cakegirl

Well done - you must be so proud of yourself!

Yep, we sound very similar... I cook from scratch at home almost all the time (to the point of making my own pasta out of flour/egg/olive oil), and although we dine out a lot, I've always tended towards healthier options (ham and salad sandwich with avocado and mustard, or sushi, or yum cha (dim sum) but no fried food, just the steamed dumplings)... But yeah, it was just an enormous volume. And it wasn't out of gluttony, it was out of genuine hunger returning sooner for me than it seemed to for other people! I'm glad to have helped you, and I'm happy to answer any questions you may have along the way... I was partially self-pay. I'm in Australia so our insurance system is different, but part of the cost was covered by our medicare, part by my private health insurance, and hubby and I paid the rest. Like I said, I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

That must have been a great feeling! I can't wait until I can throw out my wardrobe! I've been sneakily buying sale items that are at my "goal" size, and hiding them from myself in the top of my wardrobe... I can't wait until I can pull them down and wear them!

Well done - you must have been so excited!

Well done!

YAY!

How exciting - think of all the cool jewellery options you have now!!! That's great!

I got my period the day of the surgery and it was no problem.

Mine is about an inch and a half above my belly button, just to the left.

It really is one of the last acceptable forms of prejudice and discrimination... I won't go so far as to say "the" last, since there are plenty of people that don't get equal rights in most countries still... The thing is, I get drawn into it. I had the lapband because I was obese and I hated it. I hate fat. I hate it on me, and I hate it on other people. I was just lost about how to get rid of it personally, if that makes sense. But I hated looking at it on myself, and I hated looking it on my friends, family, and strangers. And I still hate looking at it. When I see fat people (including myself in the mirror), I see all sorts of horrible things - health complications, horrible deaths, lost potential, cancer, heart disease, diabetes, creaking achy joints, skin problems, etc. And it both horrifies me and disgusts me. Now this doesn't stop me from treating people like people - I have just as many friends that are overweight as I do healthy or underweight friends. I have heavy family members as well as thinner ones. And I'd certainly never deny someone friendship, or a conversation, or an opportunity because they were overweight. I just can't stand looking at the weight. Which, once again, is why I got a lapband.

Hi Stacey, I'm the same as you - I prefer healthy, whole foods, but I had an insatiable appetite pre-band. I'd have Breakfast and then have another breakfast. I'd eat a "normal person's" lunch, and then have more. I'd make dinner and serve up a huge portion for myself, and an hour later I'd be back there picking at the leftovers! I'm just over 6 weeks post-band and down 9.2kg, which is 20.24 pounds. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

Obviously, I'm eating less now that I'm banded. I wasn't a particularly "bad" eater before, but I just had an insatiable appetite, so I'd eat a healthy meal, and then another one, and then another one, all at lunch time! I guess I'm just getting myself into the habit now of making the most healthy choice for each meal, emphasising Protein, chewing lots and eating slowly. And doing exercise every day. I guess if the band ever had to be removed, I'd have to try to keep doing that.

I didn't lose any weight for over 2 weeks and then suddenly right before my fill, 1kg fell off - don't know how that happened! I had my first fill yesterday. My doctor didn't use any numbing stuff, and the needle felt like a tiny pinprick - not as bad as getting an IV at all! He put in 2cc, and I felt restriction immediately. I felt totally stuffed full - it was 10 o'clock in the morning, and all I could stomach for the rest of the day was a coffee, a small bowl of miso soup, and a berocca! I had an optifast shake for breakfast today so I don't faint or something! One weird thing - as soon as I had the fill, I got a headache that lasted until I went to bed that night, and I started yawning and yawned for hous. Has that happened to anyone else? I'm starting to feel like I can get back into exercise. I started gardening with my daughter a few weeks ago, and overdid it a bit, and my port was really achy. I had to stop everything for a while. That seems to have settled down now. I'm having a go on my exercise bike each day now. But my fitness is shocking - I can barely go 2 minutes on the thing! Oh well, I guess that will come back in time...

Chicken and corn soup, yoghurt, pumpkin soup, bolognese sauce pureed up with extra tomato, silken tofu mashed wth stuff (sweet or savoury), pureed fruits - either fruit that is purchased already pureed, or just get some canned fruit and puree it yourself, applesauce...

Just outside Sydney Australia

50 pounds is an amazing achievement! Well done!!!

Great pics - the change is amazing! You look great!

You look great!

Congratulations to you and your daughter for taking this positive step towards better health and longevity!

When do you start on mushy food?

Your first post sounds like what I used to be like. I'd have a big Breakfast, and still be picking at other stuff almost before breakfast was over. And an hour and a half later I'd be planning lunch, which would usually be followed by another lunch (usually the same as the first lunch, just an hour or so later)... Snacks here there and everywhere, and huge dinners usually followed by dessert and then more picking at dinner leftovers late at night! I was just constantly hungry. I've only been banded 5 weeks, but I can say that the hunger feelings are MUCH different. I am NOWHERE near as hungry as I was preband, and the hunger that I do have is sated early in a meal and doesn't return for quite some time. I'm probably eating a quarter if not less of the volume of food that I was eating preband.

Hi all - I haven't had the internet at home for a week or so, but I'm at my dad's now using his I haven't lost anything for the last couple of weeks, but I'm still sitting at over 8kg below my start weight and not putting any on. I go in for my first fill Friday next week, so I imagine it should start moving after that. I'm going to try to be conscious about what I eat and sticking to my calorie restrictions between now and then.

Bob, I'm so glad you posted this! I have always had terrible teeth, and I'm used to going to my 6-monthly dentist appointments and getting told that I need 5 or so fillings... I went to my most recent appointment last weekend and didn't need ANY. I hadn't thought about it being related to the lapband, but I bet you're right - I'm eating much less sugary junk and no more acidy sodas! Yay!

I'm the same - I go to sleep on my back or side but always wake up lying on my tummy. I haven't had any negative sideaffects from that.

I had the same thing from the intubation. Drinking the liquid pain killer hurt so much I was literally crying - and I'm not a crybaby at all usually! Like you, I just opted to go without because I couldn't stand the pain of drinking it. It went away soon enough though