She Smiles

Wow Jacqui! I really hope that it doesn't end up being endometriosis! That sound truly awful! And it sounds about time to go get that pap smear too (god awful things!). You'll be swapping those 14's for 12's in no time at all. Hope the fill does its thing and kick starts the 8 kilo loss for you!

Sounds about right Bronnie, especially after your fill the other day! It sure does take a while of getting used to eating smaller serves! I went out for dinner last night for the first time since my last fill and ate 3/4 of ONE slice of pizza. And I was FULL AS!! I'm a cheap date haha

Great to hear from you! Congrats on joining us in band land!!

Hey guys! Loretta, unfortunately I didn't get to meet up with any of the girls! I plan on getting back down to Melbourne in August, hopefully. So I will try to organise something then.

I think you're spot on Bronnie. Obese people carry a lot of fat aroudn their organs, and typically that is where they will lose weight from first. Imagine operating laparoscopically in someones belly trying to get to the stomach when there is a liver in the way that is twice the size it could be because of the extra fat around it. My surgeon asks just before you go under if you did the pre op diet. If you say no, he won't operate, unless, you are certain that you won't be upset if you wake up and have needed to be cut right open. The chances of him needing to do that are much much higher if you still have a fatty liver that he can't get the laparoscopic tools in behind.

Hi guys! I think I was in denial about how overweight I was for the 6 months or so before I was banded. My mother gently (there was no malice in her suggestion) suggested that I might consider the band after seeing my Dad's success with it. I am SO glad now that she did suggest it, and loaned me the money to pay the gap to my surgeon (yay for parents!). I was one of those women who fell in love and got comfortable and I put on about 15 kilos in a short space of time. I mean I have alway struggled with my weight, up and down, (mostly up though!) and got down to about 63 kilos about 7 years ago (unhealthily by hardly eating and exercising TOO much). But as soon as I stopped exercising as much, it all crept back on. Then I injured my knees badly (I have patellofemoral syndrome) and was totally unable to exercise (even walking hurt) so I gave up all together. I guess when you put 50 kilos on over 7 years, you barely notice each kilo pile back on. I look at the photo of me at my biggest now and wonder how could I NOT see how big I was? I mean I could see, but I had family and friends who loved me the way I was, and even a bf who proposed to me when I weighed that much. I guess I am lucky to have been surrounded by people who valued me for me. Thats not to say that I haven't been the target of strangers horrible comments and looks. I used to feel incredibly self conscious eating in public, mostly because I could eat a phenomenal amount of food, it really was quite diguesting! And shopping for clothes and underwear was a total nightmare :cry I guess we have all had our battles with our weight, and thats why we are all here. But, as Susannah put it - it IS hard work, but we WILL all get there. You guys all inspire me every single day :clap2:

Congrats ont he decision to be banded! I've lost about 23 kilos since my surgery 4 months (and 1 day!) ago, I also lost about 6 kilos on my pre-surgery diet. I lost a lot just after surgery and for some reason (it still has me baffled) I lost 4 kilos in the last 2 weeks. The trick seems to be that you shouldn't just rely on your band to do the work, cos it just won't if you want to lose the most weight possible. You have to eat better food and integrate exercise as part of your day to day life. Thats how you will get optimum results. I exercise 6 days a week in some way (usually a 1 hour session at the gym - sometimes a jog outside or an exercise vid at home if the gym is not an option). As an another example, my Dad hasn't exercised a day since he had his band a year ago (because of other medical issues) and has lost 30 kilos, he has also had most of his fill out of his band for about 5 months too. 0.5 to 1 kilo a week is the healthy weight loss Dr's recommend. Any more and your body can go into starvation mode and hang onto every calorie you eat and your weight loss will stall (so the story goes!). Losing too much too fast can also have other negative effects (like your skin being even more loose than it already might be). Check out the archives of this forum, there will be heaps of examples. The bottom line is though, we are all different. And really, a loss is a loss! Whether you lose a lot or a little, fast or slow, its weight that will be gone forever, and to me, thats awesome!!

Thanks Bronnie!!

Hmmm I think I saw my GP for a referral (my surgeon won't see you without one) in late August. I had my first consult in September and had to wait for my health insurance to tick over a year and got my surgery done 3 days after that happened on the 22 November (I did actually BEG my surgeon to get me in as soon after that date as possible!). My father had already had his band done for about 8 months at the time I got mine time so I had kind of watched him go through it and didn't have many questions. But if you are a thorough person, Blythe's list of questions is awesome. They warned me that there is a percentage of bands where something goes wrong, and I just prayed that I wasn't one of them (to date I've had no probs what so ever!). I think the most important thing I wanted to know was about post operative care/support/assistance, and that was all explained with out me having to ask. Really, a good surgeon should be explaining it all to you with out having to ask.....thats what I think anyway!!

Congrats on the 5 kilo loss Bronnie! You're a star!

I have no probs with sultanas Susannah. I put an extra dozen or so in my fruit museli (about half a cup) every morning. Jsut chew em really well and you'll be right. Getting under a 100 was AWESOME. You'll feel like (and look like!) a million bucks when you get there! What are you going to do to celebrate Susannah? Maybe some hot new clothes? Or a weekend away? Something fun that rewards you!:clap2:

Hi Rightsize! congrats on the band! I agree with Bronnie, while I am an advocate of having a band meaning we never have to "diet" again, It makes sense to make sensible food choices afte paying for the surgery and going through the pain!!! I have chocolate a few times a week. But i work my butt off at the gym and I don't give myself a guilt trip about the food I eat. The band was a lifestyle change for me, which means I am eating 10 times better than I was pre band and exercising nearly every day. BUT if you are beating your self up about your food choices then you need to find something else to do to fill that gap that food took up. Exercise, read, call a friend, wander round the shops. Leave the house, the kitchen and do something else. All of that aside, if you are only 3 1/2 weeks out, you have no fill in your band, right? So it is likely at this stage, that you WILL be able to eat anything, and a larger volume of food that you would like. This is where your self control (yeah I found that funny too - if I had self control why would I be fat?) has to come in. You have to have smaller portions. Serve your food on a small plate and in a tiny bowl. Only eat 1 cup at each meal. And when you see your surgeon for your first fill (should be soon?) be honest and say "I feel like I am eating like a horse". He may be able to help you with your food choices, or refer you back to the nutritionist if you are struggling to make the right choices. At the end of the day, if you are still able to eat a lot in one sitting, the trick is to make sure you are eating the best food you can. Good luck! In time, and with fills, this will become less of a problem. And while its different for all of us, I've been banded since november and have had 6 fills, and I only just feel like I am at the right restriction to be eating the amount of food that is intended with the band.

Ok Bronnie here's my advice on your situation with my "9-5 work hat" on. You need to call the Office of Workplace Services (OWS) in Vic and get them to investigate this for you (or have a look at ows.gov.au). I work in industrial relations for the Government and what they have done sounds like it might have strong tones of unfair dissmisal that you will be able to establish in an investigation. Ask for a termination letter from them. Get it in writing and see if they squirm. They might refuse to do that, and if they do, that sways things strongly in your favour in a claim against them. Another organisation you can contact is job-watch, they investigate similar cases as OWS. But boy! The cheek of some employers! I'm sorry all of this happened :cry Susannah, I know! 4 kilos, I almost fell off the scales in shock! What am I on biggest loser or something haha :heh: I spoke to my Mum today and the surgeon called her today and brought her lap band surgery date forward to the 10th April. She is chuffed cos she knows now she will have a good stab at losing about 10-15 kilos before my wedding.

So I got another fill today. I'm up to 8.5mls. PLEASE let this be it for me!! But I had a total shock when I got on the scales and I saw 86.4 kilos! That means that I have lost 4 kilos since my last fill 2 weeks ago!! I have no idea how that happened, cos I haven't been doing any thing different. If anything I have been nibbling on chocolate a little more!!

I saw my Dr for my first fill exactly 4 weeks after my surgery. My surgeon wouldn't fill any sooner than that. I'm not a Dr (obviously!) but 2 weeks seems rather soon for the first fill. I was still feeling like a pile of crap 2 weeks out...anyway your Dr will decide with his infinite wisdom what is best for you. Even after 28 kilos gone Bronnie I can only just feel my port and even then I have to press pretty deep. I gave up trying to find it after a week or two, I knew it was in there, but I just couldn't feel it either. It'll pop up as the kilos fall off. Susannah you know my best wishes and hopes and prayers are with you lovely girl. I hope that the port situation is sorted easily or the revision is quick and painless for you!

Bronnie, the pain you are feeling is totally normal. The pain in your back is still gas pain, it will pass (I know I keep saying that but it will!) I slept sitting up until about 4 weeks out. GOOD JOB on the exercise! Enjoy the tennis tomorrow (wear sunscreen!!) I take supradyn too. I'm going for ANOTHER fill tomorrow. Lets home THIS one is the last. We'll see.

Well done!!!! Thats such a great feeling Becky! I had the same experience over the weekend buying new bras, I went down a size and did a happy dance in the change rooms haha

Good luck with your goals guys! My goal for this week is to run 5km in one go with out stopping. I've been working up to it for the past couple of months in training for a fun run on April 1st and I think this week is time to go the extra 5 minutes or so to get there.

We had the salmon for dinner tonight and it was SO GOOD! I usually steam my fish in a bamboo steamer, so it was a nice Very tasty! highly recommend investing in one! It says you should spray non fat cooking spray on it, but I didn't have any, so I just put a bit of olive oil on a paper towel and wiped that over (I'll pick up some cooking spray next time I'm at the shop though). All the fat drips off any way. Its such a cool little invention! Also today I thought I'd try something new for lunch. I got a can of lentils, a can of chickpeas, a can of crushed tomatoes and a can of salmon, cooked it all up with herbs and garlic. Yummo!!! So filling and full of Protein, and filling too. It made enough for 4 lunches for me.

I bought a George Foreman grill this morning (half price at Target! Woo!). I am thinking about making my own chicken kebabs and fish on it might be great too. I've got salmon steaks for dinner that I am going to try out on it. Any one else got one? Have any suggestions/ideas for me to try?

The thing that gets me about biggest loser is that there is no way that they can keep up that level of exercise to maintain that weight loss once they leave the show! I mean who has 6 hours a day to exercise when you are working and looking after a family and having a life!! My Dr told me that 0.5 to 1 kg a week is a healthy maintainable weight loss. My sister is doing weight watchers right now, and they've told her the same thing. I know its a TV show, but its just not a promotion of anything healthy!

Hi guys! I'm back from Melbourne. I had a fantastic time. We did and saw so much. My friends mum was asking lots of questions about my band and is thinking about looking into one herself when she gets back from the UK in September. Hope you all had a good weekend!! Susannah, what a pretty picture! Its great to put a face to all the words and support finally! Welcome Belinda! I'm fairly sure if you read this thread from the beginning (if you have the patience!) you will get a fairly good idea of the experiences we have all had and the kinds of questions that you should ask Dr Nottle when you see him. If you have an specific questions, fire away!!

Yep Susannah and thats exactly why I tend to think theres nothing to worry about if its gone with in a few hours (which mine way thankfully!). I'm heading down your end of the world first thing in the morning ladies. I can't wait to hit the shops! I'm on a wedding shoe finding mission haha

Wow, now I definitely want one. You look great!

Bronnie, it all sounds totally normal to me too. For example, this afternoon I had a massive tummy ache, it was super painful. It had been hours since I ate. I just got up and walked around, went to the bathroom, passed some gas did a few burps and felt MUCH better (too much information? haha). I have no idea what was going on. The thing is, our bodies react very differently after being banded, and while its hard not to think that something is wrong, usually it will pass and might be something minor, like a bit of swelling from somethig we ate a day ago, or well who knows what! Of course, if it is ongoing, get a professional's advice. But you will experience new and weird and sometimes painful sensations because of the band, and while we will probably never get used to them, they are all part and parcel for having a foreign object strangling our tummies! Also, no question about our bands is a dumb one, we are all learning about this together!!