She Smiles

Thats about what mine cost too Susannah, but I bought mine online from a Chemist in Sydney, I couldn't find any here and didn't even think to ask them to order it in!

So I have partly been assessing my weight loss success on how it has been noticed by people - as Jacqui said a while back, the more you lose and the smaller you get the more noticable each kilo of loss is. Last week I had to go into the city for a meeting with some colleagues and we bumped into a girl who worked with us until around October last year. I was just now chatting to one of the people who was there and she said that she had seen that girl since last week and she had mentioned to her that I was looking "amazing"! Woo me! :clap2: Thats exactly what I needed to hear today, I was having a bit of a down day. Isn't it funny how what other people see and notice about us affects us so much.....

Susannah, my advice is to wait until they are properly healed before you put anything on the incisions. Make sure they look scar-like and not still cu- like. I use Merderma gel on my surgery scars. It seems to have faded them some, but then I am only 3 months out. My Dads scars are skin coloured and you can see them but only if you know they are there. He didn't use anything on his, and is a year out from his banding, so who knows! I also use "Palmers Cocoa butter lotion for stretch marks" on my stretch marks (I have them on my hips, lower tummy and upper thighs) and I use Bio Oil (I think Jacqui recommended this??) on my tummy area too to promote the firmness here (I'm fighting an uphill battle I think). I don't know if any of it is working at all, cos I have nothing to compare it to, but I hope it is. I was looking at my tummy in the mirror today and decided I will almost certainly need a section of skin removed. Unless I get really lucky and it shrinks back some how (HIGHLY UNLIKELY!). Its starting to hang over already. This is the only thing that depresses me about my weight loss thus far, the excess skin situation, and where I will find the $ to get it removed.

Hi Susannah, I find when I am super thirsty, I can drink about 250mls of water in one go and then I am satified (did this not to long ago tonight actually!), I guess I could call it chugging - but not anything like I used to do! I've never had any issues, I just swallow it in smaller mouthfuls. I'm pretty sure that drinking water won't stretch your pouch, its likely to run straight through the stoma to your "big" stomach. I may stand corrected by some one who knows a bit more on this though! Just an update from me, I think I may have to postpone my next fill appointment (it was scheduled for the wednesday after next). I had a smaller than normal (band normal for me anyway!) breakfast and lunch today and was SOOOOOOOOOOO full all afternoon. My man can home from work and wanted an early dinner, I couldn't even face it. I had no appetite what so ever. A very strange feeling for me, because even before this fill, I still felt those hunger pangs every now and then and I was having a small snack (a few rice crackers or a petit miam yogurt) at around 10 and/or 2pm some days. There was no way I could have even thought about that today! My band seems to finally be doing its job :clap2: YAY!!!

I've been going to gym for almost 2 months now, 5 days a week, mostly doing cardio and some free weights. I've lost 8 kilos (17ish pounds) in this time. However as I lose weight I notice my butt sagging more than I would like. Now I know that I can't help much if I end up with loose skin in that area. But are there any exercises I can do to firm up my butt and hips under neath that skin (and possibly that might help avoid the skin sagging to its worst)? Just an fyi, I can't do anything even resembling squats or lunges. I have incredibly sore knees after a single set of these exercises, so I have been avoiding any kind of leg exercises (as a result for the first time in my life, I've started to look a little bottom heavy). Any kind of pressure or weight on my knees, as such, is a big no-no. Can any one help with some ideas? I'm willing to buy equipment (like a fit ball etc) if that will assist at all. Thanks in advance

Sunta, the same thing happened to me yesterday when I went to the physio for back pain I have been putting off getting looked at. What a great feeling it was when it actuall fit!!!

I never thought about that, I'm a bit of a sucker for big brother actually, mindless drivel that it is!!

Hi Dionne! Great to hear from you. Sounds like everything is going ok, everything you explained is totally normal (I'm sure the others will second that).

Thats great Jess. Hope to see you around more if that means you are losing

Cleo, the hardest thing for me was actually getting my head around the fact that my body COULD be sustained on a 5th or so of what I had been consuming before my surgery. I was an overeater and binger, and so this has taken some time to get used to, but I am getting there. I mean I FEEL full after about 1/2 - 1 cup of food now, which is the point of the band (and I knew this!) but it took a while for my food addicted head to catch up and realise that this is ok and I can put the fork down when I feel this way. I've been lucky in that I haven't had any of the issues that some bandsters have (touch wood!) with reflux and PBing and unsupportive Drs, friends and family and such. I think we all face our own challenges with the band. It is a life change, and we all make the decision to go ahead with it for our own many and varied reasons. That said, not a day goes by that I don't think to myself "I wish I had of done this sooner".

Yep I'm 3 months out from my surgery and my scars are fading pretty fast.

Cleo, have a look at this thread for pics of peoples scars http://www.lapbandtalk.com/scar-stages-share-t6117.html?t=6117

Susannah I was saying the band had changed my life a month out! haha I love my band, it is the best investment I have made in myself ever. My port hurt more a few weeks out too, I think you're spot on, its probably the healing process. I'm glad you're feeling better!!!

I think thats a brilliant idea. They might be able to start you on some exercises and refer you to a trainer/gym that can work with you and your needs. So, I went for my 4th fill today. Another 1 ml in so now I have 7.5 in my 10ml band. Just had 4 spoons of Soup for lunch and am full full full. Boy I hope that this might be close to it for me. I really want my band to start helping me in conjunction with the exercise I am doing. I lost 1.4 kilos since my last fill 2 weeks ago. Not the best result possilbe, but its a pretty good loss all the same. I just really want to crack the 90kgs before I come down to Melbourne on the 16th!!!

Hi Terri! Welcome! The best soup I had in my thicker liquids stage was a cauliflower and blue cheese soup (blended to a smooth texture). My goodness it was wonderful. I am sure if you did a google search you'd find something similar. It tasted a bit like mashed potatoes, but was SO much healthier (it only had a teensy bit of blue cheese in it for flavour). Hey Susannah I think I spoke too soon, work has been crazy hectic the last couple of days and it looks like its going to stay that way for a little while at least. Trying to motivate my staff to get going on a project we have been lumped with is proving to be a challenge. And today I was running around to meetings and doing all sorts of stuff. But I went to the gym before work (I had to go to physio for my back afterwards) and I had heaps of energy, so I think I will be doing that a little more often to mix things up a bit. I also go for another fill tomorrow, which is GOOD because I have been able to eat like a horse (well a banded horse haha) and I don't think I have even lost a kilo in the last 2 weeks since my last fill :mad: I REALLY want to get down to 80 kilos by my wedding (which is in 4 months and 3 weeks, not that I am counting hahaha) I hope I get there!! I didn't get any $ beack for my dietician either, which I was shocked at, but hey what can you do. Just make sure you keep all of your medical receipts because if you spend over $1500 out of pocket in a year you can claim it back on your tax (I'm not sure how this works, but my Dad did it last year after he got his band). I'm going to ask my friendly accountant about it this year. I owe my parents the money my private insurance didn't cover for my band.Apparently ANY medical expenses can be claimed back in this way - even if you buy toothpaste or condoms (as my Dad put it!) in the chemist! I have a drawer full of receipts I'm saving for tax time. Bronnie, I'm glad you had a good day today!!! :clap2:

Bronnie, don't beat yourself up over this. You are battling a life time of habit and no one will deny that its HARD! I myself slipped up during my optifast but still managed to lose 7 kilos, so don't worry about messing up the 3 kilo loss you have. Tomorrow is a new day, and you can just start over. From here on in, when ever you feel like binging, just think about how crappy you felt afterwards as you were writing this post. You can do this - you're doing incredibly well!! *hugs*

Does this mean what I think it means hahahahahaha

I subscribe to the no pain no gain idea somewhat with exercise Susannah (I mean I'm not a hard core beleiver, but bear with me here). It is a well known fact that more intense exercise burns more calories. And while the old any exercise is better than none argument is good, if you are wanting to increase fitness and lose weight, you HAVE to go hard(er). You have to sweat and you have to push yourself. I mean running on the treadmill for 20 minutes ISN'T easy for me, but I do it because I know that 20 minutes jogging is MUCH better for me than 20 minutes walking, and I can handle it (ie - I don't feel like I am going to die afterwards!). I am getting results because of it. While you are still healing, I'd stick with the walking and building up to a higher intensity and longer walk bti by bit, but breaking a sweat is GOOD (plus its hot outside!). You also have to remember your body isn't getting the same kind of fuel it used to, so the sweating may be a reaction to that in a way. AND you might have been walking (subconsciously) faster than ever before because you are determined to get into a fitness routine and shift this weight (and that WILL happen!!). However, if you ever feel ill, or like your legs will pass from underneath you, you've gone too far, but it sounds to me like you just did a great workout! Good stuff Susannah!!!:clap2: (the others may disagree with me on this...) How is being back at home going???

Susannah, 4 kilos!!! You're a bloody legend!!

Best of Luck Dionne! When you feel up to it check in with us and let us know how it all went. I'll be thinking of you tomorrow. ONE MORE SLEEP!!!

Bronnie, the way you are feeling is pretty standard. About day 3-5 (depends on each person) the hunger will fade, and then for me it was just breaking the habit of going to the cupboard to graze, because I wasn't actually hungry anymore. I know I felt pretty lethargic while I was on optifast but thats probably because I went form consuming 5000 or 6000 calories a day (more some days!) to consuming, what is it, like 1500 or 1000 on optifast. You body takes a little while to realise that it has fat reserves to start burning as fuel. Just take it easy and enjoy the weight loss, its only down down down from here! Ahh Susannah, home sweet home for you today! I must say I'm a bit jealous of the first little while of recovery you have had - your sister is a gem! Soon enough life will be back to normal and the kilos will be droppng off!!! What sort of exercise are you thinking of getting into when you are ready? Or is chasing those kids around at work each day exercise enough??

Angel I'm not in Sydney either, but try this link and see if there anyone you can visit in the listed contacts for NSW http://www.lapband.com.au/Search.asp?State=NSW,#Bottom

Dionne, taking the Vitamin in Water doesn't affect how full I feel, its maybe only about 1/4 glass of water anyway. Although I have it before I leave for work and then have my museli when I get there and am organising my day. Cos the vitamin is liquid it just goes straight through like having a drink of any liquid will. Some people feel tight in the mornings so wouldn't be able to take a vitamin tablet or capsule which is why the soluble one was recommended across the board by my Drs. I look at my before photos and I am horrified too! I met my future in laws for the first and only time when I looked like that and I honestly wonder now if they wondered why my guy (who is tall, slim and handsome) was with me. I mean I wasn't feminine looking at all when I weighed that much. I am just under half way to my goal after less than 3 months, you too can do it - just be commited to your band and to the new lifestyle required to make it work. Exercise and eat healthy [most of the time (a treat IS allowed - like I had thai for dinner tonight for my Dads bday)]. All us bandsters started exactly where you are and soon enough you'll be joining us, and you won't look back!

I take a eversvescent (sp?) supradyn Vitamin everyday. I pop it in Water before I have a shower in the morning and by time I am dressed and made up, all the fizz is gone and its just like vitamin flavoured water. Thats the one that was recommended by my nutritionist and surgeon. Dionne, you must be getting super excited by now! Soon enough we're all going to be banded! Bronnie, your 3 weeks will FLY past, look how quickly Susannah's surgery came and went!!

Oh and Susannah, the fun begins now, you will find yourself blending things you never thought should be blended (my nutritionist said that one of her patients had blended KFC, which IMO is disgusting!)! Mushies is such a wonderful change from liquids!! Enjoy!