PharmaGirl

Today, I thought I'd write myself a list to remind myself why I'm doing this - it is like a list of the simple pleasures that I can look forward to. Hopefully, I'll be able to refer to this list when I need some encouragement to keep going. So, here goes - I am doing my damndest to lose weight so that I am: able to move around more easily and to feel more comfortable sitting, standing, walking, etc. not needing to make an effort to get up from a chair, from the bed, etc. able to throw the basketball around with my niece and nephews and not get winded right away able to get down on the floor and play with my 3-year old nephew able to climb a couple of flights of stairs and not feel puffed out at the top able to ride my bike around the park without difficulty and without needing to feel self-conscious feeling more energetic more comfortable sitting in an economy seat on a plane more comfortable sitting at concerts, the theatre, the footy, etc not encroaching on other people's territory when sitting on a plane, in a theatre, at the footy, etc. and therefore not having to feel bad when they look at me with that "you're disgusting" looks on their faces able to keep up with others when walking somewhere in a group able to get that exhilarated feeling when I dance and dance and dance not having to dread the next school reunion able to play 18 holes of golf with friends snoring less and getting all the health benefits that follow as a consequence not getting swollen feet each time I fly anywhere going to live a longer life able to cut my toenails without difficulty able to stand and prepare a meal for friends and do the dishes without getting a sore back able to tie my shoelaces without effort not having to go to the fat people's section/shop to buy clothes able to wear heels and still feel my feet able to buy rings to fit my fingers able to find a bangle that will fit my wrist feeling attractive able to get into sexual positions that are currently not possible! I'm sure there's more I could add to this list - if anyone has suggestions, please let me know! Happy to say that I did get a couple of replies to my intro post so am feeling better today! In fact, today I am feeling very positive about the prospect of embarking this whole journey. Am thinking about Veal (who was the first person to respond to my introductory post) getting her lap band inserted today - hope she's feeling fantastic soon. Have ordered Optislim for the pre-op and post-op weeks. Am leaning heavily toward starting the optislim at the same time as my partner but maybe just replacing breakfast and the evening meal until two weeks before my surgery.

Hi Ann, Thanks for your post. We're both hoping it will be easier to cope if both of us want the 'wrong' foods out the house and if we each have the other around, understanding how we're feeling, and to push us through the tough spots. Sounds like your husband may come around given the right incentive. Once he sees you feeling better and with more energy, hopefully he'll be running to make his appointment. Read your other posts and I have to tell you I have exactly the same fears - lack of exercise and sweet sticky food is my downfall (my partner's is more lack of exercise plus the savoury stuff). However, I also know that, once I start losing weight and feeling better, I won't be missing those foods in the short term. I'm hoping that the lapband means I won't be able to fall off the wagon big time (like eating half a cake) down the track, which is what starts the cycle of regaining weight again, feeling crap about myself and then gorging myself further (so that I eventually end up worse than where I started). Anyway, good luck with your journey. Looking forward to sharing experiences. Do you have a date set yet?

Both my partner and I will be thinking of you tomorrow. I imagine that you'll probably be reading this after you get home from having your lap band in. Hope you're feeling as well as is possible given those circumstances. Wow - 10kg in 4 weeks is an awesome effort. Hope you took your "before" photo before you lost those kgs! Thanks for the recommendation on the soup. Have now ordered the Optislim chicken soup and also the pumpkin soup to give us a couple of savoury options instead of the just the sweet vanilla/chocolate/coffee stuff. Yes, will be great to share experiences. We discussed whether we would tell others and decided on pretty much telling most of our family and our good friends and people who we believe will be supportive. Hope we won't be bitten in the ass by this decision. We are not telling people who bitch about other people. Yep, we're patients at the Centre for Bariatric Surgery a couple of doors down from the hospital. If you are too, our paths might cross soon. Please let us know how you're going as soon as you can.

Hi Veal, Thanks for posting a response (I was getting worried no-one would). How exciting for you - tomorrow!! I can understand the nervousness. I'm nervous and I've still got almost 6 weeks to go. Can't imagine how I'll be the day before. You did well to do 4 weeks of the Optislim (didn't know there was a pudding but I'll be out shopping for it for sure). I'm definitely leaning toward doing the same. Did you lose much just doing the Optislim? Wishing you all of the very best for tomorrow. Hope to hear from you soon after that. Looking forward to sharing our experiences with you as we go. Good luck

This is my first attempt at blogging - let's see how it goes! Yesterday was my first post but, disappointingly, got no replies to my post - :ohmy:. Would love to know why. Any ideas? Anyway, as my intro post says, my date for lap-banding is set for 23 April 2009. I'm going to have the band inserted at the Avenue in Melbourne. I am excited and scared all the same time. The success of many on this site inspire me and the prospect of future success is very exciting. Past failed attempts at maintaining weight loss haunt me (I've lost weight then put it back on [plus more] more times than I care to remember). Would love to hear from others of you that felt the same way at the start of your journeys and who have succeeded. My partner (NY Lady) is having a lap-band inserted on 9 April. We both have fatty livers and have therefore been advised to do the Optislim VLCD liquid diet (with veggies allowed) commencing two weeks before insertion of the band (next week for her and on 9 April for me). We're both foodies and figure we'll still be able to enjoy good food after the band but just in much smaller portions. Being foodies, the thought of no real food for a couple of weeks is scary (though we'll try to jazz up the veggies we can have pre-op as much as we can). If anyone out there has any advice on surviving this (and also the post-op week) I'd love to hear from you. Also, in regards to my partner - I have two options - enjoy food without her for two weeks or try and support her by doing Optislim shakes maybe for brekkie and the evening meal two weeks before I really have to. If anyone out there has thoughts on this I'd be stoked to hear from you. I figure it will do me no harm to go the latter way - it will kickstart the weight loss and help my liver and it will demonstrate my commitment to the lifestyle changes that I need to make for the banding to be a success. On the other hand, I'm scared I'll have "Optislim fatigue" by the time I have to start the pre-op liquid diet for my own surgery. What to do, what to do?? Looking forward to sharing the journey with you all! "Before" photo attached (me on the left and Lisa (aka NY Lady and who is the sweetest) on the right). For my friends in the US who don't think in kgs

This is my first attempt at blogging - let's see how it goes! Yesterday was my first post but, disappointingly, got no replies to my post - :wink_smile:. Would love to know why. Any ideas? Anyway, as my intro post says, my date for lap-banding is set for 23 April 2009. I'm going to have the band inserted at the Avenue in Melbourne. I am excited and scared all the same time. The success of many on this site inspire me and the prospect of future success is very exciting. Past failed attempts at maintaining weight loss haunt me (I've lost weight then put it back on [plus more] more times than I care to remember). Would love to hear from others of you that felt the same way at the start of your journeys and who have succeeded. My partner (NY Lady) is having a lap-band inserted on 9 April. We both have fatty livers and have therefore been advised to do the Optislim VLCD liquid diet (with veggies allowed) commencing two weeks before insertion of the band (next week for her and on 9 April for me). We're both foodies and figure we'll still be able to enjoy good food after the band but just in much smaller portions. Being foodies, the thought of no real food for a couple of weeks is scary (though we'll try to jazz up the veggies we can have pre-op as much as we can). If anyone out there has any advice on surviving this (and also the post-op week) I'd love to hear from you. Also, in regards to my partner - I have two options - enjoy food without her for two weeks or try and support her by doing Optislim shakes maybe for brekkie and the evening meal two weeks before I really have to. If anyone out there has thoughts on this I'd be stoked to hear from you. I figure it will do me no harm to go the latter way - it will kickstart the weight loss and help my liver and it will demonstrate my commitment to the lifestyle changes that I need to make for the banding to be a success. On the other hand, I'm scared I'll have "Optislim fatigue" by the time I have to start the pre-op liquid diet for my own surgery. What to do, what to do?? Looking forward to sharing the journey with you all! "Before" photo attached (me on the left and Lisa (aka NY Lady and who is the sweetest) on the right). For my friends in the US who don't think in kgs