a lovely weekend. Claire

Just brillaint, well done. Superb news about the loss since seeing the Doctor. Hopefully she will do the referral as she will see you have really committed to this. My fingers are crossed for you. Congrats on the job and also the fabulous loss, not long to go until you are at your target. It's a nice feeling isn't it. As for the clothes it's trousers I find I am getting through. I have just been and bought size 14 in one style and size 10 in another, as I am so fed up of looking like a clown in size 16. I need to find a way to take them in as I have some really lovely tailored trousers that I have only just bought recently! Anyway, well done and take care. C x

Are you members of a Union? Is there a Union rep you could touch base with? Perha[ps Citizens Advice Bureau or a solicitor that specialises in Employment law and offers free 30 minute consultations Thereare lots of Independent Human Resource Administrators around have you done an internet search for one of these who may be able to give you Independent advice? I belonged to a teaching union when it happened to me so didn't have to search for this. Perhaps ACAS can give you some advice as to whether you have a case for unfair dismissal. Take care and try to stay positive I now how difficult this is. If you want to email me then do mummiesbirthbuddy at yahoo dot co dot uk Take care Claire x

Hello I was banded July 31st in Belgium and to date have lost 76 pounds and nearly 65 inches. Very happy and have 25 pounds to go to my 101 pound loss. Have lost every week which has been very good and I know unusual. Please see this link if you are interested in my story: http://www.lapbanduk.org/t29-mummiesbb-journal Well done to everyone a loss is a loss and it's not going to come back which is such a positive thought! Good luck for the rest of your journey. All the best Claire

Evening all, Weighed in yesterday and had lost another 1.5 lbs and 3 inches so very happy that the 0.5ml fill I had is doing it's magic. Still only really managing soup but tying to pack in the protein with this as much as possible. I have to have a recycle of my clothes as I look a little like a clown as trousers are far too long and very baggy. Had Imi's district show and there were a few people there who did a double take and were quite shocked at what they saw infront of them! So well pleased that it's having this effect. I even managed to ensure someone didn't recognise me at all! What a feat! Booked for another fill at the beginning of May, hopefully with Dr Chris and then I will book for my yearly check for the beginning of August if they are over. Hoping to have reached my target of 101 lbs by my first bandiversary (31st July)! We shall see. So I have lost 76 pounds and I did say I was going to have a treat. We have booked a couple of days over Easter in Mudeford so shall go paddling and crabbing with the children and have a fun time. Well will be back again in the next few days or even next week. Take care and look after yourselves. Claire

Email him again and mark it as URGENT and just say that you are a little concerned. Sure they have got it and all is well just that they are really busy, I think they may be in need of a little assistance and perhaps didn't realise just how busy they were going to be from the UK end! Saying that there was a lady from Holland there when I had my band done. So he has a wide catchment area. Good luck, when are you booked to go? Take care Claire

Hello You have done brilliantly, well done. With ref the referral would another doctor consider sorting this for you? It's not ideal but hang in there if you can. How long do you think it would take you to lose the 21 pounds? Perhaps chunk it up and set yourself little mini targets and in the mean time keep trying to conceive naturally and have lots of fun in the process. Sod them unless they have been through this themselves they don't have a clue how important it is to you and what you are experiencing. Happy bandiversary for Saturday. Take care C x

Do hope you are sorted with regards to your job. It's quite a stressful time at the moment for lots of people so you aren't alone. Hope the 2nd fill does the trick and you start to lose weight. Take care and let us know how you get on fill and jobwise. Fingers crossed. Claire x

I find the same thing happens when I am feeling really stressed. Take it easy and remember to try to stay calm. May be a few days until you feel right agaon. Take care and look after yourself. Claire x

Hello everyone Hope you are all well? So been an odd week. Had my fill a week ago Thursday and managed a soup on the day, Friday and Saturday fine then bang on Sunday I had restriction like the October killer fill! Difficulty getting even water down again so took it easy and avoided anything that would get stuck. Anyway seems to be getting a little easier which is good but not able to eat until 10 at night so managing on very little. Lost 6 pounds first week after fill so one step closer to the last 31 pounds. 25 to go and not sure if I will make the target date I had in mind. But we will see 10 weeks and counting. I have another fill planned for the 5th May and I am away that weekend in Edinburgh on a study day so hoping that I will be ok for the journey. Fingers crossed should be. Anyway hope everyone is ok and taing care of themselves. All for now Claire I forgot to say that I went from OBESE on the scales to OVERWEIGHT it was a big woop that had the children running from the kitchen!!