mumof2

I had my band done in Brisbane. Do you have private health insurance or are you paying for it yourself. I know once you make the decision you just want it done straight away but if you took out health cover you could get it done after serving out a year waiting period (and you would still be saving thousands despite paying a year worth of payments). Best of luck with it, despite having PCOS there is no reason why you shouldn't be very successful with the band.

Hi, I have PCOS and 2 children. Both were conceived after losing weight on shake diets, which i just couldn't maintain. My first was after almost 2 years of trying, the second was after 2 months of weight loss and on the first attempt. Both were complicated pregnancies. I had my band done at the end of August last year and was 108.3 kilos, I am now 85 kilos (but to be 100% honest with you, I would weigh alot less if I had put in a bit of effort, I have struggled with my will power alot). I did start getting monthly periods for a while after the band went in, then a few months back they dissappeared again and all of a sudden last month they came back. So I am still getting some symptoms of the PCOS but I have another 15 kilos of weight loss to go. I really believe with even a small weight loss it will make a huge difference in being able to conceive. Both of mine were conceived after around 10 kilos weigh loss (unfortunitely it was my normal patter of yoyo dieting but it did the job). Good luck, i really hope it all works out and dont forget, as soon as you find out your pregnant go and see your Dr as you will need to get the fill removed from the bad.

In a few weeks time I am flying from Australia to Ireland. It'll be about 30ish hours in total including a couple of hours stop over in Singapore and London. What has your experience been with flying? Where you able to eat as usual? Is there anything I should be aware of or watch out for?

I was banded in August and on Monday at my 4th fill I finally got restriction. It feels great. I can eat very small amounts of food. I don't seem to feel 'full' like i did preband, but its more a feeling of just not being able to eat any more and then realising I am not hungry anymore. I can eat Breakfast, probably have my biggest appitide at lunch time where I can eat a whole toasted sandwish plus a quarter. The problem is dinner time in the evening. I just seem to not be able to keep anything down at dinner time. I have been eating fish and I always have to go into the toilet and bring it back up again. I dont want to lose any fill cause I can eat breakie and lunch. Does this sound really wierd? or is this something alot fo people find? I suppose I could try a bowel of breakfast Cereal like rice krispies/rice bubbles.

I was banded at the end of August and haven't been very successful so far. I have no restriction and I'm finding it hard to stay focused. As I can eat everything right now I thought if I give myself strict guidelines it will be easier for when I do have restriction. SO, what can I eat for breakie? What is a normal everyday breakie for someone with restriction? What about lunch and dinner also?

I had my third fill on Monday, I have 7.5mls in a 10ml band. I am not quite sure if I have restriction or not. I definitely feel a difference, before I could eat 2 sandwiches and lots of juice and still snack about an hour later, now I feel I have had enough after one wrap and I feel quite satisfied. I don't feel full but I feel like I have had enough to eat. I definitely feel satisfied for longer, no snacking after half an hour or an hour, but I do feel a bit hungry around 2 or so hours after eating. This is amazing for me, I am eating less and battling my bad habits (snacking cause i have a craving some chocolate or biscuits). I am just not sure if I have full restriction, i know I definitely have some restriction cause of this great change in the last few days. I wonder if I should have a little more fill in a few weeks time. What is everyone elses experience of restriction? Is this what it feels like so its just a matter of me getting used to eating like this and finding the will power to not eat till the next meal? Or is it something else?

Thanks for the words of wisdom. I think this journey is as much about mentally getting over eating like a big person as it is recoginising when you have had enough. I'm an emotional eater, eat when I'm happy, eat when i'm sad, excited, up , down, whatever. Even with the band I am sure I can still eat during these times so thats something to work on.

I've had my band for 3 months now and I have only lost 27.5 lbs. I have only lost 2 lbs in the last two months. All that loss is from my first post op month. I know it is my own fault cause i am the one eating the food but I am finding it very hard to keep my will power going, that is why I am in this situation to begin with hahaha. I have had two fills but NO restriction. I have 6.5mls in a 10 ml band. The only difference since my last fill is that i have trouble digesting some foods and have had a few sliming incidents where i didn't chew enough. But no restriction. I can eat and eat and not get full so I just stop myself when i feel I have had enough. I am getting a fill on Wednesday, I really dont want to go back to the Dr again with no weight loss, he must think I am such a waste of his time as I am not losing anything. I am not giving up though. I need this, I need to lose this weight for me and my children. I am just looking for some encouragement or words fo wisdom, tips or hints to get me back on the right path.

Brad, that was really really helpful. I definitely dont have restriction. I think after my last fill i had a little restriction as that first week I had some sliming after eating a sandwich and also after eating some chicken, but for the last 3 weeks that has gone and I can eat those things without problems. I recon i must be close to restriction. I was due to see my Dr on Wednesday but unfortunitely my baby is sick so I had to cancel, seeing him next week instead. That really was a very helpful post, thanks.

I hope I'm not too late, this is just what I need to get me motivated as I have hardly lost anything in the last two months. Current 212lbs 1st jan Goal 200lbs

Thanks, that was really helpful. I am having an emotional day with my weight today hahaha. so I guess I must not have restriction yet, maybe a little as I have had a couple of sliming incidents (I was so hungry I forgot to chew chew chew), maybe after my fill tomorrow, I must be so close to it now, I have 6.5mls in 10ml band. fingers crossed tomorrow is the day and I am going to wake up to a new attitude to my weight loss and a new determination and really go for it.

hpegg, I am so confused. i didn't know that the fact I have trouble digesting bread ment I had restriction. I thought restriction ment I would feel full after eating a smaller amount of food. I understand the band is a tool, but I can't figure out what kind of tool it is if the only difference between now and when I didn't have a band is that I have to chew bread until its mega small. I am still hungrey all the time, I am still hungry for food after eating a small amount, I still get hungry an hour after eating. So am does this mean I have restriction? So if I have restriction then I am really disappointed. I thought the band would help me feel full. I am due for a fill tomorrow, I will discuss it with the Dr but if this is it, I think I will just have to join weight watchers. I am so mega dissappointed that this is restriction. I dont feel any different than before the band :-(

Sorry I dont have any advise. I have 5mls in a 10ml band and have NO restriction. I have been feeling pain as food goes down when I dont chew enough and can feel it all the way until it passes the band, so I would think it's casue you are eating too fast. You have to take a mouth full and chew chew chew chew until its nearly mush or puree in your mouth (thats what I think anyway). Like I said, I have no restrictionand could eat a house so I could be totally wrong. good luck

I am totally losing hope. I have had the band now for 5 or 6 weeks. I had absolutely no restriction from the band alone, which I know most people dont, and could eat anything. I even put on 3 lbs when I moved onto solids. I saw the Dr 2 days ago and he put 5mls in (the band is 10 mls). I was so excited, I thought here I go... Well nothing has happened. I dont feel any restriction, I am still hungry after eating what I think is a normal band amount. Everything goes down easily, I dont feel any different than normal. I am feeling so upset. I was really hoping that I would be getting some assistance from the band but I feel like I dont even have a band and I am losing my willpower. The Dr had said it might take a bit of fine tuning and I will go in every 4 weeks for another fill, but that means I have another 4 weeks to go with pure will power before I see him. I am scared now that I will put back on the few pounds I have lost casue I just dont know when to stop. If I eat the small amount the dietician said I should then I am so hungry by the evening I am pigging out eating everything I can. this is like torture. In my head I am so prepared for changing my life and losing weight but my will power is almost giving up. Has anyone else had this? i thought 5mls in a 10ml band was alot and I should feel something. I don't know what I am asking for, I am just feeling like I had the band and I am getting nothing from it. Does this change or are there people who never get restriction?

Thanks for the replies, its good to know I'm not the only one feeling like this

Yes, I have. I did great my first liquid week, the second liquid week I made my own Soups and they were really thick, maybe a bit more mushie than liquid. I am now on mushies and have to admit I have had some pita bread and houmus also I made home made burgers with lean mince and had a small one myself. Thing is, I am absolutely STARVING. I have absolutely no restriction what so ever and am still so hungry after my little half cup of food. I was even begining to wonder if there was a band there at all, but I know its there cause I have had terrible heartburn since the surgery. I AM STARVING :-(

I have a baby who weighs 10kilos (22lbs). I lifted him the day after my surgery. I had no choice, my husband was rubbish and bubs was crying and only I could passify him so I lifted him out of the pram and walked around with him patting him to calm him down. Then day 2 after surgery hubby went back to work and I was looking after bubs and my toddler on my own, so I lifted him changed him, put him in and out of his cot, lifted him on and off the floor etc. Sometimes you have no choice as a mum you just have responsibilities. Your lucky though if you can afford to employ someone to look after your children for you, then take the break. If like me, you can't afford to employ someone to look after them for you then lift responsibily, bend your knees insted of bending over etc. Sorry, i know I dont follow what all of you have said but I was in that situation, I had no one to help me, no spare cash to employ babysitters, child carers etc and children must be cared for. Sometimes there is no choice.

I really wanted to ask about the salad. I see a few people saying they eat chicken or tuna salad on the mushie phase, how is that mushie? Do you puree down the lettuce and tomatoes and onions???? Sounds kindof yuckie. I was just wondering

Hi, I was banded on Aug 26th. I am on the mushie phase at the moment. Its so hard making sandwiches for everyone and eating a tiny amount of slush myself, or making a big gorgeous dinner and everyone tucking in and sitting there myself with the baby food hahaha. Oh its hard but I'm doing ok. I have been a bit disheartened as my weight has stayed exactly the same for the last 3 days so I have decided to not weight myself every day anymore. So I will weigh every Tuesday and record that weight. I can't wait to get a few fills and actually not be hungry anymore. I guess there are a few of you at the same stage as me, looking forward to reading all about your weight losses

I have been to the dietician and read over the info she gave me but all it says is pureed stuff, getting lumpier over the two weeks and gives examples of chicken and veg with gravey. So if I cook a pasta meal for my family can I have some of that pureed down, what about something with rice, can I have that pureed down? Are there foods I should not puree? I only thought of these questions now and she never said there was stuff you can't puree but then all she said was puree chicken and veg as an example.

Hey dont worry about it, the liquid phase is a killer and it looks like you were on it for 3 weeks. I only had 2 weeks of it and I have to admit I stuck my finger in the peanut butter a few times just to get a taste of something other than, optifast and soup. Its very hard to follow a diet that is so restrictive when you are hungry. I know for me I have no restriction in my band what-so-ever so eating a 1/2 cup is a killer when I really want to eat a plate.

Why do you guys need to be on these injections? I hope I'm not being too rude, but is it to do with the weight, like if your over a certain weight you have a much higher risk of DVT so therefor you have to have the shots? I just can't think why. I was 222lbs on the day of surgery. I had the injection the day I was in hospital but that was it, no more.

I was just about to post the exact same thing Vicki J just said. I think the Dr just wants to see you make a commitment to following the diet rules, cause it will make it easier for you when you do have restriction. I have nothing in my band at the moment, I have just finished my two weeks of fluids and am now on mushies, but I have absolutely no restriction. Its so hard cooking lovely big meals for my family and sitting down to 1/2 cup of baby mush, but its gotta be worth it in the end. I think you'll lose that 20lbs pretty fast once you stick to the plan. Its weight you have just put on so it should come of pretty quickly and then go and get that fill.

If you go out to a restaurant what would you usually order since you got your band? How about in the cinema, can you eat popcorn? Does it get stuck? What do you drink if your out? I know we can't drink alcohol or fizzy drinks so what option does that leave us?

WOH I like the sound of that lean cuisine one. I had two weeks of a shake for breakfast, a shake for lunch and a shake for dinner. Thats it, 3 shakes a day and nothing else. Then once you have your band your on fluids only, so I haven't eaten anything solid for 4 weeks now. I cannot wait till tuesday when I can start eating mushie food. Seriously though, time goes fast and you'll be eating again in no time.