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Hi Cadence, I actually ended up not getting it done but my GP offered to write me a referral for the x-ray and then it would be reviewed by the Belgian doctor. I am going back again on Friday for another fill. I haven't gained any weight but I haven't lost any either So I think I need another fill. (I had to have an xray on my back recently and the band showed up and seems to all be in order) I now have 6.25mls in an 8ml band but very little restriction. Am really hoping the next one makes a difference.

Hi everyone. I was banded in Feb 08. I did really well and the band worked well for me initially and I lost about 70 pounds in the first year. I had 28 pounds to go but stalled and didn't really mind as I was happy with that weight. I maintained that weight for 2 years. However in the last year I've slipped into bad habits and have been eating around my band and gained about 7 - 10 pounds. But in the last 6 months I lost all restriction and gained another 20 pounds. I went back for a fill in January and have some restriction now but am still eating around the band (chocolate, drinking with meals, heavy handed on the sauces etc). Please help because I can't remember what I am meant to do. Over here you're banded and that is it. You pay for each fill but it's a case of in and out and no real help or advice. I don't think I need a fill. For example I can only eat a couple of bites of red meat or bread. But I can eat a large bag of crisps (chips to those from the US ) I could really use some help and advice because I am floundering a bit and at a loss as to what I did the first time to make the band work for me. Thanks

Thanks everyone. I'm starting day one of the 5 day pouch test, trying to break some bad habits. Liquids only for the time being.

Hi again. Had my fill on the 20th and am in love with my band again. not even a week and I've already lost 7 pounds. Thank god! Could still use a bit of restriction so might go back in a month or two if weight loss stalls.

Hi, not sure if anyone remembers me. Had my band fitted in Feb 08 and was really happy with it. Had good restriction right away and lost 5 stone in a year (dropping to 14 stone). In the last year restriction has been practically non existant and I've put on 2 stone Raging with myself. I was putting off going back for a fill because of finances (I became a single parent after I had the band and money has been scarce for the last few years). I also have to have an xray which is yet more money, plus a day off work, travel etc. But anyway, have decided enough is enough. Priced an xray at 60e with euromedic and am aiming to go for a fill on Jan 20th 2012. Hopefully all will be in order with the band and a fill will be enough and I can lose some weight again. Anyway, just thought I'd drop by and say hi

Hi guys. I'm still hanging around. :sad: Weight loss is slow as I don't have much restriction. Plus, I got the coil in and the hormones have me going haywire! I pile on weight everytime I go on the pill or anything so the fact that I'm not putting it on and am actually (slowly!) losing some means I'm happy. Brenners, I'm so sorry you had to get the band removed. :w00t: But you've done so well and the band is just a tool, it didn't lose the weight for you. Just keep avoiding the large portions and the junk food and you'll do great! Gerri, wow, you've done amazingly! I probably wouldn't recognise you now. :smile2:

Geri, good to hear from you again!! You've done amazingly. I probably wouldn't recognise you at this stage! I know Chris has a colleague in Belgium who does plastics. Chris himself doesn't do them but I'm sure he can give you a referral. Tummy tuck - Obesity Assist - Obesity Surgery If you email Chris he'll respond fairly quickly. He was very good when I was emailing him pestering him about the gastric band lol. Lil, sorry to hear you couldn't get the port replaced just yet but your health is very important and if they felt that replacing the port was a bad move then it's probably for the best. I too found the hospitals in Belgium amazing, so clean and so professional. I was very impressed and wouldn't hesitate to go back for more procedures. One week of paying heed to the band rules and I'm 4lbs down! Annoyed at myself for wasting a year fighting it for want of a better word. I could be at target now. But live and learn and hopefully stay away from the vino and chocolate!! :biggrin:

Brenners, glad to hear about the date for your procedure. Things are on the move and hopefully it gets you back on track. As I said I'd fallen into bad habits but getting back on track. First couple of days were a nightmare. Headaches, cravings etc but it's all died down now. Back "listening" to my band on not pushing it on meal sizes etc. Only been at it since saturday and already people are asking me if I've lost weight! My face tends to puff up a bit when I eat rubbish so I think thats more it than anything. But people saying it has given me motivation and hopefully I can keep going and get out of all the bad habits I got myself into! :mad:

Hi all. Good to see this thread moving again. I was banded in Belgium in Feb 06. Wend from 19stone to 13st 11 lbs in a year and then got complacent and have gained about a stone back. I need another fill but as a single parent again, I just haven't been able to round up the money to travel up to dublin and take a day off work and pay for the fill. I need to though so I'm going to start putting some money aside and hopefully I'll manage to get up soon. Just feels like something happens every month, between car break downs, weddings, birthdays etc. I was 14st 13lbs after xmas so I started back in force this week. Just cut out wine, chocolate, ice cream. All those things we're NOT supposed to have! I still have restriction but not as much as I'd like. I can't eat bread or meat but no problem horsing down big plates of fish and veg which isn't a bad thing but not what I want either. Must say though, even with just the 4-5 stone gone, it's changed my life. I'm so much more confident and happier. I got dumped shortly after the op by my partner for a younger, slimmer blone (I'm only 27!) and I think it'd have killed me if it weren't for the fact that the band meant that comfort eating was out. So after he dumped me I went from a size 22 to a size 16 lol. It made it a lot easier to bear that I could dress up and go out and feel good about myself rather than hiding away because of my weight. So I've had an amazing couple of years since the band. Some ups, some downs but mostly ups. Now, off to have my porridge!

Hi all. Was in for a fill today. Went to get 1ml but could only get .75 in. I'd forgotten how wonderful restriction was! Haven't been on here in ages! Am down over 4 stone now. Hope to lose another 2 at least. Elsie, hope you got my pm. I'm such an eejit. Forgot my phone but remembered my laptop. Duh! All is well in my world anyway. Am going to start posting here more as I have fallen into bad habits that I need to lose Almost my 1 year anniversary! Feels like a lifetime ago.

Hi all. What with this recession going on there is no money in the pot for new clothes! I'm looking for stuff in 16s and 18s (mostly 18s ) and wondering if any of you who are skinny now have them stored away anywhere and want to sell them? I'm 26 and usually dress out of New Look and Dunnes (just to give an idea of what I'm after). Thanks

Hi all. Was up 2 pounds last week. Raging with myself but it was my birthday so I guess it's ok Weight is slowly decreasing most of the time. Not sure about another fill. Sometimes I have only a bit of restriction and others I can't eat the band is so tight. Still losing hair but not bald yet! :cool2: All in all though i'm a happy bunny and loving my band! All my family are now seriously considering getting it done and they all thought I was slightly crazy when I did it. I'm jsut glad i got it done when I did because i can enjoy the rest of my 20s seeing as I wasted the first half as a big blob! The clothes thing is driving me mad though. I want to buy all around me but can't afford to! I'm investing in a lot of belts but my 22s and 20s are literally hanging off me. Might try some 2nd hand shops or something as I'm loathe to spend money on clothes that will (hopefully) be too big by Christmas! Hope everyone else is doing ok!

Hi angie. I've travelled a bit since the band and never set off an alarm. I thought I was setting off shop alarms for months but I discovered there was a security device under a sticker on a tube of make up :tongue2: Once I got rid of that there were no more incidents. I got a booklet with a card in it from Dr. Chris after the surgery. How did you all get on with your fills? Hope there is some good restriction out there!

Hi all, Banded 6 months ago and was doing well but have become lazy recently. I work until about 6pm and people in work don't know about the band so I usually just eat something small and wait to get home for dinner. I was doing really well but then my partner and I broke up(he left me for a younger woman - I'm 25:eek:) and I moved out. Even so I was still good and cooked dinner in the evenings. I have a daughter but she eats dinner in creche so in the evenings it's just myself I have to feed and I have fallen out of the habot of cooking. It just seems like such an effort for just me. I have been craving salty things (which is a change for me as I was always a sweet tooth) and find I usually just eat rubbish now in the evenings. Any ideas for some quick, healthy recipies bearing in mind that I am now broke (paying rent, creche etc alone now) so no expensive options please :thumbdown:. I also know I need a good kick up the backside as I have fallen back into the "comfort eating" trap even though I am still losing weight it has slowed down and I feel tired and sluggish. Help!!!

Thanks for all the suggestions. I should have pointed out I'm in Ireland so no Taco Bell here :thumbup: I went to the supermarket yesterday and stocked up. I went home and baked some potatoes (always handy), made a beef stew which is in portions in the freezer and some pork curry. Also got loads of fruit and veg and prepared it to have for snack attacks and got a few ready meals too (just in case I'm having a lazy day!) Thanks again. I hope to see all this cooking pay off on the scales!

Well, I just avoided junk food, anything high in fat and alcohol for the couple of weeks before hand. By the way, it'll be the best decision you ever made. It was the 6 month anniversary of my band yesterday and i don't know myself. i have so much more confidence. I was squeezing myself into a 24 and am now comfortably in 18s. In fact they're a bit loose. Best of luck with it!

Hi angie. Dr. Chris is very good like that. The night I went to see him before the op, he went off to get his wife to take us back to the hotel. She had popped out so he called us a cab instead. Poor woman getting lumped with all these strange people I don't think I stuck to my low fat diet very well and in the letter he gave me for my GP post op he mentioned a slightly fatty liver but they'd have to be starting the op in order to see the fatty liver so unless it was impossible or very high risk i doubt they'd stop. Best of luck with it! Skinny, sorry to hear about the band. It's such a pity when you were getting on great. But it's only a set back and you'll be back on track before you know it. Best of luck to you too. :thumbup:

Hi all. Hope you are all doing well. I think I'm still ok for now without another fill. It only took 2. Yay! I'm still losing the pounds slowly but steadily. Some days I can eat quite a lot but mostly I fill up quite quickly. I hit the 4 stone loss yesterday!!! I'm chuffed to bits. And in time for my 6 month band anniversary ( 26th of this month ). So my initial goal was to lose 5.5 stone. Only 1.5 off that. And then after that to get to an ideal weight for my height I'd need to lose another 2 stone. But I'd be happy with the next 1.5 gone. thrilled in fact. Anything after that is just amazing! Things took a turn for the worse with the ex and we are no longer on speaking terms. I'm sad about that but I'm sure we'll both calm down and eventually be back on speaking terms.:thumbup:

Hey all. Hope you all enjoyed your fills yesterday and that they work well. Skinny, I'm so sorry to hear about your band. That's a terrible blow and you've done so well. It's terrible to have a set back after so long. I really hope it works out well for you. Elsie, how are you keeping? I'm trying to be as positive as possible. 8 weeks today since we broke up and I haven't moved on at all really.:smile2: But I've finally decided to do what everyone has been telling me to do and that is stop trying to be friends with ex.:ohmy: He really wants to be friends and he has really been trying to make to work but I'm still not ready to be "just friends". We're totally civil to each other and there's no animosity so there's no issues about him seeing our daughter or it being uncomfortable when we see each other. But he wants to be friends where we have dinner together and watch DVDs or he calls and we chat for a couple of hours or we bring the little one to the park together or to his mothers together. I've tried and I can't take it. It's too much. So i'm putting myself first and today is day one of doing it my way. ie No texting unless it's about access, no chatting, no meeting up, no hearing about his life with his new girlfriend... Just me and myself and getting my own life back. Maybe in time we can have chats and maybe even be friends but not yet. My poor battered pride can't take it

Thanks all :wink_smile: I'm chuffed with how I look. People I haven't seen for a while are doing double takes. I was meeting my mum in a shopping centre and from a distance she wasn't sure if it was me. She has seen me loads since the op but she was looking for the "big" girl. I remember after having my daughter I was a size 16. When I was at my biggest I was looking at photos thinking how skinny I was. I'm tall and broad so will never be a 12 but when I had the op the goal I had in mind was a 16. And I'm only 1 size away!!!! Well, ok, one and a half as I can't wear tight things in an 18 but we'll pretend :tongue: It seemed so unachievable at the time. And I'm 2 weeks shy of my 6 month bandiversary and nearly at my personal goal! Good luck to all going for fills tomorrow :thumbup: I was thinking yesterday I should have gone for one and then I had lunch and my band was really tight so probably just as well I didn't :cool2:

Hey all. Hope you're all looking forward to your fills this week. I'm still unsure about whether to get another or not. Aside from the weight I lost when the split happened I've lost another 3 pounds this month. It seems slow but it is still going down. I'm officially a size 18 now. i can shop in the "normal" shops and departments. I treated myself to a new "going out" wardrobe and everyone has been complimenting me so I feel pretty good. Was at the doc for a check up (blood tests etc) and she was against the band initially. When I told her what had happened with ex she said she was glad I had the band as it would make the split easier to deal with as I am getting my confidence back. If it had happened and I was the size I had been I'd be much worse. She's right. Myself and ex are getting on ok for daughters sake. We have our moments (especially when he mentions new girlfriend) so he has said he won't do that anymore. I said I'd try to cut back on the catty comments and he pointed out that I only do that when he brings her up. So he's gone from blaming me for everything (hich he did when we split until recently) to realising that he is playing a part in this sorry mess too. It's a step forward I guess. I'm 2 pound off the next stone bracket so I'm being very good as i can't wait to hit it! New guy turned out to be a bit of a wimp (not calling when he said he would, cancelling on me etc) so after the second time he did that I told him I wasn't interested. I've been strung along by ex for the last year. I'm not wasting anymore of my time on guys who don't know what they want :cool2:.

Hi all. Well, i'm doing ok. Not good, not bad. Ex is thinking of moving away to be nearer to the new girlfriend so in one way, as upsetting as it is, if he were out of my life it might be easier. Worried about the kiddo though. She's very down and not herself at all. I'm very worried about the impact it is having on her. For example this morning she got up, had her brekkie etc and when I went back up to get ready I came out to find her in her bed. She refused to get out of bed then til it was time to go. Then when I went to creche she refused to let me leave and then ran for the door. I had to chase her down the road and drag her back in screaming. She's been there for almost 3 years and has NEVER done that before. On the good side I met a nice guy. Very very early days and I doubt much will come of it but it's nice to have a distraction. :ohmy: Still miss the ex though. Hard to make yourself fall out of love with someone. Oh and the weight has started moving again :blushing:

Hi all. Haven't posted in a while as the band hasn't really been on my mind. I've been losing weight but I'm not sure it's band related :wink2: I feel fantastic in terms of how I look and I love buying clothes and I'm going out and very confident now compared to before the band. My heart is still broken though and while I've had a kiss or two from some very handsome boys, my heart just hasn't been in it and I've become a bit of a man (telling guys I'll call them and not doing it :eek:). Heart broke again today because ex is just back from Oxegen and his new girlfreind has photos up on her Bebo page of him and her and him and her and another one of him and her. Flipping loads of them. I texted him and said "saw the photos. Ouch". I know I shouldn't let him know it's bothering me but I gotta say, seeing them very much together nearly killed me. And made me hate him too. He's still all about the "friendship" but I don't think I want him in my life at this stage. It's way too hard. When he's not around I'm having a great time, enjoying myself, feeling good about myself. All it takes is a text from him or to see him picking up my daughter and I fall apart again. I know I need to keep some communication open if he is going to see my daughter. I'm just not sure of the best way to handle it. He swings between being very aloof (not asking how I am, only talking about practical things) and being quite freindly. But I've noticed things like I'll leave a message on his Bebo page (just a joke or somthing funny) and he said it's good to do that as mutual freinds will see that we're still on "good terms" etc. But when I do he'll text me to say "that was funny". He will never leave a comment on my page. So for those "mutual friends" it looks like I'm doing all the running which I hate. I am not a desparate stalking psycho! But it looks like I am. As she is leaving messages and putting up photos of them as a couple and I'm leaving "friendly messages" (not loads - only 2 in a month) but I'm not getting anything in return. I'm sure he doesn't want to leave a message on my page as the new girl wouldn't appreciate it but still..... Ah jaysus, look what he's turned me into. I'm like a fecking teenager. :tongue_smilie: Sorry for the rambling...... I'm not going insane. Honest! Actually people have been saying I'm much more like my old self and I seem happier. And that is true. When I am happy I am happier than ever. But then a low hits and I'm a bit of a wreck. From the outside you wouldn't know it but as you can see from my ramblings above I drive myself insane on the inside :tt1:

Me too. Gave us all in the office a good chuckle :thumbup:

Hey all. Well, things are getting better. It's still very up and down but I took a huge step today and found a new place to live. That was very hard as I thought when we bought our home it was forever. But it kills me to live in the same house as himself. He's off work today so came home last night to shower and change and go and meet her for the night and he's with her now. At least it won't be so "in my face" when I move. I'll still have to see him for the kiddos sake but the distance will be good for me. The weight is still falling off but the fact that I still can't eat may have something to do with that. I'm sleeping again which is good as I'm functioning. Moving out has also given me a purpose for the week. A distraction if you know what i mean. Anyway, enough whining. I just realsied today that I have gone from saying "I need to lose about 6 stone" to saying " I need to lose 2 stone 9 pounds". I'm thrilled with being able to say that. It seems so acheivable now!! Elsie, how are you getting on? How's the hair loss? I won't be up for a fill in July. I probably need one technically but I don't know as I have no appetite. Plus I am pretty much flat broke now between rent, creche and loan repayments for the band, I am screwed for money and will be on a shoestring budget. I won't be able to afford fills without a few months saving beforehand. Hopefully I don't need many more! Hope everyone else is doing well too.