Cazzy

I am 57 yrs old i did and am still doing great with the band.. age really isnt an issue as this is really just minor surgery, a bypass is much more involved and i didnt want rerouting of anything at my time of life. You have enjoyed food for 58 yrs, now is the time to make something else your priority in life, like getting healthy to enjoy your later years.. I have absolutely no regrets at all getting banded. You need to research all your options and make an informed decsion based on what u know u are capable of .. good luck !

The help section on the forum has the instructions for tickers

I think as a convenience food they do ok but just watch the salt/sodium levels some are quite high and that doesnt help in some people

Seems like u are in great need of a fill which will probably help you a lot. Might be an idea to go back to basics and start off with some liquids then mushies and back to small portion foods. This is going to be hard without a fill tho. The band is there to help you but u need to help the band do its job too, and that means maintaining it. After all a car wont run without gas will it Good luck

My port is on my breast bone, no problems.

Good luck for tuesday and i hope u have a speedy recovery

If you managed all that on your own believe me i am sure u will do well once the band is fitted. I was on a pre-op diet for nearly 3 months of just 600 calories, once i had the band fitted a 1000 calories a day seemed like a feast ..good luck for the 13 th

I think everything was harder being heavy ..

I think its good to go through the 'always thinking about the band process', it helps u formulate a sort of routine/plan whereby after a certain length of time u begin to think less and less and the band is not in the forferont of your thoughts. I sometimes even forget i am banded now, but as i have a set routine then it doesnt matter, if i eat out or eat something new then i do think of the band and make decisions based on that. The main thing is that for general day to day thinking the band is in the back of my mind and sometimes im not even concious of it, so dont worry the thoughts do change the longer u are banded good luck to you all who are having surgery !

I still love food but take this love to cooking and experiementing with new ideas and new recipies which i can safely eat and that doesn't put on weight and helps me stay healthy. I always did eat a healthy diet, just too much of it and no exercise, now i eat less and exercise so my love of food hasnt changed since being banded.

I must admit i wasnt expecting this thread to develop the way it has. I do agree with cheri humming birds posts have been supportive and helpful to a lot of people here. We have to accept that people will deal with being banded in different ways, some will manage to eat smaller portions and lose weight some wont, some will need to exercise some wont. Initially I saw this thread as some what motivational, trying to get those struggling to lose the weight moving around and doing something positive to try and get the weight off, but it sort of developed into more of a crusade. Ultimately its a personal choice how we deal with losing weight and I respect everyone for their differences. I do support trying exercise for those struggling to lose weight, and i know that i would not have done so well without it, but equally if you can lose weight and not have to spend hours doing endless reps then all cudos to you too. I was soo unfit when i started this journey i HAD to exercise, did i want to .. well no not really, but it worked for me and that is where i coming from, if what you are doing works then do it .. simple, if it doesnt work then change something .....

It could be that you have adhesions from the surgery that are constricting your stomach or intestines a bit, which would give pain similar to diverticulitis, also if your reflux has been bad some oesophageal erosion can cause severe pain too... From what people have said on this forum regarding slipped bands they all seem to have experienced different symptoms depending also on the severity of the slip. Some didnt even realise the band had slipped so it will need to be checked out. Hopefully u will get some answers once u go to your appointment .. good luck !

It sounds like you should get your surgeon to check it out, doesnt sound like an ER job but the last thing u want is an infection setting in if it isnt closed properly. Having said that some people do have belly buttons that are bumpy and skin flaps inside them so it may be just normal but get it checked out anyways just to be on the safe side Incisions shouldnt smell no matter how small they are, but belly buttons can be a little smelly in general so get that appointment made and put your mind at ease .. good luck !

I was a bmi of 60 when i had lap band surgery and look how much weight i have lost, his thoughts are very narrow minded... if the commitment is there so will be your results baring any mishaps of course

I would google it Jesska but u should have been given a diet sheet of what to eat if they want u to do this test .. i would contact them and ask for one to be honest

Thats is such good news well done for using all the tricks to get what u wanted. I suggest u go the support group/seminars and soak up all the info that u can , then read this forum with all the topics, dont scare yourself , everything will be fine if u follow your surgeons advice

maybe his motivation is based more on money than need, i would find another surgeon.. and it doesnt matter if u have to travel to get to them, after all we all travel to go on holiday dont we Good luck and i hope u find a decent surgeon soon ..

Restriction from a fill can happen up to 2 or 3 weeks after u have it done or it can come suddenly and bite u when u least expect it .. You are very unlikely to feel a good level of restriction from your first fill, some people do and some dont .. the main thing is that u are careful when u do start eating food again and wait and see. This isnt a fast process and getting to a good level of restriction can take 4 or 5 fills so just be careful with what u eat till the band lkicks in and starts helping u a little more ! good luck !

My doctor is fine with using straws .. i use a thin straw tho

I think maybe u are eating too few calories but i would increase them slowly maybe 200 for a week and see how u go.. dont do 500 extra overnight .. small changes are much better over a period of time What i would do is include some strength training in your workout, doing the same routine every day just doesnt do a good job if u are trying to drop those last few lbs. I dont think water is an issue many people drink lots of water, as long as you output a lot of 'water' too then drink away. What u do seem also to be sconsuming is a lot of sweetners and commercially designed drinks /additives just drink coffee with 0 fat milk ..processed food/drinks contain a lot of additives and that could be adding to your plateau .. At least u know what to eat to maintain your weight .. just looking at the positive side Just as a footnote i do exercise bike and strength training every day for over a year now and the weight although slower now is still coming off ....

It always looks good to go with questions written down so u look prepared, reading questions is much easier than trying to remember them, it also helps when u are shy as reading u dont have to look at them .. ofc the other trick is to imagine them with no clothes on, it helps put u at ease.. and smile and relax, appear confident even if u are quaking inside ... I wish you good luck !

Sounds like a great idea Shelly

This has to be the best ever low calorie/low fat/low sugar recipe i have tasted. I have converted weights for US cooks This recipe contains no refined sugar just the honey or maple syrup, and no added fat other than the 2 eggs. I worked it out that at 1/4 inch slices its 54 calories ! for 1 cm slices its 87 calories .. I have just made this fruit loaf and its awesome i love i can eat it and it didnt stick as it isnt doughy and its low in all the things it needs to be .just had to share it. U can add any combo of dried fruit/apricots nuts etc the base mix will be a staple for any combination of ingredients u choose. I thought it would need some spread on it but it actually taste better without. I must admit i did put a line of cherries down the middle to add to the look but no need I found this recipe on an awesome Uk site http://allrecipes.co.uk/ You will just have to convert the measures if you are in the US ENJOY ! Ingredients 200g Dried Mixed Fruit or 1 cup US size I/3 rd pint Warm Tea ( can use Earl grey tea for a more perfumed flavour. 1Tbsp Honey or I used maple syrup. 2 Eggs 300g Plain Flour or 2 cups US size ( i used wholemeal plain flour ) 2tsp Baking powder 1tsp Mixed Spice Oil For Greasing Loaf Tin (Or Similar) Preparation method Prep: 10 mins | Cook: 25 mins 1. Pre-heat the oven to 200C (180C fan). Put the dried fruit in one of the bowls and pur over the warm tea. (save some tea incase you want to add some more later) 2. Beat the eggs and add these to the bowl along with the honey (you can add a little more or less of this depending on your taste) and mix it all together. 3. Into a second bowl mix the flour, baking powder and mixed spice. Once combined add this to the first bowl and mmix until all of the ingredients are well combined. The mixture will be thick and sticky (if you want to add a little more tea, but not too much!) 4. Oil the inside of your loaf tin (or similar)and pour the mixture in, evening it out along the bowl. 5. Place in the pre-heated oven for 20-15 minutes, or until cooked through. Increase cooking time by 10 mins for wholemeal based fruit loaf. 6. Remove from oven and leave to cool slightly before removing from the tin.

You know i still havent had the guts to take pics i truly think that my brain is still in fat mode and now its gone into old fat mode, having lost the weight on my face has created wrinkles and aged me , or so it seems anyways .. but i can now wear any clothes i want to and i love it ! i am spending way too much on clothes .. my new addiction lol The secret is clearing the house of any bad food, i weigh myself every day, if i put on a lb overnight then i look at what i ate the day before and adjust it .. then i exercise more to get rid of it. I became my own expert on me .. i know what i can eat and what i cant eat and i stick to it.. determination i believe is key to making this band work for you.. find what works and stick to it .. Never have drunk a Protein shake or any shake, i am a Soup person and i make my own, i eat fresh protein and veg and i love it and know that for the rest of my life i can carry on eating the food i eat now Now to attack the skin lol

I have done really well but i am very strict with myself, the hunger isnt from needing food it comes from wanting it, If i am hungry i make a cup of tea or a weak coffee with sweetners and that will last me, i try not to snack but lately the hunger is creeping back in even tho i am getting stuck a lot more often like kiskis said u do worry about a band slip. If i do have a bad day and cant resist some 0% greek yoghurt or some cottage cheese i just burn it off by doing more exercise .. i eat soup before my main meal always and that makes the dinner feel far more satisfying as the soup helps u feel full .. Might be an idea to keep busy and try not to even think of food .. There are people who the band just doesnt give them the restriction they need .. maybe you are one of those.. what does your surgeon say ? Have they checked the band for a slow leak ? We are so afraid of actually feeling hungry that we often try not to feel it, that leads us to overeat, snack and graze.. its like always having to cry when u feel sad, we dont do we, so why do we eat just because we feel hungry.. maybe a counsellor can help you with the head hunger at least good luck !