Summerrain

If we don't loose weight the negative people judge us, when we do loose weight no matter how we do it those same people will have something to say. It's your business who you choose to tell. I have only told a few people and they have been nothing but encouraging and supportive. There are others I have not told like my mother in law. She will constantly be on your back to loose weight and when you do she is constantly trying to feed you and saying oh just once won't hurt. God help me if I tell her I have a lapband. If down the track as I loose more if someone asks me I may tell them or I may just say im watching my food intake and exercising, depends how I feel at the time and on the person asking. The lapband once finally tuned is a tool to help us stay on track and hopefully not go backwards but as you have all said we still need to watch what we eat and exercise. So yes we all are working our butts off as that is the way to shed the kilos and it certainly is not the easy way out.

You're not wrong there Kerrbear but in the past I would have at this stage given up and put all the weight I'd lost so far plus some. With the band I can't to that which I am do grateful for because even if I wanted to pig out I can't because it would make me ill nor do I want to pig out and go back to my old eating habits. This time next year hopefully we will be in that delicious green zone and many many pounds down. When I get frustrated or hungry I make sure I keep myself busy and my mind occupied or go for a nice long walk. Wishing you all the best with this new journey!

My surgeon says its ok to drink if you need to, his instructions were wait one or two minutes after that bite of food then you can drink a bit. Always wait a minute or two between bites. And before anyone jumps up and down I have done this when I've needed a drink and have still lost over 7 kilos in 7 weeks. Also befiore anyone Knocks my surgeon he is the one that pioneered the lapband here in Australia and I do believe he is also a director in the us of the lapband centre in Texas. But as others have said follow your surgeons instructions as we are all given different information.

Kerrbear I'm the same, I'm due for my third fill tomorrow and I had lost more interest in food with my first fill than my second fill. My doctor said to me try to remember the first few days after you were banded where you had no interest in food at all and no hunger, this is what we are aiming for with the fills. I do have some restriction because I've been stuck a few times but some days im more hungry than others. Those days I do tend to eat more but not that much. I am in no way eating anywhere as much as I used to in one day and I've increased my exercise and I've hit a plateaue also. Like you said its the body's way of catching up, I guess we just have to keep at it till things start moving along again and we hit the green zone.

I always stirfry my vegetables and add a touch of low salt soy sauce and oyster sauce and a bit of garlic. I cook them till they are a bit softer as I got stuck on of all things broccoli. You can pretty much do this with all vegetables, my kids and husband like this too. Beats bland steamed vegetables.

Love this app, I started it last week and totally surprised myself I actually completed it without stopping. I'm sure my running speed isn't that fast but I ran the whole time I was supposed to. So you don't get too sore it's important to do stretching after the run/ walk. If you're not to sure how to or what stretches go to YouTube and search for stretching after a workout.

It's still early days for me and my only regret is why didn't I do this earlier. The early weeks of the band can make you uncomfortable or sore but you should be back to normal within a few weeks and personally I can only feel the band if I haven't chewed my food well and feel it moving through otherwise I have no port pain or discomfort. As some have said once they loose the weight in the tummy area the feel it, I still haven't lost enough in that area so I may feel it once there isn't as much fat covering it. otherwise I'm doing everything and more before the op these days. Best thing I ever did even with the discomfort of recovery after the op.

I used to wake up laying on my belly in the first week and I was sore so I started using a pillow for support under my belly and that helped immensely so for me it was the first week

TampaGina hang in there, it's hard but so worth it. I had to do a month of Protein shakes before my op and two weeks into it I was about ready to gouge my eyes out because I was so sick of the shakes but I got through it and with a 10 kilo loss which is just over 20 pounds. After my op I just couldn't do the protein shakes and will never have another again. To be honest for the first two weeks after my op I didn't feel hungry at all and had to make myself drink Water, Soups, v8 fruit and vegetable juice. Best if luck to you also and it will get better.

Hi there what you are feeling is normal as you can see by the responses so far. I'm seven weeks post op and I remember when I went for my first fill two weeks after my op how emotional I got. I started crying as I was driving home not knowing why and then it hit me that I was in mourning. I lost my comfort zone which was food. Once I worked out why I laughed at myself because this is the best thing I could have done for myself. It's going to be an emotional journey, cry if you need to, a good cry is therapeutic at times. It's still early days for me but my relationship has completely changed with food. Now I eat to live not live to eat. I have control over food, it no longer controls me. Don't get me wrong I still get the odd craving for chocolate and when I do I have just one small piece and not the whole block of chocolate and I'm satisfied. When you feel a bit emotional just think how much healthier you will be 12 months down the journey. It's a new journey, embrace it and you will find each day does get easier. Best of luck with it all!

My heart goes out to you that you have a mother that doesn't realise how hurtful her comments are. I have three children, two boys and a girl and I would rather die than put them down for anything. A parents role is to love and support their children and to encourage them and be there for them when they need a hug. You sound like a beautiful soul, I wish you all the best in your lapband journey and if you need encouraging or advice keep coming to these forums as we are all here for you and understand this journey, best wishes to you!

What my doctor told me was to have liquids only if I was actually hungry otherwise if I had nothing it was fine as we do have nutrients stored away to keep us healthy in these situations. I remember on my liquid stage I made my own broths and Soups and anything with lumps went through the blender. I also remember some days all I felt like was water. To even look at a Protein shake would turn me green lol. V8 vegetable juice is also highly nutritious if you like it, I preferred the vegetable and fruit juice one.

Maybe you are right muelle even though I think I've slowed down I may need to slow down even more when eating. I'll do that and see how it goes, it's more annoying and uncomfortable than painful.

I had 4.2 ml put in at surgery, two weeks later another . 8ml, two weeks after that .5 ml and this Tuesday I will be getting my third fill, I have some restriction and don't feel as hungry between meals, not in green zone yet. A lot of it is still self control and learning for me at the moment, some days harder than others but I wouldn't change a thing. Best decision I made this lapband!

Oppos I mean cristy, grrrr iPhones

Omg Rojas do NOT let the stupid comments of your doctor discourage you. You are doing extremely well. Regardless of whether he is in a bad mood or not he should not be saying its not enough, every pound you loose is enough regardless of how long it takes. Be encouraged by your weightloss so far, again you are doing well!!

Sparkrecipies

Don't know how to start a new thread via my iPhone so will put the info in here. Sparks people have an iPhone app that is free for healthy recipes. Many band friendly recipes also and gives nutritional breakdowns if any of you are interested in it.

All I can say us WOW! You look so different from your profile pic. Tag you're my inspiration!