This is my first attempt at blogging - let's see how it goes!

Yesterday was my first post but, disappointingly, got no replies to my post - :wink_smile:. Would love to know why. Any ideas?

Anyway, as my intro post says, my date for lap-banding is set for 23 April 2009. I'm going to have the band inserted at the Avenue in Melbourne.

I am excited and scared all the same time. The success of many on this site inspire me and the prospect of future success is very exciting. Past failed attempts at maintaining weight loss haunt me (I've lost weight then put it back on [plus more] more times than I care to remember).

Would love to hear from others of you that felt the same way at the start of your journeys and who have succeeded.

My partner (NY Lady) is having a lap-band inserted on 9 April. We both have fatty livers and have therefore been advised to do the Optislim VLCD liquid diet (with veggies allowed) commencing two weeks before insertion of the band (next week for her and on 9 April for me).

We're both foodies and figure we'll still be able to enjoy good food after the band but just in much smaller portions.

Being foodies, the thought of no real food for a couple of weeks is scary (though we'll try to jazz up the veggies we can have pre-op as much as we can). If anyone out there has any advice on surviving this (and also the post-op week) I'd love to hear from you. Also, in regards to my partner - I have two options - enjoy food without her for two weeks or try and support her by doing Optislim shakes maybe for brekkie and the evening meal two weeks before I really have to. If anyone out there has thoughts on this I'd be stoked to hear from you. I figure it will do me no harm to go the latter way - it will kickstart the weight loss and help my liver and it will demonstrate my commitment to the lifestyle changes that I need to make for the banding to be a success. On the other hand, I'm scared I'll have "Optislim fatigue" by the time I have to start the pre-op liquid diet for my own surgery. What to do, what to do??

Looking forward to sharing the journey with you all!

"Before" photo attached (me on the left and Lisa (aka NY Lady and who is the sweetest) on the right).

For my friends in the US who don't think in kgs