Fleur

Journal is a great way to keep track of your journey with Lapband. Click on LBT Journals at the top of this page. You can make your entries private or for general viewing. I am keeping a journal for myself so I can look back in the weeks and months to come and see how far I've come. I'ts also a great motivator. I've just had an email from the host server and they now have the journals up and running. Happy Journaling Fleur

I have just emailed the support team at 'Successful Hosting'about this problem. See if that make a difference - or not!!

Hi ya, Wecome Heth and good luck with your opp. I will try the Diet topping - thanks for the tip. Jenny - I don't think I could do just Opti either. I have done it in the past and lasted about 7 days. I had a bit of a 'pity party' for myself last week and revisited all my old favourites - Nachos, Steak, chips you name it - I eat it. So you started at 116 - what are you now? F

Hi Jenny & Fee, Who was the evil genius that invented optifast? It's not too bad though, my dietician lets me have salads or vegies with lunch and dinner and I really like the chocolate mousse loaded up with heaps of raspberries. Any other Optifast survival tips would be greatly appreciated.

Hi Jenny, I'm new. I'm to be banded next week and I live in Brisbane. Where are you? Regards, Fleur

Glad it's not just me. I've been trying to make a journal entry for 3 days now.

Good Luck Carla, Mine in next Thursday 30th. Let me know how you go. Regards, Fleur

I'm paying $6,500 AUD with Dr Blair Bowden. I know I could get it cheaper but I dont think that you should shop around for this type of thing. Find a Doctor you trust with a good reputation and pay his/her fee with confidence.

My mother told me that Elvis died becuase he had too many lollies. That really slowed me up for a couple of years.

This is a great question and one I will give a lot of thought to as I prepare to be banded next week but right now I'd have to say: A. Wear a strapless evening gown. B. Go bungy jumping (you know they write your weight on your arm) C. Do it with the light on. D. Go to my school reunion E. Through out ALL my Nancy Ganz stuff F. Wear a skirt on a hot day and not chaffe G. Be greatful - really greatful for Lapband

Hi Sammee, I'm interested to know who you were banded by. That seems like a great price for a TT. Regards, Fleur

Well, I'm off and running. Today is the first day of Optifast in preparation for banding on the 30th. I had Vanilla with Raspberries for breakfast and coffee - no milk - yuck!! For lunch I had a salad and plain Vanilla Opti but I added a little vanilla extract - yum. Also had Diet coke and blueberries. Tonight I think I'll have pumpkin soup and Opti chocolate mousse with raspberries. I weighed myself this morning - wait for it - 107kg. Enough said. I'll do my measurments tonight and post them tomorrow.

Well, I'm off and running. Today is the first day of Optifast in preparation for banding on the 30th. I had Vanilla with Raspberries for breakfast and coffee - no milk - yuck!! For lunch I had a salad and plain Vanilla Opti but I added a little vanilla extract - yum. Also had Diet coke and blueberries. Tonight I think I'll have pumpkin soup and Opti chocolate mousse with raspberries. I weighed myself this morning - wait for it - 107kg. Enough said. I'll do my measurments tonight and post them tomorrow.

I saw my Dietician today - Trudy Wiliams. I have been seeing Trudy for a couple of years now and she is very familiar with my struggle. She is very possitive and supportive about LB and has every confidence that I will do well. She ran through the pre op. diet, the post op diet and the puree diet. I just want to get started now because I have everything ready to go. I think the 2 weeks pre op diet is going to be the hardest so I just want to get that over and done with. I've been having a few of my old favourite meals the last few days - saying good by to them for good I suppose. Today I had Narchos. I feel so full but I dont feel bad. It wasn't that great. Tomorrow morning I weigh myself and take measurments. These will be my starting figures.

I saw my Dietician today - Trudy Wiliams. I have been seeing Trudy for a couple of years now and she is very familiar with my struggle. She is very possitive and supportive about LB and has every confidence that I will do well. She ran through the pre op. diet, the post op diet and the puree diet. I just want to get started now because I have everything ready to go. I think the 2 weeks pre op diet is going to be the hardest so I just want to get that over and done with. I've been having a few of my old favourite meals the last few days - saying good by to them for good I suppose. Today I had Narchos. I feel so full but I dont feel bad. It wasn't that great. Tomorrow morning I weigh myself and take measurments. These will be my starting figures.

One day a few weeks ago I went to the Beautytheripist for a session of laser hair removal. I had to take off most of my clothes and hop up on the therapy bed. Holy Bloddy Hell - the bed was in front of a mirror. I felt sick watching myself climb up onto that bed on my underwear. That was the lightbulb moment that told me that despite my best efforts over the past 20 years I had failed to be a healthy weight and I needed help. I remembered my Gyno suggesting labband after my second child and at the time I was offended but I should thank him now becasue it planted a seed.

Hi Sammee, I'm at Forest Lake and I'm being banded on the 30th March with Blair Bowden. Congratulations on your huge success with the band. Seeing your story on this site a couple of weeks ago was what convinced me to go ahead with it. It all seams a lot realer when there is someone in my town who has made it. Regards, Fleur

Dont be affraid to seek treatment for depression. I did two years ago and it was the second best thing I have ever done (the first being my decission to get a lap band). What you are going through is very common and very treatable. Ask your doctor.

I met my Doctor today - Dr Blair Bowden. Nice guy. Pretty calm and knowlegable. Says he's been mentored by George Fielding. Dr Bowden said if I do nothing else but get the band - not even excercise - statistically I will be 85kg in two years. Today I would be thrilled to be 85 kg but I know I really want to be 75. This is the weight I was at school when I thought I was a hippo. Welln actually, some of the boys told be I was a hippo. Even dad made the odd comment about my weight. God strike me down if I ever say anything to Millie about her weight - never ever!!! Andrew came with me to the appointment. God I love him.. He doesnt say much but he is so supportive. I just dont tell him enough about what I'm feeling. I also went to see Beres my GP. She happily gave me the referral and said this surgery woud be appropriate for me and said Dr Bowden had a good reputation. I'm pleased to have her blessing. I told Dr Bowden about my fear of failure since that had always been the outsome in my endevours to lose weight. He said that of all the people with a weight problem only 5%, that's 5% actully lose weight and keep it off long term - 5+ years. The huge majority fail and that is why LB is so successful. There was a study done in Switzerland. They took 200 people put 100 of them on a regular diet exercise programme and gave them, doctor, psycologists, trainers and nutrisionists and 5 years later only 5% had kept the weight off. The other 100 people had lab band and 5 years later 80% had lost and kept off their weight. I only have 2 days before optifast starts so I need to gear up for that. Made a pact with my walking buddy Andrea to make Monday morning our weigh in then tell each other on our walk. Used my new Polar Heart Monitor watch today. Sure did keep me going when I slackened off.

I met my Doctor today - Dr Blair Bowden. Nice guy. Pretty calm and knowlegable. Says he's been mentored by George Fielding. Dr Bowden said if I do nothing else but get the band - not even excercise - statistically I will be 85kg in two years. Today I would be thrilled to be 85 kg but I know I really want to be 75. This is the weight I was at school when I thought I was a hippo. Welln actually, some of the boys told be I was a hippo. Even dad made the odd comment about my weight. God strike me down if I ever say anything to Millie about her weight - never ever!!! Andrew came with me to the appointment. God I love him.. He doesnt say much but he is so supportive. I just dont tell him enough about what I'm feeling. I also went to see Beres my GP. She happily gave me the referral and said this surgery woud be appropriate for me and said Dr Bowden had a good reputation. I'm pleased to have her blessing. I told Dr Bowden about my fear of failure since that had always been the outsome in my endevours to lose weight. He said that of all the people with a weight problem only 5%, that's 5% actully lose weight and keep it off long term - 5+ years. The huge majority fail and that is why LB is so successful. There was a study done in Switzerland. They took 200 people put 100 of them on a regular diet exercise programme and gave them, doctor, psycologists, trainers and nutrisionists and 5 years later only 5% had kept the weight off. The other 100 people had lab band and 5 years later 80% had lost and kept off their weight. I only have 2 days before optifast starts so I need to gear up for that. Made a pact with my walking buddy Andrea to make Monday morning our weigh in then tell each other on our walk. Used my new Polar Heart Monitor watch today. Sure did keep me going when I slackened off.

I'm obsessed with finding out all I can before my LB day on the 30th March. I have no doubt that I am doing the right thing but what if I let myself down. I'ts hard to be confident when all else has failed in the past. If this doesnt work - then what. I consider myself of above average intelligence and faily capable but when it comes to weight loss all I've ever known is failure or limited success followed by failure. Funny, but the things that make me doubt myself are the ones that make this an appropriate option for me. I guess I'll feel better when I know what I'm dealing with, until then I'll keep on Truckin. I meet Dr Bowden tomorrow and Beres (GP) for a referral and hopefully some encouragement. I've been eating heaps - like I'm trying to get it all in before it starts. God knows what I'll weigh when I start on Optifast on Thursday. Fleur

I'm obsessed with finding out all I can before my LB day on the 30th March. I have no doubt that I am doing the right thing but what if I let myself down. I'ts hard to be confident when all else has failed in the past. If this doesnt work - then what. I consider myself of above average intelligence and faily capable but when it comes to weight loss all I've ever known is failure or limited success followed by failure. Funny, but the things that make me doubt myself are the ones that make this an appropriate option for me. I guess I'll feel better when I know what I'm dealing with, until then I'll keep on Truckin. I meet Dr Bowden tomorrow and Beres (GP) for a referral and hopefully some encouragement. I've been eating heaps - like I'm trying to get it all in before it starts. God knows what I'll weigh when I start on Optifast on Thursday. Fleur

Hi all, I had my first doctors appointment for Lap Banding last week and on the weekend I found this site. Your stories, successes and support of each other made me cry tears of joy and relief. I am now more certain than ever that banding is for me and I have booked in for the 30th March with Dr Blair Bowden in Brisbane, Australia. I would love to hear from other girls here in Brisbane. I'm nervous and excited at the thought of this being my best ever opportunity to live without being overweight. I look forward to taking this journey with you all. Fleur

Hunny, RUN - don't walk - RUN to your nearest book shop and buy "He's Just Not That into You". I wish i had read it when I was 15. Would have saved me a lot of trouble and more than a few kilo's of emotional eating too.