A1ikou

From what I can see, things get a little easier every day. It used to take me 10mins to walk around the square outside my house, now it takes 6mins and my back doesnt ache so much. I've had to increase my walking circle. I could only do 3mins (shame:cry ) on my stationary bike five weeks ago. Now at 3mins I'm singing my head off and on my way to 10 mins. OK, compared to some of you guys this is nothing but I am doing it...it is a little easier and it makes me feel good each time something improves. That's not to say everything is a doddle...oh no...now I have discovered I can eat toast it's very hard not to! I love my bread. I have figured 2x a week until restriction says otherwise I can have a cheese slice (low fat) and a ham slice on a piece of toast and really enjoy it. If I start denying myself foods now I'll fail. I would much rather do my best to stick to rules and let myself have what I want. This way I don't feel like the band is punishing me in some way and we can remain buddies :confused: I am eating so much less than I used to...a tin of tuna today with onion and dill and little mayo took 20mins...LOL before my band 20 seconds more like!!! I enjoy the tastes now because I'm taking time to recognise them. I used to think about food all the time and yet ate so fast I never tasted anything. Chewing and slowing down the eating process makes things better and I was happily satisified after my tuna which i doubt I ever would have been before. Long may it continue :girl_hug: :clap2: :clap2: (Don't you just love these icons...) If you see me in the chat room, please come in and say "HI"

I don't know if anyone has done a thread like this before, but I was wondering if anyone else gave their band a name? Mine is called 'Elpeatha', which is the Greek name for hope. I'm hoping very much she and I will make this relationship work to my advantage!

4lbs is 4lbs gonefor good. We all have to start somewhere. I'm so sorry you dont feel well just before surgery but it will be OK and a week from now you'll be feeling sooooooo much better in many respects...:gluck: for Wednesday!

Hi everyone, I am 5 weeks post op today and down 34lbs (15kg). I started at 375lbs and was my heaviest ever. I dont have a final goal right now, just working to get rid of that pesky 3.. at the beginning! I'm doing OK with the eating 'thing' and am on 1st fill but still dont feel any restriction, but getting my protein in is a problem. We have some ready made shakes here in Greece but they are yukky to me! I'm eating ground meat and fish and a little eggs and cheese but dont know if it's enough. My exercise has been walking - I was sooooooo unfit :phanvan I am building it up slowly and have gone from 10mins to 12...my back aches very much after this..but...I am walking quicker and covering a bigger distance in the same time, so this is good. All I want is with me trying, the weight to keep going down a little at time...

Oh I'm so envious...would love to be there and meet you guys but can't afford this year. Maybe next? Who fancies a trip to Europe...maybe I should organise a bash here in Athens? Hope you all have a wonderful party and I'll be thinking of you.

Thanks for the input! I love the way the origins of these names are found.

The band is no picnic eh? I am struggling too with no real restriction but we have to keep going and keep trying and it'll all work out...we hope .You are thinking about everything and that's a great first step. Put your plan in action and see if it helps, if not find another idea. Dont beat yourself up for what's done, just keep looking forward to what can be.

Hi, I am with you on the timing thing. I have become such a clock watcher! If I sit down to eat and there isnt a clock with a minute hand I panic . You should try clock watching...I count a minute between bites and 35/45 if I'm starving LOL. If you have a clock there it's like it wont allow you to eat. It's working for me, but it aint easy :biggrin:)))))))))))))

The service last night was lovely as usual. Finally I stayed with my mother-in-law inside but we sat on her third floor balcony and watched the whole thing. Having the square outside is something I love. Athens is so built up, so my own bit of greenery is wonderful. The fountain was working too which was nice. It's like having a garden that I don't have to tend (who can ask for more). I have boxes of flowers on my balcony and they all make me smile :confused: The food after the service is a soup and ham, eggs and cheese with zoureki (kind of a sweet tasting bread...yummy). The eggs have all being painted red and we bash them with each other to see who has the conquering egg...fun:scared: I won!!!!!! I managed to eat an egg and a slice of cheese and a tiny bit of zoureki just for the taste. I love eggs and will be a little sad if restriction means at some point I cant get them down. Still, I figure I've coped with the loss of bread (Booooooooohooooooooohoooooooo) as you see and I'll deal with eggs and anything else come to that, when the time comes! Today the traditional food is lamb and potatoes. We ground a little piece of lamb and with some gravy I ate it fine. Not my favourite food though. What I didn't like was watching all the others tucking in and eating without thinking. When I am alone it doesnt bother me one bit but I think I am generally going to hate eating in company- moreso if my fav. foods are around! I ate and enjoyed my little 9g chocs and feel I had my taste of Easter and that's enough for now. I will try and avoid chocolate for a while and then I can feel justified if I give myself another little treat in the future.:clap2: I went for a walk with DH yesterday and increased my circle that I walk. it's still not far by many peoples standards but it's a step up for me and I am walking a little quicker too so I am proud of this achievement:clap2: My mum is coming for a three week visit Thursday and she likes walking so Im hoping she'll inspire me and motivate me to continue...I know she will!!!!!!!!:phanvan That's the news, I'll be back when there's more.

The service last night was lovely as usual. Finally I stayed with my mother-in-law inside but we sat on her third floor balcony and watched the whole thing. Having the square outside is something I love. Athens is so built up, so my own bit of greenery is wonderful. The fountain was working too which was nice. It's like having a garden that I don't have to tend (who can ask for more). I have boxes of flowers on my balcony and they all make me smile :confused: The food after the service is a soup and ham, eggs and cheese with zoureki (kind of a sweet tasting bread...yummy). The eggs have all being painted red and we bash them with each other to see who has the conquering egg...fun:scared: I won!!!!!! I managed to eat an egg and a slice of cheese and a tiny bit of zoureki just for the taste. I love eggs and will be a little sad if restriction means at some point I cant get them down. Still, I figure I've coped with the loss of bread (Booooooooohooooooooohoooooooo) as you see and I'll deal with eggs and anything else come to that, when the time comes! Today the traditional food is lamb and potatoes. We ground a little piece of lamb and with some gravy I ate it fine. Not my favourite food though. What I didn't like was watching all the others tucking in and eating without thinking. When I am alone it doesnt bother me one bit but I think I am generally going to hate eating in company- moreso if my fav. foods are around! I ate and enjoyed my little 9g chocs and feel I had my taste of Easter and that's enough for now. I will try and avoid chocolate for a while and then I can feel justified if I give myself another little treat in the future.:clap2: I went for a walk with DH yesterday and increased my circle that I walk. it's still not far by many peoples standards but it's a step up for me and I am walking a little quicker too so I am proud of this achievement:clap2: My mum is coming for a three week visit Thursday and she likes walking so Im hoping she'll inspire me and motivate me to continue...I know she will!!!!!!!!:phanvan That's the news, I'll be back when there's more.

It's Easter Saturday here and I have succumbed...a bit! I ate two chocs but they were little individual squares so not tragic. I have two more for tomorrow and refused to be ashamed about them...I decided that when I want to give myself little treats I will thoroughly enjoy them and then not fall off abnd wagon completelyfrom feelings of guilt. I was worried the doctor had damaged my port site by the way he went about trying to find out how it had moved but am more relaxed today. the slight pulling snesation I had whenever I stood up the last couple of days has eased off enormously and so hopefully I was just a bit bruised. DH calls me delicatalison because I have always had very sensitive skin:) I had soups for a couple of days after 1st fill but was hungry today and so had a scrambled egg and later some pureed peas and a slice of ham. Everything seems to be going down just fine and haven't felt any real restriction but am still not worried 'cos am eating fine. I got weighed today and have lost another kilo so that's Ok too:clap2: We are going out just before midnight to the square outside our home for the anastasi...A holy flame is taken all around Greece and spread from one candle to another to announce the ressurection. We take our candles and the priest at midnight passes the flame around. Then we come home and make the mark of a cross on the house door. It's a Greek service I really like. Only thing to spoil it this year might be the rain. Never mind eh!?!?!?

O fcourse you are enough..we all are! I met my Dh online ...he's Greek and I'm English. I weighed aroun 350lbs at the time and he didn't care a jot. He loved my smile and my eyes and asked me to marry him the day we met. I know how lucky I am but I also know this...I'm worth every pound of the love he gives me and if he didn't love me it would be his loss. You are worth loving and if the first guys you meet aren't the ones to show you that then hold out for the one who can. Don't 'make' yourself beleive you are beautiful, just know it and you'll find the love who deserves you.

It's Easter Saturday here and I have succumbed...a bit! I ate two chocs but they were little individual squares so not tragic. I have two more for tomorrow and refused to be ashamed about them...I decided that when I want to give myself little treats I will thoroughly enjoy them and then not fall off abnd wagon completelyfrom feelings of guilt. I was worried the doctor had damaged my port site by the way he went about trying to find out how it had moved but am more relaxed today. the slight pulling snesation I had whenever I stood up the last couple of days has eased off enormously and so hopefully I was just a bit bruised. DH calls me delicatalison because I have always had very sensitive skin:) I had soups for a couple of days after 1st fill but was hungry today and so had a scrambled egg and later some pureed peas and a slice of ham. Everything seems to be going down just fine and haven't felt any real restriction but am still not worried 'cos am eating fine. I got weighed today and have lost another kilo so that's Ok too:clap2: We are going out just before midnight to the square outside our home for the anastasi...A holy flame is taken all around Greece and spread from one candle to another to announce the ressurection. We take our candles and the priest at midnight passes the flame around. Then we come home and make the mark of a cross on the house door. It's a Greek service I really like. Only thing to spoil it this year might be the rain. Never mind eh!?!?!?

OK, Kat I sent you my details...hope my being in Greece and not American makes no difference?!?!?!? Maybe someone would like a Greek gift?

I had surgery five weeks ago. I had one extra incision for the gallbladder (tiny) and a hole for the drainage bag. Rest were same as band. They didn't do surgery until mid afternoon so I stayed one night and came home the next day. Trapped air on my chest was the worst part of whole thing. Apart from that I just felt uncomfortable for a week but would have done anyway, had I only done one surgery.

Bread...sandwiches of all kinds or bread with Greek salad or toasted ham and cheese...I have been very good though. I'm five weeks post op and didn't even try bread until last week. I toasted a couple of slices and put in cheese and ham. Could eat some but now have had first fill and am back to being wary if not scared!

Two hours of Alison for just two calories! Erm...not quite sure what I make of that one :Banane56:

I had my gallbladder out at the same time. It needed doing (28 stones giving me some grief!). To e honest the discomfort from the gallbladder side was what annoyed me more than the band. I had to have a drainage bag (they said for 3 days but ended up being a week) and this was annoying too. Nothing was majorly painful and I took pain meds only one day. After the drainage bag was removed it was plain sailing. If your gallbladder needs to be removed having two things done at the same time just seems logical to me. Why go through a second surgery when there is no need?

I had my gallbladder out at the same time as having my band. I tutor some kids here in Greece and Dimitris the youngest was curious about my 28 stones, so I took them to show him. He took the packet and stared..."These were in you?" he asked. I told him yes and that's why I had surgery. He looked at them again and then at me..."Why did you eat them then?" he asked. No answer to that!

Black satin panties with a white lace panel (sounds nice but they are old and the elastic round the top leaves much to be desired!) and no bra 'cos I'm slouching at home and I wanna be comfortable.

I went to see the doc yesterday for my first fill (was banded 20th March). One of my incisions isn't healing well so he said not to worry and sorted that out...then the fun started! My port has changed it's position!!! He pushed and pummeled to find the darn thing and then managed the fill! I was uncomfortable rather than in pain. He said it may move back of it's own accord but he knows where it is now so he can do the same each time if need be - oh yay!!!! As for food, I needed that fill. I was eating more this last week and only lost half a kg. I don't feel much restriction but then he said soups for a couple of days and then try really slowly to reintroduce foods. We'll see how that goes after the weekend.

Ha! Went to docs and banged on the door and no-one was home :confused: We called his mobile and he said "Oh, didn't my secretary call you? I have gone away for Easter!" (Easter is this week in Greece). He said, "Another partner will be in the office tomorrow, you can come back then." Bye bye 10euros for 5 mins parking and the Athens traffic going and coming. Charming! Oh well, c'est la vie! Am off to me bed...:notagree

Ha! Went to docs and banged on the door and no-one was home :confused: We called his mobile and he said "Oh, didn't my secretary call you? I have gone away for Easter!" (Easter is this week in Greece). He said, "Another partner will be in the office tomorrow, you can come back then." Bye bye 10euros for 5 mins parking and the Athens traffic going and coming. Charming! Oh well, c'est la vie! Am off to me bed...:notagree

I am going to the docs tonight (many Greek docs work 6-11pm cos others work in shops til 8:30 or 9pm) for my first fill. I need it now. Today wasn't a good day and I ate way too much, including some chocolate that I neither wanted nor really liked...why do we do these things!?!?!?!? I have known for ages that I could basically eat what I wanted but respected my band and didn't. Even if this fill doesn't give me the restricition I crave I am hoping that the fear of PB'ing and a general not knowing what to expoect from 'my band' in 'my body', will keep me on the straight and narrow for a while...hopefully til the next fill! Let's see what doth occur...watch this space!

I am going to the docs tonight (many Greek docs work 6-11pm cos others work in shops til 8:30 or 9pm) for my first fill. I need it now. Today wasn't a good day and I ate way too much, including some chocolate that I neither wanted nor really liked...why do we do these things!?!?!?!? I have known for ages that I could basically eat what I wanted but respected my band and didn't. Even if this fill doesn't give me the restricition I crave I am hoping that the fear of PB'ing and a general not knowing what to expoect from 'my band' in 'my body', will keep me on the straight and narrow for a while...hopefully til the next fill! Let's see what doth occur...watch this space!