SageTracey

PS I don't think this is the stupidest question. I think the stupidest question is the one that you DON'T ask, so thank you for asking.

There are plenty of ways that you can work out without a personal trainer and without too much cost. I have never been to a gym or had a personal trainer and have lost 62kg with the band and lifestyle changes. I love cycling, dancing, swimming and walking. Having a really good support person in real life - my husband -, and maintaining an ongoing relationship with my surgeon for regular visits have been crucial. The other thing for me has been to set small, intermediate goals along the way that give me achievements to celebrate while still working towards my bigger, long term goals. Things like getting below 100kg, looking good in my son's wedding photos, cutting back on my blood pressure tablets etc, have been real goals and real achievements. Right now I am working towards a big item on my bucket list and have signed up for the Great Victorian Bike Ride in November. Hang in there, reassess, and work on a plan to get that band working for you.

Great article and a very important message. I had to see a dr on Saturday morning and actually managed to NOT mention my band because it was pretty obvious to even me that a head cold that had led to an ear infection was in no way related to my lapband. On the other hand, when I presented at the ER twice in a month with severe abdominal pain, I did tell them that I had a lapband because they could have been related. Unfortunately the ER docs didn't understand the relationship (it's very difficult to explain more than the basics when you are in severe pain!) When I made an emergency follow up visit to my surgeon the next day, he was furious that the ER staff hadn't called him, especially as he operates from that hospital.

I grew up poor and it truly was a case of grabbing as much food was available and eating it quickly because we didn't know what might be available tomorrow. It has taken the band for me to change my view of food (although that wasn't the only reason I became morbidly obese). I'm glad I wasn't living in the US when I was younger or I would have been cleaning up those plates and become even sicker than I did! Now I am a cheap date with my husband and I usually sharing a single main course for a meal.

I just posted in another topic about my NSV of the week - automatically adjusting my eating because I am too sick to exercise. I have NEVER before done that and I didn't even think about it, I just did it.

There's a chat room?

My surgeon said the shoulder pain was referred pain from moving the diaphragm during surgery. Either way, I remember it hurting like heck and was so pleased when it finally passed. That is the good news - it does pass.

Don't do it! Follow your dr's dietary advice. You are post-op, you have had surgery and your body is now healing. This isn't a fun time but it is a time for sucking it up and sticking to your doctor's rules - they are there for a reason and your long term good health is that reason.

I think we've all done that! Probably because we were taught not to waste food. Just be sure that you don't add your own dinner onto cleaning up their leftovers.

I lost a lot very quickly (I had lots to lose!) but it has slowed down considerably lately. I put it down to a couple of things - I need to adjust my eating to the fact that my new size can operate perfectly well on fewer calories than before; my body has become fitter and healthier so I need to work harder to burn the same amount of calories. For example, when I started, I could burn an average of 100 calories for every 10 minutes workout. Now it is about half that - frustrating but a good thing because it means I am healthier.

Congratulations. They are great NSVs, especially being a motivation for someone else. Keep up the great work!

It didn't happen to me but I have read of it elsewhere on here. Good luck for next week.

It didn't happen to me but I have read of it elsewhere on here. Good luck for next week.

Mindless comment from a friend as we set out on a cruise: "I'm so desperate right now I could even go for fat chicks." Fat chick (aka me): "Oh, really. What's wrong with us fat chicks?" Embarrassed friend: "I don't think of you as fat, Tracey. You're a friend." At least he had seen past my fat to become my friend, but I was pretty annoyed by his general attitude!

WTG! That is such great encouragement and reinforcement for all your hard work.

And it becomes a habit over time.

Being stressed can be a real band tightener for me. I bought a chicken salad for dinner the other night, took a couple of bites, was not happy with the salad (didn't have all the ingredients it was supposed to have and was quite old), so I took it back to the counter and insisted that they make me a fresh one. By the time it arrived, my band had tightened in reaction to my stress (annoyance), I took two bites and then couldn't eat anymore. Had to take it away and eat it a couple of hours later.

Plateaus are a normal part of the weight loss journey. You may find that mixing up your diet and/or exercise routine will get your scales moving again. In the meantime, take a moment to notice whether your clothes are feeling looser, or maybe your knees ache less than before, or perhaps you are climbing that flight of stairs without getting puffed. These are NSVs (non-scale victories) and they are just as important as seeing the numbers move on the scales.

I pureed! I cooked up my meat and veg and then pureed them with milk or yoghurt to make them runnier. The big thing for me was flavour and I found myself adding different spices etc to get some real flavour happening. The only thing I would do different next time is to keep my meat and veg separate when pureed. I also stewed up lots of fresh fruits and pureed them as well. After a month of liquids (pre and post-op combined) that first taste of real, pureed food was amazing!

Sounds like you must be post-op if you are questioning whether this could be band-related, but as 2muchfun says, you haven't provided us with any information to help. If it's bad enough that you have already been to urgent care once and you aren't any better, than you need to go back and get more medical help. Good luck.

Diet ginger ale contains gas so that won't help. Besides, now that you are banded, you need to stay off carbonated drinks. Have you tried a heat pack, walking around, gasex? I hope something works soon and if not, hopefully you can take comfort in knowing that this is only temporary. Hang in there!

If my surgeon did not require a pre-op diet, then I wouldn't worry about doing one. However, he did require one and I did it and had my surgery. One of my earlier fill appointments was postponed because my surgeon was called into to assist another surgeon. Together they made the decision not to do that other patient's lapband because they had not followed the pre-op diet correctly and their liver was too large for them to complete the surgery. The message for me was about the importance of following my surgeon's advice.

You don't say whether you are pre-op or post-op.if you are pre-op,it's not so bad, although you haven't done yourself any favours. It is more serious if you are more post-op as you may have damaged your band. your Dr has set these dietary guidelines to give you the best possible outcomes. It's not easy but it's necessary. time to re-focus and re-commit.

There is so much information out there about living with the lapband and some of it is contradictory. Take advantage of the advice you will get on here but remember that your medical team should be your primary source of information. With that disclaimer in place.... Eat slowly Chew lots Take very small bites Follow your doctor's dietary rules both pre-op and post-op. They are there for a reason Just because you can eat something, (anything, everything!) doesn't mean that you should Experiment to learn what foods you can tolerate. It is different for everyone. For me, I can't eat red meats and most breads. Plan to exercise. Not only will it aid your weight loss, it also becomes fun! Have a real life champion. My husband is my biggest cheer leader and my hero. Without him by my side, on my side, I doubt I could have been as successful as I have. Plan on making this a lifelong journey. It's not an overnight fix. It's not always easy but it is definitely worth it. Look out for, enjoy and Celebrate NSVs (Non-scale Victories) Stay in touch with your medical team. Follow up visits are a major key to your long term success. Good luck!

My husband misses some of my curves but agrees that the overall benefits are definitely worth it.