Audrey

nice to meet you! sounds like you have things down to a T ! welcome aboard! Audrey

You look FANTASTIC !!! good on ya! aud x

I also had these symptoms - only 2 months ago... I would strongly advise that you get at LEAST some fill out - even a 1/2 ml??? You will do your band and yourself irrepairable damage, theres no point in risking it... - what would be worse? having a slight unfill for say... 2 months.... or losing the band completely ! I got a small unfill and my night time reflux stopped immediately ! PLEASE get some fill out! I really don't mean to alarm you - but it really isn't worth it. Let us know how you get on will you? Aud x

you've done so well !! Good on ya ! Aud x

I agree - it can be SO disheartening can't it? but, could you imagine how you would be feeling if you didn't have the band? We are so lucky to be post op & on the "losing" side... We need to try to keep focused - we're doing this for us ! We CAN do this ! Hope you find a fill Dr really soon Aud x

I'm 32 - 33 in a couple of weeks and my skin is pretty bad My arms are hanging and my thigh's aren't great either.. I weighed 390 pounds and have lost a total of 132 pounds - I still have to lose at least 100 pounds to get to a BMI of 25 (which I doubt I will ever reach!) I'm very worried about my skin too - I'm thinking... if it's bad now... how will it look then ! Saying that... I was an exceptionally high weight to start with... so you might be luckier than me... I know that excersize (which I haven't done) is a great help in keeping your skin supple & it "should" go back MUCH better than if you do what I did.... nothing! lol Hope this helps! (or doesn't get you down at least) Aud x

sorry I can't help you with the nail varnish thingy... but I have to say... your scottish accent is VERY good! You speak just like the natives... well - almost! Och Aye The noo!!! hehehe Aud x

It's such a great feeling when we see these success stories isn't it? Great posting! Congratulations! Audrey

what a great photo ! you are doing so well ! Brilliant ! Aud x

Great idea for a thread ! My 1 year out is 26th August... hopefully I can have some more weight off by then! Looking forward to the other posts ! Aud x

My goodness !!! Your look FANTASTIC !!! good on ya ! inspirational ! Aud x

Thanks so much for your wonderfull replies ! Nice you meet ya ! Aud x

I remember wondering pre-op - what will I be able to have? so I thought I'd as you ! Here's what I have in a typical day... Because I can't eat more than 2 bites first thing in the morning... I'm taking those mini Cereal pack's to work... the 25g ones (for kids I think) & having one of them at about 10:30ish. I can have it at that time no bother. I have it with Semi Skimmed milk At lunch time I have having 2 slices of wholemeal bread with cold meat, low fat spread and a little 'extra light' mayo. If I get hungry mid afternoon I have a babybell or a dairylea triangle. (kindah plastic cheese stuff - dunno if you get it over there?) for my dinner I'm having the likes of a pork chop or chicken (small breast or 2 thigh's) or a ready meal for one - all with a small amount of veg - If it's a Pasta ready meal then I rarely eat the whole lot... maybe half to 3/4 of it. I don't eat or drink anything after 6pm because of the problems i'm having with the choking in my sleep.. (that's quite difficult). I find that "real" Protein - NOT the proccessed stuff - I can eat very little of it & I feel fuller for MUCH longer. so I like to eat that as much as possible. I drink as much Water as possible (probably not enough tho) As for the ice cream :guess I do have treats, including ice cream & crisps (you call the potato chips?)... I'm not too keen on chocolate... depending on the time of the month.. (thankfully) I make sure they are only taken as a treat though & I take real care not to overdo the empty calories (including the liquid variety ! lol) I keep it to a Friday night & thats it... I don't have much but I make sure I don't feel deprived... when I do that... my head starts playing wee games with me & I start fantasizing about food - then I have a blow out & feel terrible afterwards... How about you - what do you have? Aud x

Here's the pic's My before & durings ! lol I am 5 foot 11inces/180cm/1.8 metres first set are 26 Stone 11 pounds/375 pounds/BMI 52.4 Second are 20 stone 13 pounds/297 pounds/BMI 41 Hope I do this right!!! Audrey x

Here's another one of me taken in May

I thought i'd update this thread with a new pic ! The Blonde is Fiona, She was banded 9/9/03 and has lost 149 lbs I'm the brunette in the middle and have lost 110 lbs as of today The red head is ClaireHS, she was banded 9/24/03 and has lost 70 lbs We were all part of a Bandsters day out in Scotland in May.. this was one of the pictures from it.

My goodness what a fantastic reply to this post ! I loved all your stories ! I feel like I know you all a wee bit better ! Thanks for sharing Aud x

im so pleased everything went well for her! Thinking of her from accross the pond. Aud x

awwww too cute !!! Aud x

Your looking fabulous !!! What a difference !!! YEAY ! Bands are the best !! Aud x

Hello there I've worked your BMI out as 32.5. You don't say where you are from, whether you would be self pay or insurance (or NHS)? I know that in the UK (apologies if you are in the USA) if you have BMI over 40 or 35 with other co-morbities you would automatically qualify for weight loss surgery under the N.I.C.E. guidelines. BUT, if you were self pay, there may be surgeons who would operate on you with a BMI of 32.5. We would need to know where you are etc. Aud x

YEAY !!! good on ya !!! what a feeling eh ?!!!! Aud x

I can't believe I missed this post ! ARGH !!! lol I am/was having the same problem. I posted on the boards the other day http://lapbandtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2052 I've stopped drinking or eating 2 hours before I sleep & it seems to have stopped it - or at least cut it right down. Hope it does the same for you... How are you getting on now that you've had some fill out? Aud x

That's a great point Joyce, On the occasions where I have stayed the same (or even gained) I have lost inches instead... so thats really worth thinking about. And no, that weight loss will slow down, i'm aiming for about 1 - 3 pounds off a week too - (it's staying pretty much at 1 pound a week just now) It really depends on your excersize regime, basically the more active, the more loss ! (well, that's the theory anyway!) lol Big congratulations on your loss so far ! ANY loss before a fill is a great bonus! Aud x

your looking FANTASTIC !!!! gorgeous ! Aud x