Luscious

Thank you so much, this is very helpful. Danna, I was banded by same Surgeon as you - he does good work !!! I am mindful to slow down even though I don't seem to be having difficulty swallowing at all. I am on full fluids, and finding the first week quite easy - I have had a few moments of dreaming of a BBQ chicken leg :-) I am so craving fish and chicken. For anyone reading - the Cambell's Sensations Sweet Potato, Honey and Red Lentil soup, diluted 50% with Chicken Stock, is really delicious and satisfying.

Hi there, sorry you are feeling depressed. It might sound harsh but you need to focus on yourself. You are embarking on a great personal journey - no time to be worrying about a guy who clearly doesn't deserve to be with you - nobody should have to settle !! I wouldn't be with anyone who didn't want me, no matter what. If you go to this URL you can enter postcode to find Optifast stockists near you. Everyone's taste is different but I found the chicken Soup sickening *blah*. I tried some 2 days post op, and the thought of the smell still makes me queezy. I like the chocolate shakes best. https://www.optifast.com.au/template/where_to_buy.jsp?visitedWhere=_2 Take it easy - remember focus on #1 (you). Luscious.

Hi folks, i was banded on 7 April - all went very well, and I feel like I'm recovering as expected. My incisions have internal dissolving stiches, with demabond holding the skin together on surface. Four of the incisions are healing very well (including the largest port incision). However, one of the smaller ones is leaking clear Fluid, and has raised into a small bump. Perhaps I damaged it a little. I wonder if the bump means I will end up with raised scar tissue? Anyone else have a raised bump on their incision, and did it go away with time? Its not the end of the world - I'm just curious and a little concerned if I need to go back to Doc, or just give it another week to heal. I also noticed a new small weeping wound (like a burst blister) - this is not one of the incisions - looks like the skin was scraped post surgery (I didn't notice it until today). Am I being overly obsessive? I'm so bruised. Thanks Luscious

Ok, I see.... sorry for asking. I'll make appointment with Doc for Monday.

In order to gain 2 pounds of body fat you need to consume just over 7000 calories in excess of what you burn. The weight gain is likely due to glycogen stores rebuilding (what your liver stores for fuel - this can weigh up to 6 pounds) as well as the weight of the food in your body. Unless you are consuming excess calories you are not buring, I don't think you should be concerned or obsess.

Hi Cazz, Glad you are home and on the road to recovery. Shame about the throat infection and having to stay 2 nights in hospital - but at the end of the day its better to stay in hospital and be looked after. It really does get easier every day. You are just 2 days behind me - I just got back from a walk to the shops, where I bought some nice Velish curried pumpkin Soup - I'll thin it out a bit with stock. I sat and had a decaf coffee. I had no appetite either until last night - now the stock is just not satisfying enough. Hang in there !!!

I asked the nurse looking after me in the hospital post op - she said it was fine, however it felt comfortable.

Hi there, I was banded Monday also. Everything you describe applies exactly to me also - so I guess we are normal :-) I have some very serious bruising down the left side - but the incisions and areas around the right side are almost invisible already.

I had my house so organised and clean, that I have had no guilt at all to lay around doing NOTHING for several days. I have been grateful I bought some V8 vegetable juice - heated up in the microwave with some pepper - the broth is starting to make me feel a little sick. Some unsweetened cocoa with warm milk of a night before bed has been very soothing. Oh, and lovely boyfriend calling in to see me every night, doing any chores, but going home to his own house so I can get rid of the gas without holding back :-)

I don't understand why you are afraid to call Dr? Surely after going though the surgery going in for a follow up for band adjustment is the easy bit? Isn't that a normal part of the process until the adjustment is the right size for you to maintain weight loss?

I had chicken Soup Optifast for "dinner" tonight.... BLAH!!! I could only manage a few sips - the smell alone was making me nauseous. I don't mind the chocolate Optifast shake, so long as the Water mix is ice cold, and extra diluted. Has anyone tried the coffee flavouried optifast? I bought some Jalna drinking yoghurt - that was very good.

Hi Batkitty, sorry I missed your post (I was in being banded.. yay!!). I felt like it wouldn't come soon enough. I was banded at Royal North Shore Private - they were awesome, I was very well cared for. The wind and bloating is indeed very uncomfortable. I can't manage to burp at all - so it seems to be making its way out the opposite end :-) Hopefully it will pass soon.

Hi Joanne, I was banded yesterday. I understand the nerves - I think that is very normal. Stay positive and know this is ultimately a great long term health choice. I stayed very positive in the days leading up to my surgery, and just "knew" it would go well - it did, and will for you also.

Hi Cazz. Good luck. I got banded yesterday, and I feel like it all went very well - I'm home already and managing to get my liquids down very easily. I'm starting at 136kgs - have been going up and down from 125kgs to 135 kgs for many, many years. I've a lovely man in my life who loves me no matter what - no kids (I think I missed the maternal gene) Hope this helps you with the baby making :-)

I told my boyfriend, mother, brother and trusted gay friends - no way I would tell the women I work with, or even female friends just yet.

Hi, I'm being banded next week - I'll make sure I have some peppermint tea and degas in stock :-) Just a suggestion - but what about drinking the Meal Replacement shakes during the liquid phase? If you are feeling hungry, the Protein in them will probably help.

Best wishes Mojo... I'm scheduled for 7 April, so we are not far apart. I'm like you - I can't wait.

Hi ladies, i'm in Sydeny, and being banded in one month. I'm rearing to go. I've had all my pre-op appointments, etc with my clinic, surgeon, dietician, etc - and nobody has mentioned a pre-op diet to me? Perhaps this is not required for everyone? I should probably ring the surgeon's office and double check.

Why not invest in something like a beautiful Pashmina. You can wear this no matter what size you are. Wear it over a not too expensive plain black singlet type top. If you buy some black elastic waisted pants, you can tighen the elastic when you drop another size, so they might be a good basic for a couple of months.

I'm kinda confused by a lot of stuff I'm reading on the forum, forgive my question here.... I agree that this recipe sounds delicious. However, isn't this full of saturated fat which is kinda unhealthy, and when you think about it, what caused us to gain weight to start - cheese and sour cream is very calorie dense. I haven't had the banding yet, but I have visited dietician to get an idea of post banding recipes. I'm not sure this would be on the recommended list. My question really is how hard is it for people to change their diet to healthy and nutritious meals - does the banding help a healthy lifestyle, or does it just mean smaller portions of the previous unhealthy meals. Thanks (I'm getting confused if this is a good move).

I think its important not to obsess. The weight will come off - throw away the scales (or at least hide them). I only understand metrics.. but here is the deal with fluids .... FACT ... 1 litre of Water weighs 1 kgs. To translate to measurements understood in america.. 4 cups of water = 2.2 lbs. Other fluids may weigh more than water. 3600 calories needs to be used to lose 1 pound. A lot of initial weight loss is glycogen stores leaving your liver - if you don't have a large store, you won't have that inital weight loss.

I have done all the preliminary appointments - GP, seminar at the clinic, 1:1 appointment with their consulting sister, dietician, and finally I have my 1:1 appointment with surgeon in a few days. I will be banded as soon as the surgeon can book me in (probably March). I wish it could be now, but there is a waiting list. Cheers Luscious

There seems to be a lot of variation on what people are allowed and when during the first few weeks. I'm getting my band in 4 weeks time. Today I had first appointment with dietician. I was told Clear liquids for Day 1 and Day 2. From Day 3-14 any liquid that will pass through a straw is ok. From nutritional perspective she has recommended the following Day 3-14: Milk/protein drink (such as Optifast) - 1/2 cup 4 times per day fruit juice -1/2 cup 2 times per day Soup (watered to drinking straw consistency) - 1/2 cup 2 times per day 2 litres Water or weak herbal tea - sip during the day. Am I going to be able to cope with 1/2 cup of liquid every 90 minutes, as well as the water?

I lost 30 kgs over 1 year on Atkins many years ago. Of course, I put it all back on (and then some) when I started eating normal food again :-( I just couldn't sustain that low carb lifestyle long term (a year was pretty good going I think). I also was moderator on a low carb forum for 6 months. I have no problem with the idea of Atkins - I just found it didn't work long term for me. I also believe that there is no real magic to low carb and weight loss, except that you don't feel hungry, and therefore you eat less. Its taken me 46 years to come to terms with the reality that the only way to lose weight is to take in less calories than you burn..... 3600 calories = 1 pound for someone with average metabolism. I do regret though that I lost about 30% of my hair during that year - and it was fine to begin with. It never grew back. I also found that I had developed some minor kidney problems - whether that was related to high protein or not, nobody has ever been able to confirm or deny. Has anybody else had the problem of hair loss, and did you hair grow back?

Hi folks, I'm writing from Australia. I found your forum just a few days ago, and have been reading through the threads. Its good to find an online resource. I am scheduled for my lap band in about 5 weeks time. I have met with the dietician to go through the post op way of eating, and the view was to get a good balance of food groups for heathy long term nutrition, both in the pureed and solid food stages. I wanted to ask why there was so much focus on here for Low Carb Dieting? I even saw a thread of people wanting to do Atkins diet. I must admit I was a little disappointed - I spent a lot of time on low carb diet forums during my "Atkins" phase (yes, I've tried all the diets in the past). I suppose for me, having the banding means giving up all the fad diets, and just eating good healthy food in small portions - a way to keep me honest with that. I can see from the forum that food still seems to be a very large focus for some. Is low carb a recommended way to eat - or just the personal choice of some? Thanks, Luscious By the way - low carbing for 12 months caused my hair to fall out - so I'm not really keen to go there again !!