lellow

I've been told I'll have to be completely unfilled one week prior to my LBL, mainly because if I get nauseous from the anaesthetics, my PS doesn't want there to be any obstruction to my being about to throw up. He said I could get re-filled a week after surgery, so I've booked myself to be unfilled 8 days prior to surgery, and then to be refilled 7 days after surgery, but my bariatric surgeon says he'll only put back 80% of what I currently have now, with me having to get that last 20% back with monthly fill appts. Meaning it will take me months to get back to my current restriction. Not happy about that at all, tbh, but I'll do as my PS says.

Start 158.4lbs Goal 150lbs Now 156.4lbs To go: 6.4lbs. Since my goal is to lose that by the 1st of April and not easter, and it's only 4 weeks away, I'm not completely sure I'll make goal for this challenge.

slimmy, I'm seeing Dr Bruce Allbrook, you can get his contact details simply by googling him. Good luck with it, matey!

My understanding of this, Jack, is that when you consume far fewer calories than you would normally burn at your Basal Metabolic Rate, that your body conserves energy by reducing your metabolic rate in an effort to survive starvation. It is why yo-yo dieting can reduce your metabolic rate and work against you in the long run. As for ketoacidosis, I've personally don't believe I've never experienced it, having not been on a liquid diet for more than 2 days, but I understand it can be a byproduct of starvation when prolonged over 3 or more days. So perhaps in that strict term 'starvation' isn't the right word, but it's my layman's way to explaining it. But I have no doubts that eating 600 calories or less a day (as you do when on a liquid diet) can cause your body to burn not only fat but muscle in an effort to provide energy for your body. I also believe that bulding muscle can increase your metabolism, and therefore increase your metabolic rate. So after a spell of eating 600 calories per day, increasing your muscle mass and getting enough sleep (all other fatcors being stuff you can't change, such as how many children you've birthed, and how old you are) can be a way to kick start your weight loss.

For the weight loss to stop at around 4 weeks is actually so common that if you have a look at some threads, you'll see a LOT of people complain about the same thing. It's because when you were only liquids only, your body went into starvation mode, started burning muscle as well as fat, and your metabolism slowed. Now you're eating better (and hopefully exercising) not only is your body building muscle again (which weighs more than fat), but you're also combatting a slow metabolism, which wants to hang on to every single kj. Eat well (try to get around 1200 calories a day to stop your body from going into starvation mode) and exercise to kick start that metabolism again. Your weight loss will crank up again. As for the biggest loser, this guy lost 20lbs one week, 30lbs the second week and the third week he lost 15lbs. He must have been eating a LOT of crap before going in to lose that much (65lbs) in 3 weeks!!

Thanks for the great advice, kareyquilts, I'll definitely be packing my ipod and a few books, and I have asked my DH to bring in my laptop if I ask for it. I'll also have a look around for that toilet riser, it sounds like I'll need it, and hey, I'm prepared to try anything that may make life more comfortable!

In Australia - where the lapband surgery has been perfromed for the last 15 years - they recently undertook a study that compared lapbanded diabetic patients with diabetics who control their diabetes with diet and exercise. They found that in 75% of the cases where the diabetic was lapbanded, they went into remission. I looked into the lapband because I have a very strong familial history of diabetes and heart disease. My mother and 6 of her siblings are diabetic. My younger brother is diabetic and my younger sister had GD and is now at a high risk of diabetes. The study was what spurred me on to having the lapband surgery done. A friend of mine, having followed my journey, got lapbanded 3 months after me and has PCOS and diabetes (she was on met). In less than a month, her blood suger levels were normal. In 3 months, she was pregnant after having her first 28 day cycle in over 2 years the month before. I'm not saying that GB wouldn't help, I'm saying I don't think the nurse is completely correct in saying that lapbanding won't help with diabetes, and would not 'cure' it. Of course there are no gaurantees it would cure it, but then again there are no gaurantees with GB either, and it's a MUCH bigger surgery. Google 'lapband' and 'diabetes' I'm sure you'll be able to find some info on the studies around the place.

A guy on the Biggest Loser here in Australia dropped almost 30lbs in one week! I can't imagine all of it would be fat, surely?

Tina, You, me and OH Juli are all having body lifts at around the same time. I'm actually first cab off the rank with surgery on the 2nd of April, so I'm right there with you on the butterflies in the tummy! I'm not having a BA though. Despite the crap skin on my stomache and hips, my girls have come through my weight loss relatively okay. I've gone from a DD cup to a D and they're pretty good still for having breastfed 4 kids! How are you going for preparations? When is your bloodwork? Have you been measured up for your compression garment yet?

Hi AussieTrace, just wanted to pop in to say that I too was very nervous, and had a lot of the same concerns as you, when I was about to be banded in August last year. In fact I too couldn't imagine losing the excess weight, esp since I hadn't been that thin in over 20 years. But to my surprise, with regular exercise and the lapband, I did in fact lose the weight, and now, almost 7 months out, I'm 1kg away from my Dr's goal (and about 6 kgs away from my own personal goal). So yes, it can definitely work, if you're prepared to exercise and follow the band rules. Good luck, I'm sure you'll be very happy with the results!

Morning all! Not a bad week, considering I'm not working as hard as I used to. Last week: 71.8kgs This week: 71.1kgs Loss: 0.7kgs. I'm hoping I get to my Dr's goal of 70kgs sometime in the next two weeks. After that, I'll be trying not to get under 68kgs before my body lift in April.

I am definitely an at-home cycler! And I went out and bought an extra wide seat for my exercise bike before I'd get on it! Even now, I wouldn't use anything but the most comfy seat. I mean, why suffer if you don't have to?

I have definitely had the 'you're obsessed' conversation with my husband as well. I honestly didn't expect seeing how he used to be an ex-personal trainer and used to hit the gym religiously 4 times a week. But I guess he saw it as taking time away from him and the family, which tbh, was bollocks. And as far as being obsessed? I don't think I'm obsessed as much as I'm aware of my goals and have psyched myself to exercise regularly now for the rest of my life. That mentality took a LOT of work on my part, and it's what keeps me going. So when he brought it up, I explained that the lapband wasn't just about losing weight, it was about getting healthy and staying healthy, and exercise was a part of that. And just like going to work or showering or breathing, it's something I just have to do from now on. And because it was hard for me to motivate myself to change my life in this way, what I didn't need was for him to undermine the new habits I was developing. And you know what? Over time he's adapted. And I think he's also come to accept it. In fact last week when I dropped one night of cycling (was the TOM and was feeling 'off') he kept asking me why I wasn't exercising! It is hard to get your partner to understand this new commitment to a new life, but it can be done. Their support is important, and sometimes you need to teach them HOW to support you.

In contrast to Jachut, I kinda figured I'd always need surgery. I carried all my weight around my stomache (check out my pics in the link in my sig, and you'll see) and I've had 4 big babies, and each time my stomache would get more stretch-marked and would never bounce back. When I had my last baby, I was huge, and YET I still had an overhang of skin under my big pregnant belly. I knew then that if I ever lost weight, the skin would still be an issue. In fact most bariatric patients are expected to lose, get to goal and then maintain before getting PS just to see if their skin will 'bounce back'. But my PS took one look at my skin and said that it would never bounce back (well, d'er!). It's covered in stretch marks, and looks like an empty balloon. And just to answer your question, I'm almost 39, but Jachut was about my age when she lost all her weight and she hasn't had the kind of skin issues I have. The funny thing is, I look great in clothes! But naked, I look like I have a 'skirt' of skin all around my hips, over my pubis and now it's developing in my back as well. I just look like my skin is several sizes too big for me.

Thanks for dropping in Kareyquilts! I've been lurking in your PS thread and appreciate your wisdom on the subject! I too am glad I'm staying in hospital for a while. I don't think it's a bad thing, even though I'm not fond of hospitals in general. It would be nice to have someone cook for me, and help me with my wounds and dressings, and provide pain meds when I need it! I have to ask though - what's a toilet riser?

I posted something almost identical to this when I was just about to be banded (and Jachut was the one was posted back immediately too and showed me that I can make excuses, or I can find a way, so I found a way!) My day: I wake up at 6am, make breakfast and lunches, get ready for work, wake up my almost 3yo, feed him and get him ready for day care, drive 45 mins to work, drop my son off at day, work from 7.30am to 5pm, get home at 6.00pm, cook, feed everyone, clean up, shower my son, then spend 1/2 and hour or so spending time with my family before putting my son to bed at 8.30pm. And then at 8.30pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays, I hope onto my spin bike for 40 minutes and ride until I'm pouring with sweat. After that, I shower and go spend time with my husband. On Sunday mornings at 7.00am, I walk for an hour with a friend. On Sunday nights, I cycle again for 40 mins. My family has plenty of time with me. And while I cycle, my hubby showers so it's not like he's missing out on that much time with me. And as for finding the energy - I so did not have the energy to get on the bike 3 times a week to start with. But like anything, you initially have to push yourself, and as you get fitter, you will have more energy and more strength to do it. And pretty soon, you not only want to do it, you feel like crud when you don't do it! ETA: I forgot to add (and was reminded by Jachut's post) that I also get in a lot of 'incidental' exercise besides my 'structured' exercise regime. I carry my 15kg son on my back in a sling everywhere I go now, and can walk for hours with him on my back. I also walk to the shops 15 mins away at lunch everyday. Things like that add up too.

D'oh!! Sorry about that, Pearson, I read your last post and for some reason the name Becky stuck with me! The only excuse I can offer is that I'm at work and trying to type stealthily!

megsy, a body lift is also called a belt lipectomy - it's when they excise a 'belt' of skin right round your lower body so you end up with a scar that goes right the way round. They then pull the skin down and suture it all up, so that all the 'slack' of excess skin from your stomache, back and hips end up getting tightened. In my case, I'm also having a upside down conical vertical incision (from pubic area to belly button) to remove excess skin from my upper tummy area, and my belly button will be repositioned. I will be having some body contouring and the fascia underneath my upper tummy will be 'knitted' together, to get that 'flat stomache' look. My PS will also do some lipo on my mons area to ensure that everything's 'flat' all the way down. All in all, after Medicare rebates and health insurance rebates, and inclusive of my PS's fee, anaethetists fees, autology and hospital fees, it will cost me around $16 000. I will be in hospital 4-7 days, and will be expected to recover at home for at least 4 weeks before returning to a desk job. If I were doing something more active, like working as nurse, I would be expected to take at least 6 weeks off for recovery.

Becky, everyone different but in general, the first 3 days after surgery are the worst (most painful), but it's definitely manageable pain - in fact the 'trapped gas' pain is worse than any incision pain - and then you start feeling better pretty quickly after that. I managed to go for a walk 3 days after surgery, and was back at work and feeling 95% better in two weeks. In fact I reckon I could have come back to work in 1 week when I was feeling 80% better. The port site hurt for about 4-6 weeks, but not badly, and certainly not badly enough to restrict your activities. And I started cycling 2 weeks after surgery.

I also didn't vote btw because it didn't have the option of cycling! Cycling is a great non-weight bearing exercise.

Lol Juli, after joining the board I can calculate in my head how many lbs is a kg and vice versa! I was a little taken aback that my bariartric Dr set a goal weight for me that he'd prefer for me to not get under. But what happens after my PS and I'm refilled will be up to me. Basically what I'm hoping for is to get back to this level of restriction, to continue my exercise regime once I'm able to after PS and let my body decide what my weight should be. Eventually it will peter off on its own, I figure. But between now and my PS, I want to keep my lapband Dr sweet and stay on or around 70kgs, at least until after I get filled to my sweet spot again. :thumbup: But like you, you can see my ribs now when I'm standing upright, and my collarbones stick out (haven't seen them in years!). But the bottom half of my body is all saggy skin, so who know what I'll look like once that's all gone.

I guess I'm a success story now. Was 98kgs (BMI of 37+) when I decided to have the surgery, was 95kgs (BMI 35) on the day of surgery 1 month later, and in just over 6 months out from surgery, I've a BMI of 27 and am almost at goal. Like Jachut I've found a new lease on life. I am fit and strong and am actually enjoying shopping for clothes now. Who would have thought it of me 6 months ago? Lol!

Juli, my PS wants me to be completely unfilled a week before surgery - just in case I get nauseous from the anaethetics, he doesn't want anything obstructing me being able to throw up (yuck). But one week after my surgery, my bariatric surgeon will refill me to approx 80% of what I have now, with monthly fill visits thereafter for a few months to ensure I don't gain. Actually it's one of the reasons I don't want to get too much under goal by the date of my PS. My bariatric surgeon wants me to stop losing at 70kgs and has indicated that if I get too much below that, he won't refill me to the kind of restriction I have now, so that I can stop losing and start maintaining. But I LIKE this restriction! So I'm trying to get to, and stay around, 70kgs right up to my PS surgery date.

Cathy good luck for your surgery! You should start your own thread so we can keep track of your progress! Juli, I don't have my bloodwork done until the 11th March. Then I have two autologous appts (where I donate my own blood in case I need a transfusion during surgery) in the two weeks following, and then it's surgery day! I'm going down to my PS next week to pay too, so it's all getting to the pointy end now. How are your preparations going? My best friend reckons we're going to have to go shopping for wedge pillows, some nanna nighties and packets of disposable underwear in the week before my surgery! As for weight, I'm still losing, but slower now I'm almost at goal. I hope to be just under goal by surgery though.