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Just remember Laura, it's not a quick fix, it will take years perhaps, a bit at a time, I think we wish for too much, too soon! You have done so fantastic so far! Well I have returned to work after my maternity leave, it was nicer to be in a smaller uniform, but I don't think I am dropping on the scales and would like to get down to a good weight to maintain, guess i will go for a fill soon, Do any of you follow that guide of protein, veggies, carbs? I think that is it? I try and get some good protein in first. Haven't been exercising much but more to do with bubs and getting back to shiftwork, would like to get out there again...........

AAAJJJ, exciting to hear your updates, it just seems like yesterday you were heading for surgery.....it will take a while to get settled at a good level. Sbear, I was borderline overweight for the operation and was rejected by insurance so I had to self pay.......was happy to do it, I wish it got funded more though. I will write more everyone in a weeks time, I have just gone back to work after my maternity leave so busy this week but will have heaps more time next week........happy, healthy eating everyone!

The facebook page wouldn't have lapband in the title believe me, It would be a weightloss page or something completely unrelated.....if the group is private your friends can see it anyway......believe me, I wouldn't be risking facebook if people could see I had had a band put in LOL, I thought more along the lines of annonomity between ourselves, as in you might not want to put a face to the name........ Wow, sad about the baby, she must have had an extreme diet or something for that to come about do you think. Especially when starving countries carry ok.......I let my band out straight away but they told me I didn't need to, you really don't need that many extra calories, about 2oo a day I hear but of course I stuffed my face lol, paying for it now. Will write more soon.....off to see my sister, she is in town from Atlanta and leaving tonite........then finally I may get on top of my chores......have a great day everyone

Hehehe, we will have to convert you to facebook.....

is anyone interested in the facebook page or should I just leave it? I understand that some of you may want anonymity and wouldn't want you to feel pressured Great news about op AAAJJJ, it is the start of a great adventure for you Laura good luck with the fill.......

Would you guys be interested in transferring to a facebook page? I have such limited time to use the internet and facebook is easier for a lot of things, I would make it a neutral name so noone knows what it is and a private group, just a thought as I would drop in more often then......x hope you all good

Good Luck AAAJJJ, it is the start of the rest of your life regarding weight loss, will be thinking of you, report back to us as soon as you can so we know you good, and any questions answer away! Laura how you going with that latest fill , I assume you having another one when you get back??? Are you excited about all that is happening? I joined Jetts gym, they seem pretty good, and it's 24 hours, but I walk a lot with the pram too...my weight loss is going pretty slow to say I am not eating that much........weigh in in next couple of days........

Wow that sure is a great big weight loss for the first week AAAJJJ, when is your op again? Laura was that your first time something got stuck? Is sux bigtime aye! When I had my band first done 6 years ago I found out the hard way things I could and couldn't eat, I had some awful situations out in public.......Even now I occasionally get them, like I tried a banana choc chip muffin early in the day and it was not going to stay down, the pain of it ouch!!!! Chicken is one of the main things I struggle with, it is just too fleshy for my band, most meat I struggle with........Gordana, do you have someone who can send you a 'care package' with jelly etc.......? One funny thing about having a bubs is him eating a lot of mushy food, I sometimes share as it goes down better then and I can be slack about veggies!

Oh good, I thought you were beating yourself up more........not worried about 'the great cheezel breakout' as it is unusual for that to happen.......

I'm just a little curious as to why you are only kinda happy, you have lost a heap in a small amount of time, were you expecting more? What you have done is amazing and would you have achieved that if you didn't have the band. Remember to celebrate all you have lost, it's really important. Cut out carbs if you want but just be real careful, the slower you lose it the slower it will go back on........I think it is a great loss. Must admit I just ate some cheezels which is really unlike me, I did go to gym this morning so a bit annoyed at myself......oh well, always tomorrow! x

Yeah it does take time aye, even for this turn around I am losing slowly, the scales barely budged at first and I lost faith a couple of times, but knew I was down about my weight and by eating again that wouldn't achieve anything either........ but now 6 kg down it is very very exciting 'cos I could never in my 'previous life' really lose any kilos at all, I am so excited to be nearly back at pre preganancy weight, that would not have been possible without this tool, I wouldn't have had the staying power........

Its ok, it's early days for you, I wouldn't stress too much, you may take a little while to find your 'sweet spot'....took me ages, if at all.....I would go very tight, and lose weight but then admit to myself finally that I wasn't eating well and needed to loosen to get some fruit and veg in me......it certainly won't happen overnight and it is only a tool remember.........but thinking of you.......let us know how you go after your second fill tomorrow.....xx

I have also decided to only weigh myself when my boy turns another month old, so on the 14th of each month I am going to go into Dr Fris office for a weigh in, otherwise I will obsess.

HI guys and welcome to the newbies.......my band is going pretty ok at the moment, I am not really hungry much and have managed to lose around 6 kgs in two months, am pretty excited about that as now I am further along in my journey, weight doens't always fall off as easily as it did straight after the op. I could probably go tighter and lose quicker but I like where I'm at, and I can eat little amounts when out..........been doing some exercise everyday and hit the gym again, it is making me feel so good...... How are you going Laura? Oh and met one of the lovely ladies on here Aldesa, we are quite similar in our stories so it was great to bounce ideas off her and share problems we encounter. Many of my friends don't know about my procedure and I hide it a lot, so it was nice to be able to open up. Our little boys got to meet too which was really great!!!

Bugger, hope you get it fixed, I sent you a pm...not sure if you can retrieve it!

Hi everyone, sorry I had started a post last week but never got to finish it and now it's gone. We are good, I have lost 4kg in 6 weeks thru' eating better and this fill and going to the gym and just getting off my butt in general. So excited. My fill doesn't seem as good as it was 2 weeks ago so may go and get it edged up just ever so slightly! Wow, laura amazing you can eat that at the moment, a fill should sort it out though.....and it sounds like you have done so well already, I know I have already said it but I say it again, this really is the best time to be getting it off......it becomes harder later. You must be enjoying a break from uni right now? My little boy has been keeping me busy.....all his activities dont' run in the holidays and I have been enjoying just cruising at home a little bit.

Sorry haven't written in last few days, its so hard with a baby sometimes, he is a grizzle bum at moment and it is quite full on. I just got back from walking in the wonderful sunshine and did some arm weights at the gym, the scale said I may have lost some weight but think I will pop up to Wairau rd and go on their scales to see, I would be stoked if I had as I have been disillusioned last couple of weeks. I don't eat much in the day but as my band loosens I go a little crazy...well not soooo crazy but not enough to lose weight! That's why I reckon the best time to really get it off once and for all is straight after the op! I accidentally found a new recipe for myself, I had made some tomato and lentil soup and it was thick so I poured some on top of brown rice like dhal, it is so yummy and very healthy, going to have some later today.....Laura great on your results, wish I had got those kind of marks when I was at uni lol....do you like soups too? It is getting that time of year for soup time....I love making soups......going to get a pumpkin later today.....my little boy has soft mushies at moment, so laugh at some of the combinations, thinking I could make these for me too......

I LIKE your nutritionist already haha.....ok so this thread needs to be renamed the Shore Bandsters....... I find I can't eat much on planes now, only soup or shakes, I used to make up a whole flask of really healthy soup to take but since the liquid restrictions on planes started I can't. I just find it hard when day to day I don't know what the band will do....I am so grateful to have a husband who understands and is supportive, I was very single when I started out on this journey and thought I would never find that in a person. You are right re the band only being a tool, that is what I am trying to tell myself and get my head around now! I guess I saw myself lose so much weight when it was tight and I was first banded, it was so easy then, but now I know I can't live like that ( for me anyway).........wine sometimes relaxes me for eating when out too, hate to say that, I can get real uptight when I know I am going out for dinner......... Understand re travelling for fills etc, so blessed to live on the shore so close to them if I need them. Well sitting here trying to eat sushi, talking me about an hour to get thru' 5 pieces but nice to be able to do it in my own company......

We East Coast Bays and Laura is Beachhaven I think

What suburb are you Aldesa?

HI guys, sorry I have been AWOL last few days.....been so busy with baby, he has been thru' a grouchy stage and it is hard work.......... I haven't noticed much change in my metabolism, maybe the first year, but now as I am trying again things don't seem to be happening much. I have the usual 'morning tightness' (do you guys get this) but as the day goes by the band loosens a bit and by dinner when I can get food down I get so hungry...this is the hardest time for me, have good days too when the band works ok and then other days can't get anything down, very unpredictable. I loosened it 2 years ago when I met my husband as it was very antisocial and he didn't know about it at first, it hindered me going on dates with him, meeting his family and I was a bit disillusioned by the whole thing, I wanted to be able to eat plain chicken and salads, fruits etc, but when I loosen the band to this level I eat everything else. I can verify indeed the band tightens in a pressurised cabin as I work for an airline and this caused a few problems too......sometimes couldn't eat for a whole 12 hour flight and would take hours to settle once on ground again. I am also probably slightly older than you both, I turned 40 3 weeks after my baby boy was born, his name is Max and he is so adorable (hehehe biased much?).........I will try and load a photo for you soon. I don't feel 40 though and get told I don't, hope people haven't been lying to me hahaha......... I have been doing my exercise this week, could do a little better with food but am so much better than I have been the last few weeks, my latest fill may have settled quite a bit so might give Heather a call in next week or so...I really like Heather too but find it a bit distracting that she is so skinny and looks like she has probably never had a weight issue in her life, I hope one day they have someone working there who has been thru' the process themselves....... Ok must dash to bed as want to read and I don't get time to myself these days.........take care

HI guys, I hope you don't mind me joining in the conversation!! Kids are great, but gosh they are full on. It isn't that hard but just have no spare time, I love to read but barely read one page at night before I nod off! He is sleeping thru' the night at the moment so that helps a lot. Maybe I wasn't proactive enough with the clinic, I thought I was, but who knows. I guess I just meant that I thought they would check on us more, I admit Dr Fris has been fantastic when I suddenly couldn't even keep my saliva down one night, and met me immediately at the clinic, it is handy isn't it Laura being so close. Must go for a weigh in this week. I started the gym today, get quite bored easily. Not sure if you are driving yet Laura, maybe we could meet for a coffee before your appointment, or next weeks some time, I am on maternity leave for a couple more months.....Paleokris, I just find the leaves hard to get down sometimes and finding some nice soft protein. OOooh I just discovered up at the Albany mall at the chinese stall they do chilli tofu it is so nice and soft and I have been able to eat it with my hubby (he has the sweet and sour pork) and no PB'ing!!! The Netherlands must be so nice, I have only been there once and got on a bicycle.....hehe. Will you ever come back to NZ?

Oooh good luck for Thursday....what time is your appointment. I think now is the best time for losing all that weight, 'cos you just honestly don't feel like eating much. I guess a lot of my battle is that I just damn well like food so much. Hated not being able to eat summer fruit etc, you can get a bit sick of the same diet over and over for years and I am so sick of eating cold meals lol! I struggle with pasta and meats of most kinds, mince is kind to me, my fave meal is refried beans with some cheese, avo and sour cream. You shouldn't take too long to heal, though I found my c-section more comfy than the banding, but that could have been the drugs, did you have it at the northern hospital, they were very good there. It would be nice if there were some support groups here in NZ, I joined one but it wasn't people my own age. I was also single and didn't want people to know I had the band ( I am still a bit like that today) but finally met my husband who supports me in whatever I choose.

HI guys, wow you two have resurrected the thread lol. How funny that you may have met already......I am a bandster too here in NZ but from April 2005, I used to hang on this site heaps but there were never many kiwis around, it is a great site though. I am a little different from you guys at the moment. I lost around 30 kgs over the first year, felt and looked great, I was never that big to start with and borderline for the op. I have struggled with the weight since and now currently weigh more than I did to start with. I loosened my band two and a half years ago when I met my husband and of course went straight back to eating everything, I was in heaven. I had a baby 6 months ago and have just recently had the band refilled and going to give it another go, I figure I paid enough for it so........ The problems I have had though is I can never find my sweet spot, I was continuously PB'ing and eating out became a social nightmare for me, I dreaded being out anywhere in case I needed the loo quick, had too many bad incidents, salad and dry meats became a nightmare. When I let my band out I decided I would just eat chicken, fish and salad/veggies, but of course you don't cos you see all this other stuff you want and can suddenly eat. So I am currently back to eating mushies and eating so slow, but still a bit of PB'ing again..... My mental hold on food is very strong and I am an emotional eater which has caused other problems when my band was tight and I couldn't have that fix. I am glad to see there is a section now for people like me as noone liked to talk about the so-called problems that can arise, especially in the long term. I do find the band extrememly restricting in life but I am here to give it another go. I have not found Dr Fris office the best, I felt quite abandoned after the op and feel they should be checking on their patients more regularly, this site has helped me with most of my problems and answers more than the clinic. Thank you for letting me share my little story there.........I think I have to remember this isn't the answer, but more importantly a 'tool'.........

HI Laura, sent you a PM last night, not sure if you can see it, cheers