Aussiegirl

Hello fellow Australians! I don't visit here near as much as I used to when I was first banded. I did find that this site did provide me with some useful information. Next month I will hit my 2 year anniversary - can't believe that time has gone so fast. To date I have lost 34kg - so you can see it has been a very slow and labourious loss for me, but totally worth it. The best thing is knowing that I am never going to put that 34kg back on again!! I am sitting here scratching my head trying to think of things to tell you that may be of interest, so feel free to ask any questions that you may have and I will be happy to relate my experiences. Naturally enough most people are interested in food. What to eat, what not to each, how much etc etc. A typical day for me runs something like this. Breakfast me is a Protein shake called Isowhey, which is made with 150ml of low fat milk and I chuck in a handful of fruit - at the moment blueberries and raspberries are in season. I do a drink in the morning because I cannot tolerate any food until around lunchtime. It can take me up to 1 hour to consume this. lunch depends on my fickle band and how soon it as been after my last adjustment. If I can eat solids I go for tin salmon or tuna and vegetables as I find that I cannot tolerate common salady stuff like lettuce, tomato, celery. Tea is usually some sort of protein with more vegies - usually fish or chicken. I don't tolerate red meat very well unless it is minced. I cook chicken a lot in the slow cooker as this makes it nice and tender. I find that by tea time, I my stomach has "warmed up" and I can eat a bit more. During the day I also try to get in some fruit and yoghurt - but that depends if it is a good day or bad day. On a bad day, fruit has to be juiced, on a good day I can manage grapes, watermelon, canteloupe. Anything with a thick skin is out (boo-hoo I used to love eating cherries at this time of the year) and is stuff like pineapple, asparagus and celery with all the fibrousy bits. And of course, in between all that, I try and drink as much Water as I can. That is quite hard as I find that I am full for hours after eating. Other foods I find difficult to digest and tend to stay clear of are doughy breads (toast is OK as are dry biscuits), rice, steak, lamb, chicken breasts (I find the thigh fillets are more tender), pizza, smoked salmon, hot chips, cakes, puddings, and eggs can sometimes be problematic. I find the band very fickle - what I can digest one day, I may not be able to get down the next. I have had quite a few instances of vomiting - but it is not really vomiting it is more like regurgitation. Something gets stuck and its either got to get down or come up. When something gets stuck its painful, I tend to salivate a lot. I walk around and it either goes down or up. Obviously I would prefer that it go down. I make a mental note of what I ate and whether I didn't chew properly or was trying to eat too much and then learn from that. Exercise I do everyday. 30 mins walks with the dog daily plus 4 gym sessions per week. The weekly gym sessions consist of 1 spin class, 1 step class then I do two cardio and weight training sessions each week in which I do a 5km run/walk then a 30min sessions with free weights and a fitball working on all the main muscle groups. I have had 7 band adjustments over the last 2 years and reckon the surgeon will top me up again in February. The first few adjustments weren't too bad - I didn't notice a lot of difference, but then they really kicked in and I had to be really careful and go back to fluids and mushies for as much as a few weeks post adjustment. Nowdays I am prepared and make sure I have a lot of fluids and Soups in the house before I visit the surgeon. The most surprising thing for me - when I stop losing weight despite the fact that I am eating so much less than I used to! That is so not fair. The body has an amazing ability to adapt unfortunately. The best outcome for me - I have stopped being invisible (as weird as that may sound) and am having to get used to not being overlooked by others and to being noticed. That can take some getting used to. Hope this has been useful to someone out there. Goodluck everyone and feel free to ask questions and I will do my best to answer.

Hi. I'm insured with Medibank Private. Once my surgery date was set, I went into the local office to check on how much I would get back - it didn't even enter my head that they wouldn't cover it as my surgeon had told me that I would get a certain amount back from my health fund. So that's all I did. I am so grateful that we don't have to go through all the same crap with insurance companies like our American friends do. I work in the healthcare system in Australia, and complain and worry about it too, but it really does seem so much better than other places in the world.

Hi Parvathi, I hear you, I know exactly where you are coming from! I have been banded for approximately 18 months now and after each adjustment I think, "Yep, this is finally it. I've hit my sweet spot!" But how wrong I am. I do find that that "perfect restriction" does last longer with my most recent adjustments. At the start of this journey it might have lasted for a couple of weeks, now it lasts a couple of months. My last adjustment was the 11 May and I have just noticed over the few weeks, an easing in the restriction allowing me to eat more - particularly at the end of the day.

I actually find it not hard to stay motivated - I love going to the gym and love to sweat and have met some really nice gals there (ladies only gym). It is a really unpretentious place where I feel very welcome and comfortable. I also feel so much better for being fitter and have been able to measure my progress, not just on the scales (I hate the scales!!) but through other measures such as how much weight I can lift, how fast and for how long I can go on the treadmill etc etc. Just knowing how much good I am doing for myself is enough to keep me going. Now if I could only have had that sort of discipline in regards to my eating, well, I woudn't have needed the surgery in the first place!! My dog shows her displeasure if she doesn't get a walk and makes me feel guilty. She runs to the front door and looks from it to me in a very appealing manner. If that doesn't work, she comes over to where I am and stares at me - it is quite unnerving. She will not allow me to ignore her! I guess I am lucky in that I have found what I love doing so being motivated to do it isn't terribly hard, although I must say, getting out of bed before 6am on a chilly Hobart winter's morning isn't always a lot of fun. Good luck!

I love to exercise! Gym 3-5 mornings a week before work where I do a mixture of resistance training and cardio. Then 30min walk with the dog each weeknight - bit longer on the weekends. That's the extent of my planned exercise. Since going to the gym and having the band, I've lost 40kg so its working for me. I found having some sessions with a personal trainer at the gym useful in the beginning to ensure I was using the equipment correctly and to get hints how to get the best out of my training. I do some classes - Spin and Pump - then do stuff on my own in the cardio theatre and on the gym floor using the resistance equipment. I too chose a gym close to work - helps me to ensure that I get there. I also pack all my gear into the car the night before as this also gives me incentive to get going in the morning. Good luck!

I totally agree with you Michelle. I started out the conversation with him by saying that I thought that I had been going about this all wrong and that I needed to be eating small amounts of solid food. I had only lost 1 or 2kg in the previous 8 weeks and I thought that was because I was consuming too many liquid calories and that I needed to eat small amounts of solid food and then the weight would start shifting again. However, like I said before, his response was to tighten me up even more. Thank you for this thread. It has given me the confidence and determination to broach this subject with him again at my next appointment (in 2 weeks). I have an awful sinking feeling I know what will happen though. He'll put me on the scales, see that I have lost more weight and tell me I'm doing just fine!!

Hmm, let me think. I eat way less food. When I do eat, I do so in a conscious manner. I eat very slowly instead of inhaling my food. No carbonated drinks for me. No drinking with meals or immediately after meals. Very rarely do I eat between meals (I know if I do that, I won't be able to fit my meal in). Exercise every day. I make considered food decisions about what I am going to eat and what will be good for me.

Hi Everyone, What an interesting thread. I think my surgeon may need an attitude adjustment! I am nearly 18 months post band now and see him every 8 weeks. Last visit, I communicated to him that I thought that I was too tight - I was having regular, but not daily, occurences of heartburn at night, was not able to eat any food at all before lunch (liquids only in the morning), felt uncomfortable whenever I ate any solid food, and tended to have excess saliva production and would often PB when I did. His response - he didn't mind if I was restricted to fluids and mushy food at this point until I reached my goal weight. He then proceeded, with my extreme reluctance, to put another 0.1ml in my band. Perhaps I'm the one that needs the attitude adjustment - perhaps I need to assert myself more.

Hi Karen, I had "the runs" for around about a week post op - I was warned by the nursing staff that it would happen as a result of the barium swallow stuff they gave me before taking me to X-ray to check the position of the band before going home. Did you have this done? It maybe the cause of your problems.

Hello from way down south (Hobart) where it is a chilly 7 degrees at lunchtime! This is a great forum with lots of good information. I can relate to the soup - I was banded in February 2004 and my surgeon had me on liquids for nearly 6 weeks before progressing to mushies. I was so sick of soup by then I swore I was never going to have soup again.....but of course I have. My weight loss would stall very few months or so until I went in and had a fill, then I would get restriction again and lose weight. Hopefully 15months down the track, I have found my sweet spot. Good to hear that you feel great - keep up the good work.

Hi again Kristen. Yep, I would hazard a guess and say that the nerves, tears and apprehension are perfectly normal. I myself was nervous but excited at the same time because I was afraid of failure, but at the same time convinced that this was going to be a life changing experience. I didn't tell many people initially either as I actually felt guilty about having to go to such extreme lengths to do something about my weight - I felt downright ashamed. However, as I mentioned before in my previous post that once the weight loss was noticeable and I had reached the right level of restriction, I found that I needed to tell those that I was eating with or those who were hosting me at their houses for dinner. I did that because I didn't want to offend a hostess by not finishing everything on my plate. The best dinner invitations are buffet style affairs where you can just pick and choose what and how much you wnat. Whether you do or not, is entirely up to you. Once you tell someone, you can't untell them. The couple of people that I told prior to surgery, were fantastic and of great encouragement and support, particularly in the immediate post op period when I was feeling quite fragile. The people that I have told post surgery have mostly been curious, but no-one has been judgemental...well, to my face anyway!

Hi Kristen - I am originally from Melbourne, but have lived in Hobart for the last 9 years. I was banded in February 2004. Welcome to you! I think the replies you have received have been wonderful and like everyone else, I can empathise with your apprehension. There are still times when I don't cope well with the restriction in portion size - I get resentful and angry, but you know what, those times are happening less and less as food becomes less of an interest for me and as I lose more and more weight. It is worth it! We all develop coping mechanisms - and others have mentioned these eg only ordering entree size meals in restaurants, figuring out what you really feel like eating and having that etc etc. I have also found that it is better for me, to be upfront and honest with people I am having meals with about why I am eating so little. I came to this realisation when some of my acquaintances thought I had an eating disorder! Special occasions often revolve around food. It is my birthday shortly and previously my plans would have revolved around breakfast/lunch/dinner on that day - instead I am planning other non food treats eg cinema, having a facial or massage etc etc. You are doing the right thing by seeking out the stories and advice from those who have already been through it. I think the old adage "nothing tastes as good as losing weight feels" really applies. Best wishes and let us know how you go. Kirstie.

Hi Nita, Don't worry about comparing your healing to someone else. It was 2 weeks before I went back to work and it took a good 10 days for my gas pain to disappear. We all react and heal at our own rate. Sounds to me like you are doing all the right things to look after yourself.

I have access to a fridge and microwave at work. I tend to stay away from the prepackaged or frozen convenience type foods - mainly due to the cost of these types of things. So I bring for lunch, leftovers to heat up in the microwave. Today I have homemade baked Beans - yummo. Other times I have bought in homemade soups, cottage cheese and dry biscuits (not sure what americans call these but a brand of these that we have, that I think you do is Saltines), sometimes I have cottage cheese and veggies (my stomach doesn't do the normal cold salad stuff too well). Yesterday I had a small piece of fish (flake) and some green bean salad. Congrats on the new job and it is always interesting to hear about what others eat.

Hi Kelly - I can relate to your difficulties. I find that my stomach doesn't open for business until the afternoon - sometimes even later than that. I spend the morning sipping on drinks and then try something like soup or cottage cheese for lunch and see how that goes. I too find that I pee a lot less and can get a bit headachey during the day so I just keep sipping fluids. Even that can be hard and I can feel it sitting there. Getting up from my chair and walking around helps somewhat. At my last surgeon's visit, I mentioned to him that I was having difficulty consuming any solid food without discomfort or it getting stuck, but he wasn't concerned and said that he didn't care if I was restricted to fluids and mushies for the time being, and I have been banded for over 12 months. Hmm, not sure that I agree with that. So all I can suggest is that you try and consume liquids that have some nutritional value. My staples are freshly squeezed fruit and vegie juices that I do myself, smoothies made with fruit, yoghurt, skim milk and Protein powder and homemade soups made with Beans and lentils which are a good source of protein. Has your surgeon given you any example menus to follow or do you have access to a dietician?

My heartfelt sympathies go out to you guitarman. The loss of a pet is devastating. I hope that sharing your grief with us is helpful to you. You will always have memories, and I imagine photos, of your beloved Jake!

Hi All - or should I be a typical ocker Aussie and say "Gday"? I stumbled across this forum a few days ago after doing some research. I had lapband surgery at the end of February last year. My starting weight was 122kg which I think translates to 268.4 pounds. 12 months later I have lost 27kg (59.4 pounds) - a nice slow and steady weight loss. I have been very interested to read about other lapbander's stories. There is no support group here in the state that I live in (Tasmania - the little triangle island at the bottom of mainland Australia) so it has been great to come to this forum. Last week I had another fill - or down here we tend to call them "adjustments". After reading some posts here I asked my surgeon what the capacity of the band is and he said 4mls. I now have 3.1ml of Fluid in my band. I am quite restricted and am looking forward to finding the "sweet spot" that others talk about. I have also noticed that you guys in the USA seem to go through a lot more testing prior to surgery that I did. In fact, the only thing my surgeon did was weigh me, measure my height, calculate my BMI (which has fallen 10 points, by the way) then tell me I was morbidly obese and met his criteria for the surgery. Luckily I had been researching this procedure for 12 - 18 months which my General Practitioner first suggested to me. Speaking to other patients who have been banded, both before and after my surgery, has been absolutely invaluable. Over 12 months down the track, I am only now I think, getting my head around this whole thing. I have found the physical aspect to banding great, but the psychological aspect has been interesting. Anyway, I look forward to chatting when I can. My only access to the internet is at work (currently lunchtime here at the moment) so I am somewhat restricted. Nice to meet you...

Congratulations Heather and well done on both the new job and having an icecream free day!

Heather - comiserations on your job loss. Must surely mean that there is something better out there for you. Best wishes job hunting.

I was banded in February 2004. Have had numerous fills since then.

I find that happens to me on pretty much a daily basis at the moment. I find that eating a mouthful or two, then getting up and walking around before taking the next mouthful, tends to help a bit.

Can you believe I actually gained weight after my first fill! In the 4 weeks between my first and second fill I gained a couple of kg's. Needless to say, I didn't feel much of a restriction at all after the first fill. Thankfully I can say that was the only time I put on weight and I have been banded now since Feb 04.

"Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding - Achieving Permanent Weight Loss with Mininally Invasive Surgery" by Jessie H Ahroni?? If so, please tell me your thoughts. It is available by mail order through one of our bookstores here and I am wondering if it is a worthwhile investment. This message board has been a wonderful source of information but I am always on the prowl for more! Thanks, Kirstie.

Well I find that the early hours of the morning when my gut is empty is the time I suffer from the weird, gurgly throaty/oesphagus noises! This morning I woke up at 4am and the noises and gurgly sensation kept me awake. After about an hour I figured out that if I turned on my side, rather than sleeping on my back, this seemed to help. Anyone else have this minor inconvenience?

Thanks Ladies!