lingling

Hey guys The scale does not always show the extent that even the amount of weight we have lost so far has improved our life - so I thought it would be cool to have a place where we can share in the exciting things that aren't shown on the scale but that we should congratulate ourselves on too! Like tonight I went to get some pajama pants out of the drawer, and I thought - oh no, I won't put those ones on as they are tight as, but then I thought perhaps they won't be so bad - AND THEY WERE LOOSE!!!!! OMG!!! :biggrin: I have bought new underwear in a size 18! I can wear my bra without the bra-extender at the back to make it fit around my body (as embarrassing as that is) :tt2: I am starting to feel a bit sexy and a bit more like a woman than a "nothing"!!

A couple of things make me sad about this thread. Firstly, people who are being negative and saying that people's behaviour is self destructive. We're not here to judge, and everyone on here has obviously had an unhealthy relationship with food at some point to be at the point where we have undertaken or are about to undertake surgery. So that makes me sad, and people who are genuinely posting their concerns on here - don't listen to the meanies, this should be a place for you to be open and get help and support. The main thing that makes me sad is that I felt like this too, I was so afraid i would never be able to have beer, or have bread, or have all the food I loved. The reality of the situation a year and a bit down the track is that you can have them if you want them. Sometimes they can be a bit tricky to eat (bread) but you work out ways to get around it. The most amazing thing I have found - and I am sure you will all too, is that I couldn't care less now if I ever ate any of those "favourite" foods again - the band does restrict your intake but it also changes your brain and your views on food 100000% - I cannot explain it and how it works, but it does. Wouldn't bother me emotionally if I ever ate again. So hang in there, if you need to eat now, eat now, but don't mess up your pre-op diet or you'll get your surgery bumped, and be gentle on yourself - both physically after the surgery and emotionally. This is a long journey, but it has been the right one for me :thumbup: - Universal destiny - just a note, I used to drink litres of diet coke every week - couldnt be less interested now, probably had 1 bottle in the last year! It just doesn't do anything for me (again, one of those things that i cannot quite explain!)

Hey Billy. I was banded a little over a year ago, and I had the same concerns - Agh!! No beer!! No problems drinking anything - except somethings like dry white wine can make me feel a little acidic in my throat. Beer is sweet, you might have to drink at tiny bit slower (and definitely don't attempt it for the first month while you're healing!) the only problem I have found with beer and alcohol - is that it has really slowed my weightloss down. Doesn't mean that it's still not happening but I do like to get on the booze on the weekends, and if I compare to the rest of my bunny bandsters who were banded april 09 like I was, they are all quite a bit thinner than I am now, in saying that, I've lived my life and had fun and still lost weight. I cannot believe how happy I am that I made this choice, I love my life now, and I still have a BMI of 37 - but its coming off bit by bit each week and I feel like there is hope again for me :thumbup: Good luck - you won't know yourself a year from now! Enjoy the new life !!

How very cool. I was banded a year ago on the 2nd of April. God, I remember how scared I was but how excited - you guys really don't know what you are in for - what a phenominal journey this last year has been - I wouldn't change a single thing - the band has given me hope, made me feel alive again and was the best thing I have EVER done for myself. I am so excited for you all - and what this is going to do for you - you won't know yourselves in a years time. I am over 50lb down. I have lost a lot slower than many of my other Bunny bandsters from April - as I LOVE my wine and beer - and they are some seriously empty (but yummy) calories - so it slowed it down a lot. But even still - I feel so much better than I ever thought I would - and the weight is still coming off every week... and I will get there. My pearls of wisdom. - Don't be scared about the surgery - I was petrified, but it was so totally fine. - Follow the doctors directions to the letter with pre-op and post-op diets. - Chew Chew Chew Chew Chew!!!!!! - You will be surprised how quickly your body adapts and what you think might be a scary lifestyle where you can't eat steak and bread just becomes normal and you don't care. I couldn't care less now if someone told me I could never eat again - the band just takes the attachment / desire/interest away from food altogether. - Most importantly - be kind to yourself and welcome to your new life - this is just going to get better from here!!! Linglingx

Do a search on here, you will see people waxing lyrical about the realise vs the lap band. I don't think it makes much of a difference to be honest - they both do the same thing at the end of the day!

Second opinion! If the second guy says no, ask for details as to exactly why!!! Don't give up. Even if LB is not for you, then maybe GB is, but this is something that you can find a way through!! Hang in there!

Hi there Yes, it's the most normal feeling in the world when you are about to be banded. We are all sitting here on this site because we are at the end of our tether, we have tried the "normal" way 100000 times and ended up fatter for it. This is because our chemistry is so messed up for whatever reason - genetics, yo-yo dieting, bad eating, whatever.. but the end of the day -there is no diet & exercising and normal way back from this - well there is for 2% of people, but this is our one shot at life and I was sure as hell not letting those odds let me from living my life to the fullest. Give it a shot, I am so relieved that I had it done, no, I am not skinny yet, but I am down 19kg (40lb) and finally feel some hope in my life! !!! :wink2:

I ate too much last night, and I was starting to doubt I had a band, god it was so horrible. Chest pain and so much slime and burping. Wanted to vomit but couldn't. Cleared after a while but all my friends who dont know I am banded were like WHAT IS HAPPENING and thought I was just drunk and vomitting hahahah:laugh:

************* FRIDAY WEIGH IN 21 AUG 2009 ************* Hey everyone. I feel so bad about the spreadsheet. My life has been crazy. Huge family dramas and I am sorry I haven't updated the sheet. I weighed in today at 120.9kg What a BEAUTIFUL number. That's 266lb. Isn't it astounding... I may still be fat and have a long way to go, but God, its good to feel like there's hope and light at the end of the tunnel and I am feeling sexy and feminine again. Its phenominal. Hope you guys are feeling the same! I won't promise to update the sheet, as then I'll feel bad if I don't. But I will try xxxxx

Yes thank GOD I am okay. What a DISGUSTING feeling. I was so worried and then I got there and the Doc said, "its okay it was just over stimulated (eg over filled) and she took .2cc out and I was fine!!! She said the blood was cos I had been vomiting so much!!!! Feel great today - had cheese and crackers and wine last night - perfectly normal again. Its so bizare that I could feel SO disgusting one minute and then literally 10 seconds later feel fine. I guess we are not used to having a foreign body inside us that can manipulate how we feel... Onwards and downwards!!

Hi guys Oh god, how horrible.. I had a fill today, and she put in too much, but also I took a pill this afternoon and I didn't know but it got stuck! It came up with vomiting (vomit number 5) this evening (about 6hrs after taking it) I must be still very swollen as well as cannot keep Water or anything down. On vomit number 8(ish) a tiny blob (1/8 inch) of red blood came up. It looked like perhaps a bit where my pill had scratched the wall of my stomach and it had clotted. Now of course I am FREAKING out. What is this? maybe its slipped, maybe there is more pill stuck in there? Maybe I am going to die in my sleep. I have appt at 930am tomorrow for an unfill. I am not sure what they will take out. I wondered whether I should ring my doctor urgently tonight (as its 11.47pm) or if I should just try and get some sleep and go in the morning. I would have thought that if it was something more serious than inflamation from overfill + pill then I'd feel a bit more than discomfort and gurgling and that one spot of blood.... I know they are going to make me do an endoscopy now as well (because of the blood) what a bloody fricking pain! Take your fills slowly - I went like a bull at a gate!

Weighed in early this week - for the first time in over 2 yrs I have seen 123.6kg on the scales! God this is a GREAT FEELING!!!!!!!!!!

Hi Jen My biggest fear was dying on the table and I was bawling my eyes out when the anesthetist came in to the room in the morning and I said "DONT LET ME DIE" and he sat down with me patted my arm and told me it would all be okay and that he'd look after me. He gave me a pre-med sedation so I was still awake but super relaxed - and then put me into theatre on a trolley and then put me to sleep. Was so much less scary than I thought it would be - and I woke up and I was FINE!!! You will be too - remember these guys don't want you to die - their job is on the line! they will do everything they can to make sure you dont!!!

Hi Laithlaith Nervous and anxious is okay! Its normal to feel these things. Don't forget that you are making a massive life changing step - that in itself has so many emotions attached to it - eg. will I fail even though I have had obesity surgery (wouldn't that be the ultimate failure (that was my big one)) and what if I die on the table (my other fear) Guess what, neither of them happened. I am alive and well and my BMI has dropped from 47 to 42 in four months. I am losing slower than a lot of others banded in April but I don't mind, I am still losing and it's quite easy. Hang in there. If you have any questions I am happy to answer!

I'll say what everyone else is saying - but it's true. HANG IN THERE. I had 14 day liquid only preop diet and I survived without cheating once - and could have gone on for longer - the only reason why is that after five days your body goes into Ketosis which supresses appetite. If you cheat then it delays this until you've had five days on the low carbs. If you need something to chew then vege it up! Make yoourself a big salad and cover it with vinegar. Remember the purpose is to shrink your liver and if you don't do the diet then they might not be able to do the surgery as it is too dangerous to lift your liver. I know it is probably little consolation but when you are hot and thin you will be thinking "OMG I cannot believe that I nearly canned out because of 7 days pre-op diet" The rest of your life is waiting - and you WILL be able to eat again I promise!!

Lauren - she's right - its a great blog - could have written it verbatum!

Hi All Sorry was away on Friday and I am very sorry I haven't done the spreadsheet for a few weeks. I have been in Auz visiting friends. 125.0 for me today after four days on bad food and booze - trying to pretend I didn't have a band as my friend didn't know!! Feeling okay - quite positive. Good work all of you for coming back and weighing in this week - I know how easy it is to just not hop on those scales!!! Will do spreadsheet with friday's weights!! xx

****** FRIDAY WEIGH INS 17th JULY 2009 ****** Hey guys I am so useless, have been avoiding this site, and avoiding everything like the plague. Feeling fat and useless. Finally have hit my green-zone though and this week am down to 125.2 from 127.2kg. Feeling good about that! I haven't done last week's spreadsheet but I think I'll just wait till this week's weigh ins and then do two at once! Hope everyone had a good weigh in this week! xx

:biggrin: I am so silly. I forgot to post my weight! I was up 0.8g this week. I am getting frustrated and kicking myself a lot. Had a fill last week thank god and mostly am not hungry at all which is great. I have to go back if I start feeling peckish again! So went from 125.8kg up to 126.2kg. I think! I HAVE TO LOSE THIS WEEK as am eating hardly anything!

Just starting a new one as the old one is taking forever to load! As you were!

Hey Everyone Last week's weigh in sheet! Congrats ALuv82 - you are the biggest loser with 3.5lb lost!!! Keep it up everyone I know its hard! Friday Doc.doc

Well I am 25lb down. Plateaued for the last month. Exercising 4x per week, have a good restriction... so...I went to see my doctor today for my 5th or6 6th fill. I have 8cc now I think. I had a good conversation with him as I am not losing any weight and I am feeling very crap. What he said doesn't match some things I have read in posts on here from banded people, so therefore may differ from what your doctor tells you - but I thought that I would share it because it made me feel better and maybe it can make you feel better too. He said that American Docs promote the band on one basic level - that it restricts the amount you eat and therefore you feel full longer. NZ Docs promote it on two levels, the same one as the American docs - but this is a secondary to the main issue which is that the band should re-set your obesity chemistry and basiclly have you continuously feeling "disinterested" in food. He said that you should feel like you did the night after surgery - that someone could have given you a fruit salad or a the best burger in the world, and you couldn't have cared which one you ate, if any. Rather than OMG GIVE ME THE BURGER NOW. He said you should be able to eat one cube of chocolate and have the bar sitting in front of you and not have a battle of wills as to whether to eat the rest, He said if I am struggling to choose the good option - or feeling like you'll buy five bits of sushi not four - He said that the only way to get this is to keep going back for fills. I went today and he gave me another cc - but he said that if I keep going every month for a fill - rather than every few days (if I haven't hit this "green zone") then I end up with running out of room in my band and theyhave to deflate for two weeks and then start again. So apparently the trick is go back as often as you can until you feel like "i dont care about food" and if you don't then you won't lose weight! So, let's see. I will be going back tomorrow if I am still making bad choices!