lellow

My surgical tape started peeling off about 5 days after surgery but I still have bits of it stuck around the incisions. I reckon in another week, all the remnants will be gone. The incisions started intching like crazy at about 1 and a 1/2 weeks after surgery, but it only lasted about 5 days and now doesn't itch anymore. And yeah laughing hurt in the first week, but now it's no problems! Sometimes carrying my 2yo still makes my main (port) incision feel like it's under pressure, though.

Nikki, I haven't lost ANY weight at all since I weighed myself on Friday. This is despite eating well and exercising, so I too am hanging out for my first fill on the 5th. If you're not gaining, you're going great. It does sound like par for the course from around your 3rd week on, though.

my port site is the largest incision of the lot. About 6cm big? I can feel the hardness of the port about an inch below it.

Oh yeah I was tender for about two weeks. Even now, when I can't feel my port site or any of the incisions, sometimes I bend at the waist and get a pinch. Take it easier and don't rush it. As long as your port site doesn't get MORE painful (which may signal an infection), it'll get slightly better with each passing day.

You know what's funny? I checked my excel spreadsheet and I'd actually lost 0.8kgs (2lbs) this week, not .6kgs like I thought! Lol! Fee, cutie might be right, I've moved to solid food now and am eating until I'm FULL, and I've started losing again. I think on mushies, I may have been getting too little calories.

Oh wow looks like those of us who were banded around the 1st are slowing down a little, but that's okay! We have many fills to get through before finding the 'sweet spot' and it looks like after losing quite a lot of weight fast in those first few weeks, that our bodies are acclimatising in this third week onwards. I started on solids today too and had a tiny piece of grilled fish and three scallops for lunch - YUMMO! AND it filled me right up so I didn't even have dinner! WTG Ro and liquidbluegal on great weight loss! You two are blazing through it!

It does help, thank you! That does make sense to me. I actually do eat until I'm full atm, but low cal stuff, so maybe my body is not getting enough calories. <shrug> I was talking to my BF about it today when we went for an hour's walk, and she said you're changing your lifestyle, remember? So don't eat well and exercise to lose weight, but eat well and exercise to get healthy. And that too made me realise that it's not all about the scales. I feel better now. And a 1/2 kilo loss is still a loss, and should be celebrated, I think!

I'm two weeks out from surgery, and from the pre-op diet to the end of my first week after surgery, I lost 9 kgs (about 19lbs). This week, I moved to mushies, and the weight loss has slowed down considerably. I am using Fitday, so I know that I am only having about 1000 calories a day (sometimes less) because it's all I can manage to eat and I am exercising - either walking or cycling - everyday. By my calculations, I am definitely burning more calories than I am eating. So how come I have only lost about .5 of a kilo this week (about a lb)? My scales seems to be all over the place, sometimes putting on weight and sometimes losing. It feels like I'm plateau-ing despite the fact that I'm eating well and exercising. I know a loss is still a loss but I am feeling disheartened when I know that I'm really working with the band. I weigh myself at the same time everyday (mornings, without clothes and after going to the loo), and in the last week, it's gone up and down and up each time. What's even more disheartening is that I'm still on leave from work, and have the time to exercise. Once I'm back at work, at a desk job, exercising will be restricted to lunch breaks only, and I'm worried I'll actually start gaining. I just don't understand why, if my caloric intake is less than my output, it's so hard to shift the weight? Last year when I was eating well and exercising like this, I actually consistently lost a kilo a week.

I have to admit never quite managing to stomache low-joule jelly, even when I was so hungry I was ready to gnaw my arm off. Instead Cauliflower became my friend. Ro, your starting BMI and mine were almost the same. My Dr wanted me to quit the diet when I lost 3kgs, but I insisted on staying on it. Your Dr is really strict! Glad to hear you're going okay though.

I had optifast for two meals a day and a regular meal once a day. I started with a relatively low BMI though, which is why my surgeon wasn't as strict. Most of his patients, he puts on a full Optifast diet, which is 3 meals replaced by Optifast, with the equivelant of 1 cup of cooked non-starchy veggies allowed as well.

WTG Claudine! I go back to work on Monday and haven't tried my work pants on yet, but am looking forward to it! Lol! No belt loops for me either, so it will be interesting. I wore my work skirt to work just before my op (when I'd lost about 4kgs) and as I walked it was twisting round without me being aware. It wasn't until I was just about to stand up to do a presentation that I realised my back seam and split was in the front! LOL! It'll be interesting now I've lost double that amount of weight.

Roxy, I'm almost 2 weeks out from surgery and except for not being able to eat as much as before, wouldn't even know I've had surgery. I have no more pain at all. In fact yesterday I went for a 45 minute bike ride - something I didn't think I would be able to do so soon after surgery. I do think this is in part a testiment to Dr Watson's skill. I am very happy to have gone to him. :whatchutalkingabout

Yep, after my last loss of .8 of a kg (2lbs) two days ago, I haven't lost any more weight. In fact I seem to be going up and down a lb or two here and there. I suspect my weight loss is now levelling off until my next fill. I told DH that I probably shouldn't have made mousakka yesterday - all that aubergine and mince and bechemal sauce and cheese - but that's okay I'm back on the wagon today and hopefully even if I don't lose much more, I will not gain either. Friday weighs ins are probably going to be uneventful for me until my first fill!

I putting it out there as a suggestion: I know I am going to be one of those who get on the scales everyday. But I'm thinking it's probably going to be a more realistic weigh in for all of us to check our weight on Friday morning, unclothed (and after a pee! Lol!) so we can keept track of each others' weight loss and keep each other motivated. I know that some will lose faster, and some slower, but the number one rule is: A LOSS IS A LOSS, not matter how small! And hopefully through this, we can help each other with the head hunger. What do you all think? We can start this Friday for anyone who is on a pre-op diet, is post-op or anyone who just has started eating healthier leading up to their op. What do you say? Shall we have a regular Friday morning weigh in of the August All-stars??

To keep myself motivated, I've set myself mini goals: when I get to 85kgs (187lbs), I will enrol in salsa classes and buy myself a new outfit when I get to 75kgs (165lbs), I will buy myself a new ipod, a Nike+ system and 2 new outfits when I get to 65kgs (143lbs), I'll start organising my tummy tuck! to get to these goals, I will: Exercise (and work up a sweat) at least 30 mins 4 times a week. Eat well and make low fat, low carb, low cal healthy choices, even if I'm not feeling much restriction, even if I'm hungry. Love myself and always remember what I'm doing this for. I'm putting it out here in black and white so I remember to stay true to myself. C'mon everyone! What are you mini goals? How are you going to reward yourself for a job well done??

okay I'm 9 days post op and this morning woke up and felt like a million bucks! I can't feel my port except at certain angles, my incisions don't hurt, my gas is all gone.` BUT I realise I can eat more today. I had a 1/2 cup of oatmeal this morning. Then 1 and 1/2 eggs scrambled for lunch. Then a tub of low fat yoghurt. Then a leftover fish and potato cake for tea. And I'm pretty sure I'll manage to have dinner okay too. :thumbup: I know my Dr said this would happen. He said the band is empty and until my first fill, as I heal my appetite would slowly come back to almost pre-band levels. But I'm so sad that my hunger is returning. I was doing so well, losing quite steadily, and I think that it's all going to level out long before my first fill on the 5th of Sept. I think it's going to be a struggle to keep all the weight that I lost off before my first fill. Now that's my goal, though ideally I'd like to lose a bit more between now and then. I will still eat well and exercise, and hope that I manage to lose more over the next 3 weeks. Will be hanging out for the 5th of Sept now. :thumbup:

I checked the HBF website and from what I have read (and I could be wrong) they only cover very limited amounts towards cosmetic surgery, even if you have a Medicare number. If you don't have a Medicare number, you won't get any benefits, even the limited benefits they offer.

Good luck for today TessJ! Bindi, I had a last supper too. You'll be fine. Good luck for the 19th!

I'm actually finding mushies easier than liquid because as you eat, it makes you feel full for ages, and you don't have head hunger when you're full. But the weight loss isn't as fast as when I was on liquids, but that's okay too. If I'm still losing 1.5 kgs (about 3.5lbs) a week on mushies, that's faster than I've ever lost on any diet in my life, so can't complain about that. Even when I'm on full solids, my Dr reckons after my first fill, I should still drop about 1kg (2kgs) a week, thereabouts. If that's true, it means I'll be at goal by Christmas! So must keep my eye on the prize, and keep working the band. It's sad though knowing I won't lose weight as fast as on that first week on liquids. But we can't live on liquids forever, right? So I'm kinda looking forward to the challenge of getting back to eating normal foods, but still losing weight, IYKWIM. Thanks you everyone for always being so supportive to me, and to each other!

Ro in the mornings I actually used to have the choccie Optiyuck hot. My colleague at work couldn't believe I was drinking the stuff, but for some reason it kept me full for longer when it was hot....

Okay changed some of my goals around: when I am 85kgs, I'm buying an new ipod and a new outfit (I'm only 4 kgs away from this goal, and have my eye on a 80gb ipod already) when I'm 75kgs, I'm going on holiday with my family when I'm 65kgs, I'll get that tummy tuck!!

It's funny my Dr wanted me to go onto mushies as soon as I started feeling hungry (about a week after surgery) because he said it would keep me full for longer. And it's true too. So I do empathise with you all who are on liquids still, not chewing anything would be hard to do. Big hugs to you all. Well I couldn't resist finding out if in fact the extra food was making me gain weight. So I weighed myself today, and I'm down another .8 of a kilo (about 2 pounds) in 3 days. So yes, I'm still definitely losing! I also put on a t-shirt that I stopped wearing long ago because it was so tight it was almost pornographic. Today it was loose! Very very very happy lady, I am, and definitely feeling more positive about eating well, exercising and working with my band!

Okay just starting a new thread: Weight loss this week: 3.2 kgs (7lbs) Exercise this week: 2 X 4 km (2 mile) walk I moved to mushies yesterday and from yesterday to today I've not lost anything. I suspect my body was so starved it's grabbing on to every calorie it can! Lol! That's okay, I've made a resolution anyway. No more scale-stalking during the week. From now on, I weigh in only on Fridays with all you lovely people. Alright all, let's check in!

You're so right Ro. I am not going back to giving in to the head hunger after all these weeks of keeping that dragon at bay. But one another note, I had a huge fight with DH this evening, and went off to have my dinner petulantly on my own. Was eating and stewing about the arguement, and the next thing I knew I felt overfull. I only had about 3/4 of a cup, so I think I may be stressing about it all for nothing. I'm still eating well, too, so it's my mind playing with me that just because I'm not on Clear liquids, I'm going to gain weight. It's just not true. I'm still burning more calories than I'm eating. Your day one hell I SOOOOO get. OMG that first day of the pre-op diet nearly killed me, and I only replaced 2 meals. I can't imagine how anyone copes on 3 meals of Optiyuck only. But you've made it through day one (almost). Two more days of this, and you'll turn a corner and it'll start getting easier. Holding your hand and supporting you all the way, matey!

wow, I'm so glad you got a great nurse who 'got' wha you needed. I too didn't realise anyone filled anything into the band at the time you get surgery. My Dr made clear I had no fill whatsoever, and wouldn't until at least 4 weeks out from surgery. Hope you're on the mend now!