MummiesBB

Definately not nil by mouth, I would eat as much as you can because you may not be able to after the fill and drink plenty of water before as well. They give you an advice card for how many days on liquids (3 I think) and then mushies for about the same. Do a search on this threadand we will have posted what it is. I had a fill in late October and have only just started to eat very small amounts (and I mean a maximum of two bites) of chicken cut up into 2 x 2cm cubes. The restriction I had from that fill was unbelievable and I felt quite unwell with it. But then we are all different and I have lost 27.5 pounds since then nearly 2 stone (gosh that's a shocker). HTH Claire

Hello Well done on cutting the wine down that's a really good start. You'll find once you have had the procedure that portion size will decrease aswell. I am due for a fill at the end of January so waiting till next Friday to see if I lose anymore as I have been able to eat very small pieces of chicken and somesmall bite bits. So will see and then make a decision next Friday. So far lost 60.5 pounds so pleased. Hope you pre-op diet starts off well, I know most find it difficult to stick to. I also took milkthistle to help reduce the size of the liver. Have fun and enjoy. Claire

I do hope you are able to conceive naturally and well done on a superb weight loss. I have read aswell that many couples fall pregnant when one othem loses a significant amount of weight. Fingers crossed that all goes well whether it be the natural or the IVF route and that you have a beautiful baby in your arms to cherish and love. Take care and look after yourself.

Completely agree with not doing any heavy work - try to rest. It wasn't my port side that hurt it was the right hand side where they had cut through the muscle due to how dense it was (from years of doing Gymnastics, so my GP said). As for dressings I changed mine every 3 days and wrapped in clingfilm to have a shower (I know desperate!) Book an appointment with your surgery and they will arrange for the stitches to be removed at 10 days. Hope you are feeling better and now have no regrets. Believe me when I say that the procedure is so worth it. Having lost 60+ pounds and 50+ inches in 23 weeks I certainly don't have any regrets and the response from friends and family has been incredible and very supportive. All they keep saying is how fantastic I look and I must be near my target. But when I say I have another 40 pounds to go they are like where from. I definately know where from! Anyway have a restful weekend all. Claire

Hello You can find the packages here: http://www.belgiumsurgeryservices.com/esthetic_offers.php HTH Packages are inclusive from what Frederik has emailled to me. I am probably going to have my fill in two weeks as it feels like the restriction is easing. I am able to eat a little more but Friday will tell me when I weigh. Back soon with news of x-ray etc.

I'll find out and post on here asap. HTH Good to see some more people coming back onto the forum. When do you go for your next fill? I'm not sure what to do as I have one booked for the end of January in London. But may cancel depends on how much I lose this week. Not sure if a small fill is going to help me though as I have good restriction and stil only managing liquids with some occassional solids and I mean occassional! Anyway will post back when I have some info. Take care Clare

i think you should just go and see fredrick or chris, they are the people who fit the band and they have loads of experince. when i talked to europe surgery they said that the band last about 15 years but there is no guantee because they are new bands and no one knows they may even last for life. so i am thinking that even if it only last 15 years thats long enough to get yourself thinner and learn not to eat too much (not the case from this end just a complete lack of inactivity due to a knee injury) I don't think I would need 15 years not based on how everything has gone so far in 23 weeks, I have been very lucky to have lost so much weight and inches. But I know that things can change and I am not about to count my chickens. I bought a couple of pairs of size 16 trousers for work today so can officially recycle my 18's. I would always refer to Dr Chris or Frederik as they were the ones who did the procedure. I was posting for those that may not have started thinking about this and perhaps wanted the information I had been given by Frederik or to know of alternatives. I for one would rather not have to travel back to Belgium just yet and would like to know my options. Dr Chris did say during the meeting the evening before that he was happy to have a copy of the film and use this. So I am sure that he would be happy to accept a CD of the film. Anyway, just a heads up for anyone starting to think about their annual check up. Have fun and enjoy.

Hello all We have a local fill centre here in Northampton with Northampton Radiology email: lagb@northamptonradiology.co.uk They quoted me £150.00 for a fill (supposed to be a one off) and they fill it using ultrasound to see that they have the right amount of restriction. I am not considering going to them for my fills as I do not want to affect the warranty on my band. But I find it interesting that they do just one fill and then that's supposed to be it as we all know that restriction can just suddenly ease up. I have enquired if they can do the annual x-ray aswell? They have quoted me £76.00 and will burn this to a CD for Dr Chris to have a look at. Frederik has recently quoted me Euros 500 for a package for the check in Brussels including hotel, x-ray, appointment with Dr Chris. So I shall gather some more information and add to this post to let you know if there are other types of x-ray available. Or if anyone has had one done and can advise what I should be asking for. Ohh another quickies aswell while I am here, can we keep the band for life or just for the 15 years? I am hearing lots of different tails and would like to know. Thanks Claire

Congratulations on your new arrival, hope you are enoying your babymoon. I am sure that it won't take long for you to lose the weight and you have had a lot of experience with your band. Was your band completely emptied when you were pregnant? How much have you had put back in? Sorry loads of questions which I know the answers will be very relevant as I am sure that sometime soon I am going to meet a future client (I am a Doula) who will have a band and I will want to be as fully informed as possible. Take care and look after yourselves.

Hello All Happy New Year! Taken me a while to get on been hit by jetlag really badly still not really turned around and we have been back a week. Congratulations to all those going to be banded and those that are having steady results. For those that have indulged it will come off be patient. Over the three weeks we were away I lost quite a bit. Total loss is 59.5 pounds and 50 inches. The walking really helped and I feel much fitter. So another 41.5 pounds. Had an interesting appointment with my GP on Friday who did a double take bless him and was beaming from ear to ear about how much I had lost. I went to see him about a breast reduction/lift. In 2004 I was referred and accepted onto the list and the criteria was a BMI of 30 imagine how gutted I am to be so close to this and be told that the criteria is now a BMI of 25! Okay so new target set but he wouldn't refer me as he said it would be rejected as my BMI is 32.3. So I have to go back in a few months and see where I go from there. I really would like this done over the summer holidays so I have 6 weeks recovery. I have enquired with Frederik as well. I would rather not pay for it especially as I had the funding before so shall perservere. NHS funding seems to be so stringent. I have really bad ezcema under the breasts and in the cleavage area and the pain in my shoulders and upper back has been phenomenal since I lost weight. I also have a vertebra missing (T10) which makes my back a little more unstable. So all in all the weightloss has really helped but I am in quite a lot of pain and have locking up in the shoulders frequently. Anyway the journey has been interesting and I am so pleased that I had this procedure done. I feel renewed, a lot healthier and happier. People at work have started to notice and I have been very open and honest about it and said what I have had done. When I reach my next target 75 pounds I am going to celebrate (not sure how but I will think of something!). Take care and have a good Sunday. Claire

Hello Glad that it has inspired you. I have always exercised and it was only when I ruptured my knee back in 2007 that I started to really pile the weight on from a distinct lack of activity and it really killed me when I thought about what I had been like previously. So I took control and hey presto I have been very lucky and managed to lose quite a lot. Happy to post responses and I am sure there will be lots of others who will support your journey as we have all been supported. Positive support and a place to come to let vent about how you are feeling is very important. Enjoy your journey!

Hi all Posting from a variable Florida weather wise! Must say I have had the most awful time food wise. All I have managed is soup and more soup and more soup! Yes I think you get the picture. Soup and yoghurt which sometimes I am able to eat without issue and other times it can be a wasted cause and I have to go to the bathroom. I've been cook, laundry maid and general skivvy for one member of the family and without thanks. I actually told her that she had ruined my holiday with all her pathertic immature behaviour hidiing in her room, asking me about when the maid will be in to clean and change the beds!! No thank yous and to top it all I was told by my husband that I had trashed Christmas along with my mother! So pissed off and I don't think my comment about "Courtesy starts at home" went down to well. So above all feeling pretty crap about the whole thing and have vowed never again!!!!! In some ways I feel very sad that I saved for a whole year to be on the receiving end of this and just wished that we had come away on our own. Poor children it's supposed to be about having a family experience all they've been exposed to is arguing and I have been the piggy in the middle and hating every minute of it. Never again. Last night they all sat down together and enjoyed a meal that I cooked for them and then I had to wait 15 minutes for my own to heat up before I could sit down to eat. I think I have my priorities wrong., Everytime there is the whiff of stress I seem to head for the bath room. Would love to know if I have lost anything but have to wait until I get home to weigh and measure. One thing that has gone down is white wine (forget my love of red just won't stay just too acidic) haven't had much but have had some! Anyway Happy New Year to you all and I hope everyone is well. Sorry to be such a killjoy just need to clear my head as my husband only sees his mothers side! Anyway night all sleep tight. Claire x

Just a quickie as in the process of packing and doing laundry. Just 2 pounds short of a 4 stone loss - wow that's nearly 56 pounds. Anyway thought I would share. Have started thinking about the next steps aswell with regards to breast reduction/lift and other bits as there are definately going to be loose bits! Anyone now of a good cosmetic surgeon I have the Begium Surgery Services information from Frederik and will have a chat with him when I go for my third fill in January. Interested to know if anyone got any cosmetic work on the NHS etc. Anyway must go as poorly child to the out of hours service and packing hubby's bag. Have a lovely Christmas and hopefully drop in whilst we are away. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Congratulations shall be thinking of you on my birthday. Have a wonderful day. Take care Claire

Hello All Glad to see that the thread is being found. It's been a bit quiet on here. Hope all are ok and getting ready for Christmas (if you celebrate) or just some well deserved time off from the normal day to day. I am so looking forward to just stopping on Monday evening, off to Florida for Christmas and very excited. Have to curtail this as the youngest doesn't know we are going we have kept it as a big surprise. So last weigh in today for three weeks and I am at a total weight loss of 52 pounds and inch loss of 45 inches in 19 weeks. I have my monthly so will weigh justbefore we go on Tuesday morning and see what I am then and just keep a check on it if I can. Not worried as will probably only be having the same as here - soup. I have managed a little bit of chilli and I have started to eat the soft part of the satsuma and not the skins. I need my fruit! So lots of pureed baby fruits aswell. When I have a chance I will update my ticker but probably not now until January when we are back. I hope everyone has a wonderful, restful time and you manage to enjoy a little food that whets the appetite. Have fun! Merry Christmas

Hello Not sure why you would put on but stick with what will go down I know it can be a bit boring but if you can keep those things down and they don't make you feel sick you are getting some nutrition. Are you having any nutritional supplement - shakes (Herbalife) etc that may help to keep the nutrition going in. I have only managed to have crackerbreads once in the last 6 weeks and then they were trying to make their minds up about whether to stay or go! I have resigned myself to the fact that Christmas dinner will be a very small portion that I may be able to keep hold of or perhaps not so making sure I have some nice hearty soups in just in case. We will be away so having to make sure lots of bases are covered. As for the cold - ditto absolutely freezing and can't quite believe how many layers I have on. I am wearing my boots indoors and they are lovely furry New Zealand sheepskins so you can imageine how cold my feet are with very thick socks. Take it easy on yourself and try to do little and often and stick with the things that work for you. Also don't hop on and off the scales - I know easier said than done! But our weight fluctuates a lot so pick one day in the week and record on that day and yes you may find you get on the next day and have a lost another pound and a ha;lf but the day after you may have put on a pound and a half. Stay positive and hope this helps. If not shout, rant and rave at me over cyberspace. Take care Claire

Hello Congratulations to those that have been banded recently your journey has started and I hope you have an amazing experience and lose lots! Update on my weightloss I weighed again today and have lost a total of 51 pounds and 43.5 inches in 18 weeks. Feel marvellous and after my clothes trying on exercise last weekend now feel very motivated for the next 50 pounds, so bring it on! Still only really managing cuppa soup and some soups with chunky bits. Tried some chicken again a few nights ago and decided this wasn't such a good idea nor did my stomach (IYKWIM!) Anyway, am really feeling the cold and hating this part of it and have so many layers on. I can't wait to go to the States and be in the sunshine. Perhaps I will stay permanently if the weather is good. (Only joking!) Anyway for those that are struggling don't lose heart the cold doesn't help as you need to bulk up. I am managing with the soups and porridge! Need to start having the pureed fruit again and drinking water! Have a lovely weekend. Take care Claire

Hello All Well 5 weeks and a few days I managed yesterday to finally eat some porridge and a few small pieces of chicken and about 4 baby carrots. Truly lovely and magical! As soon as I felt that I had reached my limit I stopped as I didn't want to push my luck. I managed to relax over the weekend and spent lazy mornings in bed and on Sunday I was lying on my tummy and I felt a pop and gurgle. After this it felt easier to eat so not sure what that was all about but hoping that I can manage some more again today. I have only had a cuppa soup and some yop yoghurt. So family are having sausage casserole and I shall have homemade pea and mint soup - delicious!! Booked for another fill on the 17th January if I need it. Away from the 14th for a few weeks in the States and so looking forward to this! Will do a little retail shopping for some new clothes and not go to mad! Particularly as I am now half way there and have another 50 lbs to lose so I am going to chunk it up into two lots of 25 lbs and see how I go. So if you are having restriction issues I perservered and have got through it but do what is right for you. The weeks since the last fill haven't been fab and at times I have felt like I was spaced out through lack of energy etc. Take care Claire

This is exactly how I have been since my October fill the first week after it all I could manage was warm water nothing else, then I managed to have lucozade (defizzed!!!) and managed to keep that down for a day then lost the contents of my stomach that evening with lots of bile! I spoke with the emergency defill number and she advised to stick with what worked i.e. the hot water! Cold just wouldn't do anything if anything it made it worse for me. Anyway after 7 days I was able to keep cuppa soup down and since then have teied proper food but it wont stay and so I resort to cuppa soup! I look at it that yes I have had good weightloss since this fill (16 pounds) but I am so concous of what I am now having and not having. I have doubled up on my vitamins etc and have a double cuppa soup if I feel that my energy levels are completely depleted and have herbalife shake added to anythign that will stay put. Drinking yoghurt has been good too and more recently yoghurt. See how you feel and then decided whether you need to perservere or go for a defill. HTH - I know not really an answer but it's nice to know there is someone else out there who is also going through the same. My family are quite worried but I have to keep reassuring them this is ok and this is what I signed up for!! I had a clothes trying on session today and have had a wonderful time recycling my size 20+ clothes. I had a wonderful shock that I can get back into my beautiful black Jaeger suit (16 skirt and 18 jacket) and I was wearing high heels which I haven't done since my knee op in 2008! Hope you can work through this and restriction gets less or allows more things to go down. Keep us posted and message if you want any support. From the same boat take care.....

Hello All Weighed yesterday and had lost another 2 lbs and 2 inches so up to 49 pounds officially (3 stones 7 pounds) and 42 inches. So pleased. Restriction is still there after I had the fill in October and still only really managing cuppa soup and shakes. Feel a bit funny at times and ewalise when I am hungry when the others in the family heat up food so then know it's time to eat! Finding it difficult to eat first thing but can manage tea and coffee. Anyway hope everyone is doing well and taking care of themselves. Have a lovely weekend.

Thank you. Are you measuring your inch loss? I find that this is an amazing motivator! After a while there is a steady pattern to the loss and then you might have a fill and loss more and then it evens out again. I measure neck,topof chest (Over breasts) under breasts, waist, around stomach, hips, tops of legs and top of arms. Well done on the changing shape it's lovely isn't it. We have to remember that it'snot a race and that actually slow weight loss over a period of time is better than all off in one go. How's the eating side of things? Still only able to eat at 5pm? I can manage (just) some yohurt, water, coffee, cuppa soup bit nothing solid as it just doesn't stay there! So I will stick to soup until Jan when this is my next fill and see if the restrictions eases off!! (Fingers crossed) I think Iam struggling energy wise so herbalife shakes have been a godsend! Have a good day and take care.

Been having a play as friends and colleagues asked for some photos please be gentle 2 lbs short of my 50 lbs loss and then I am half way.

Hello All Hope everyone is well, have read the last few pages of the post. Congrats to those that have decided to be banded. Best decision you will ever make and this forum really helps people to decide who and why! Well 16 weeks in and I have lost 47 lbs and 40 inches. So so pleased. Definately have restriction and still really only able to eat soup! Have booked a fill for January 2011 as we are away over Christmas. I am so close to my 1st target of 50 lbs just 3 lbs to lose over three weeks and then I can have a decent photo with the Big Cheese himself! So excited but the littlest who is 5 on Sunday doesn't have a clue we are going away! So hoping that this fill which was 4 weeks ago will loosen off a little and let me have a small reprieve over Christmas, my birthday and New Year! I can't tell you how pleased I am, chuffed just can't describe it! Anyway best go as I have the laundry to do and watching Children in Need. Have a lovely weekend everyone and stay focused.

Hi All Well I seem to have plenty of restriction and can only really eat cuppa soup (chicken mainly) as it stays down! Have tried solid food and it just doesn't want to know. My usual staples have gone out of the window and I am having difficulties in the toilet area (TMI!) Anyway biggest difficulty is getting the water down. It has stopped pooling now and just lots of gurgling. I am taking it that this is a sign of restriction? So tried drinking yogurt a couple of days ago and that was ok so shall start to put the pureed fruit back in as really need to get something in me. Lost a 1/2 lb and 1 inch this week so definately starting to get to the plateau. Don't feel that I want to go fo another fill just yet. What do others think? Have a good day all.