nina874

Oh betty (((hug))) I cannot believe that you have had to hide this from the very people who should be helping you! It also worries me that they have that attitude to people who could be their patients!!!! I have to admit on the whole willpower thing I have never been that good at saying no to myself *ehem* but dya know what I am a successful mum of 6 who owns a company that employs well over 100 people so I cant be totally lacking in the willpower department can I ??? I actually see it as being very responsible getting the band fitted, I recognised that I had a problem and took the appropriate action.I have got some hassle off people cos my BMI was just on the borderline, but it had been steadily climbing for the last 4 years and if I had waited it would have just meant a bigger hill to climb when I did do something about it! You are soooo right that you can be yourself here hon we are all in the same boat. Just because you know what you SHOULD eat doesnt mean that you WANT to eat it !! Does being a dietician suddenly effect the amount of willpower you have hon cos if it does where do I sign up!! LOL Keep your chin up hon, we are all here for you ! Nina xx

I think that is a verrrry nice NSV anything that encourages the purchase of sexy pants cannot be a bad thing Nina x

I have to say I have had reflux for the last 6 years and the bigger I got the worse it got!! I am now 1 week post op and for the first time in 6 years I DONT have reflux!!! Interestingly it was mentioned to me as a possible serious side-effect of the band at my first consult. Nina x

Oooh I just realised you said you have an underactive thyroid, hmmm that explains a lot hon , my stepmum has been a Uk size 10 (lucky bugger) her whole life until about 6/7 years ago when in the space of about 6 months she rocketed up to a UK16, she had her thyroid tested and now even WITH meds she lives on 18 weight watchers points a day to maintain a UK 12/14. It upsets her so much that no matter what she does if she has ONE day when she eats 'normally' she can put on 3lb. I wonder if this is what is contibuting to your struggle hon? Nina xx

Carol, I am so sorry that you are struggling with the band hon, I am newly banded so I cant give you anecdotal advice, but I was wondering - I know for sure that it is part of my problem - is it that you are struggling with the head hunger/tummy hunger thing? Maybe if you try sucking on a sugar free mint or drinking some sugar free juice when you get hungry that might give you time to work out which one it is. When you were at 6.5 did you still get hungry? If you didnt then why not try a 6cc fill and if you did maybe it is head hungry. I have the devils own time telling the diference between the 2, I swear when that mmmmm I could just eat a snicker comes over me it sure feels like real hunger!LOL Please dont lose heart hon, I can feel your pain through your post, have you managed to lose any weight yet? I am sure that someone here will have been through the same feelings at some point and be able to help you. ((((hug)))) Nina x

:whoo::whoo::whoo::whoo::whoo::whoo::whoo: At the risk of sounding like I am gushing - heck I am going to gush anyway!!! You both look amazing, I mean absolutely fabulous!!! What a fantastic achievement, I bet you are both like loves young dream now! I want to see new piccies!! Keep it up guys you are an inspiration!! Nina xx

Glad that the pain has eased off hon, have you tried mushies again yet? WOOOO HOOO on the weight loss though hon, well done!! Ninaxx

Looks truely babe-lishous hon, and I think that style will suit your face shape, I always wear my hair down and full when I am having a 'fat day' cos I think it is much more flattering. Do you have naturally wavy hair? The only thing I am thinking is if you dont it might take time with curlers/rollers to get that look. I say go for it!! Nina xx

PMSL kago, dya want me to post you some gum? Yup the guy is an ass , but you will get the get the last laugh on the beach next year..... :eek: Ninaxx

Way to go hon!!!!! 37lbs in a month!!!! You should be giving yourself SUCH a big pat on the back!! OK I confess I am wayyyy jealous can I borrow some of your willpower for a couple of weeks.....pretty please????LOL Nina xx

Just wanted to say, dont panic it will be fine, and most of all GOOD LUCK!!!! Cant answer any of the other questions cos I only got it done a week ago but I went shopping yesterday :eek: Nina x

If you dont like vomit then google dumping syndrome!!!LOL My dietician said oh it wouldnt kill you ...... but you might want it to!! To me it was better to have a foreign body in there, that could if it caused me untold heartache be taken out, than half of me missing that could never be put back! The sabotage one...... hmmmmm... only you really know the answer to that, but could you NEVER eat your fave foods again or would you cheat and DUMP. Doesnt the RYN cost more to start with?If it does then stick the difference into the bank to pay for the fills! Ultimately only you can chose hon and I did think about both long and hard, but I am sure that you will make the choice that is right for you. Ninaxx

Oh heck!! No I cant say I have, but I just wanted to send you a healing cyber((((((((hug)))))))) and say that I hope you get better soon hon. After thought though... I think they are talking anout the fact that in most people as you vomit the tube to your throat automatically shuts of the valve to your lungs same as when you eat.That shouldnt be affected by the band cos you can still eat and it goes down the right tube. Are you getting enough Vitamins? A daft question I know but I was trying to think what else it might be... Love and another ((hug)) Nina x

Hi again Jaz! Oooooh that is never going to be an easy conversation..... All I can say is that just after I had had one of my kids, and was feeling near hysterical as I couldnt get my jeans past my knees, my sister who - god love her - had just lost a heap of weight, came round to my house to raid my wardrobe.As she was piling stuff up on the bed ( to be fair I had said that she could borrow some stuff) I made a noise of protest, to be greated with the comment ' you wont need these for months if ever dont be so mean' True .....yes.... but OUCH did it hurt!!! I guess what I am saying is that although I was sooooo pleased for my sis, and I really was ,we are very very close, it still really hurt. I would just give her a hug and say that you are sorry, I do see your point of veiw totally but at the moment you are on top of the world and she is a bit down so be the better person. Have to say though.... you do look fab at the moment hon :eek: love and hugs Nina x

Hi you lovely helpful people, Yet another question from the dim, but enthusiastic, newbie I am afraid! Yesterday I decided that I had better start doing some exercise to help this band along whilst I am awaiting that elusive full feeling ( I swear I could swallow a fillet steak WHOLE at the moment) I decided I would ease myself in and did 30 mins of floor exercises and then did 1/2 hour on the power plate, felt fine straight after ( and quite full of myself!) but BOY did I get payback about 3 hours later! My port site swelled up like a brick under the skin ( NICE and v.v. atractive - the kids invited me to their halloween patry cos I looked like something from Alien, thanks kids for your support) and was really really tender. Did i do too much ? Is this normal? The thing is I have an appointment to have a full tummy tuck done in Feb and I HAVE to get 20kgs off by then and until I reach the ' sweet spot' its all down to me! :help::help::help: Thanks in advance NIna xx

Oooooh yes the sweet relief!!! I am sooooo looking forwards to not having the chub rub issues! Superb goal to have reached!! Nina xx

Oh dear - crumbs I do hope that I havent done any harm!!! 30 days......... oh plop that throws a spanner into the works a bit, I'll just have to go for long walks on the beach with the doggies then. Thanks so much guys, lord knows what I would have done to my innards if I wasnt on LBT!! NIna x

Flippin' heck babes I just realised that you have done that since August!!!!!!!!! I pray that I can do half as well as that!!! Go and spoil yourself you deserve it!!! Nina x

WOOOO HOOOOOOOOO!!!!:whoo::whoo::whoo: You go girl!!! I am not surprised you are pleased - what an acheivement are you going to treat yourself to a new frock for your birthday to Celebrate?? NInaxxx

I didnt realise that I shouldnt *blush* I even rang the doc and was put through to their 'fitness expert' who said that a week PO I would be fine to use my power-plate as long as I didnt rest the port on it!!! Grrr I seem to get such different advice here in the uk to the advice US patients do, oh well , any ideas when it will be ok? Thanks again! Nina x

Thanks for all the advice on the cups thing hopefully that will make things easier for me! Mandi - I have resigned myself to the fact ( not happily I have to add!!) that just for the next few weeks til I have the fill I am going to have to dredge up some....willpower ( ehem not my strong point) The way that I am looking at it is I ONLY have to do this for a few weeks not the rest of my life , I did know this would happen from reading the board - but lord did I hope that I would be one of the lucky few who was so swollen that I didnt want to eat!! - but I will get my fill and it is only 4 weeks til that happens so I just have to chew on the chair legs til then!! We can do this hon!!! Nina x

Ditto with the walking, I also have an electric blanket on my bed (mmmmm its sooo comfy) and I am sure the heat from that in the night has helped! You will feel well before you know it :0) Leal - I have a lot of port pain at the moment specially when I do too much , maybe its a girl thing?? As to the not being able to drink I think that is a bit more of worry hon , have you tried ringing your surgeon? The only thing that I can think is that for some reason you are very swollen inside and hopefully as it starts to heal it will ease up, but you dont want to get dehydrated, deffo ring and get checked out hon NIna x

WOOOO HOOOO!!!! Well done hon!!! You must be soooo proud :0) NIna xx

Hi Jaz I just found this a was going to post a WOOOO HOOOOO!!! OMG look at you girl!!!!!! ( which I still feel!!!) Then I read the 2nd page and though good grief can you not see how DDG you are!!! Dont let the nasty spiteful people win hon , even if you were a size 0 there will always be some smart arse with attitude who has a hurtful thing to say, every time you binge you are letting the hateful ones win! Ditto what musical said, hon you WON that contest and if they chose you they did it for a reason!!! Have faith in yourself hon, just look at what you have acheived already, who would have thought that a side effect of the band could be you being able to support this cause and do so much good!! ( bet the ones that you saw couldnt be bothered to get off their lazy asses and step up to the plate like you did) Love and a HUGE hug Nina x

Hi there, I actually got offered the GB even with my low BMI because of some of my eating habits - I am a terrible g razer and with 6 kids from 18 to 4 there is always food on the go! The huge weightloss from the very first day had me very very tempted! The reason that I didnt was because of the side effects that cannot be predicted with the GB. Dumping - some people can dump on 20g of sugar a day!! they cannot tell what your bodies reaction will be to the surgery and there is hidden sugars in evrything really, if you look up what dumping involves....... Fat intolerence - again the dietician said that she has some patients that cannot tolerate a scrape of butter or a single crisp, they are welded to the loo for hours. Then I looked at my lifestyle, not my food problems just my lifestyle, I have a huge family, my christmas dinners are legend, how would I feel if on Christmas day I couldnt eat the gravy because it was made with the meat juices/fat, I coudnt eat the roasties because they were cooked in the meat juces/fat, I couldnt eat the sausage meat etc etc etc I am not saying that I want to be able to eat like that every day - I dont , but to NEVER be able to do that again....... The band represented a way to control my portion sizes but still be able, every now and again on special occasions, to eat what everyone else is eating - just not as much!! Think about the foods that you would have to cut out with a GB and realise that actually you would be condeming yourslef to the most restricted diet ever FOREVER...... not my idea of a fun healthy lifestyle! Thats why I chose the band! Nina xxx