First Trimester

Well did my first scan yesterday and all is well. Apparently I am 12 weeks pregnant giving e a due dae of April 22nd next year. It makes it so much more real now. I am getting very excited. I half expected to see the lap band wrapped around the baby. eheheheh..... but no.... everything is normal.

In terms of eating I am eating alot more often and less at a time then pre pregnancy even with the lap band. I have been getting alittle more naughty as I am off most of my normal foods especially real meals like chicken fish meat and or pasta and rice. I just want toast, crackers, fruit BIG TIME.....

I have not lost weight since my last blog but to be honest I thought I would have put on. Not just bec being naughty with food but also because the baby. Instead I am exactly the same so haven't lost or gained. I expect to gain some weight with the next trimester.

In terms of the lap band itself. I am still not regretting I got it done. I have from memory thrown up on 3 x occasions - one was tonight when some broccoli got stuck on my first mouthful , another time was some apple I was eating with the skin on - so be careful if you insist on eating the skin like I do for nutrional reasons. I have found a good way to eat all my fruit that I am craving. I puree a whole bunch of fruit together, add some juice or liquid yoghurt for the blender to get started and then I add an opti fast sachet that I still have in the cupboard to add that nutritional punch - important not to peel the fruit....well most of them anyway. Yummy and freezers well too..... a good way to get rid of your fruit when it is beginning to get too ripe...

see you soon.....

Lap Band Baby

My apologies for not posting in such a long time. I have been somewhat distracted by some good news. I am having a baby. Unplanned of course and I guess it provides an interesting twist to a weight loss story??? The "to do list" is endless now. The good news is that I am still losing weight and I am eating small amounts often to keep the nausea away.

I have also just returned from holidays whereby I wasted the second half being the sickest I have ever been in my LIFE.... Now I know what it is like to have the flu. You don't even have the energy to watch tv which sucks BIG TIME when you're supposed to be having fun. I am still trying to get over it but at least I am back home and can rest fully.

Above a pic of me and my nephew at his 21st birthday party - Villains and Heros theme. Talk soon....

Restriction

Hi everyone. I have been eating too much. I am eating even when I full. I have been timing it by looking at the clock and making sure 2 hours has past. I am into healthy eating and making sure my day includes x 30 in terms of variety of foods, 2 fruit 5 vege 2 dairy and so on. It is IMPOSSIBLE with trying to lose weight. It just goes to show that it can be done but for now I need to concentrate on losing weight. And how am I going to do that? Back to RESTRICTION..... I have to lose weight as a priority. So yesterday I tried sticking to eating only when I was hungry which translated into eating only twice. This morning the scale reflected it.

Bottom line. Eat less and exercise more for weightloss. I have worked out that 1500 cal maintains my weight. In order to lose weight I need to be around 1000 calories daily in addition to exercising. I have kept up the walking and dancing and am feeling great doing it but only when combined with restriction does it seem to influence the scale. see you soon.....

More Sightseeing

Hey everyone I am so sorry I have not posted in awhile. I have been kept busy by what seems to me like a steady stream of overseas and interstate visitors that are staying with us. Above is a photo of me with a Koala..........isn't it cute???? when I visited the wildlife park on the weekend. My weight loss is still stalled. To be perfectaly honest I am very careful and eat right throughout the week days and nights but on the weekend it kinda goes out the window for me. I need to learn to control this better as the two days "off" is keeping the weight "on".

I have kept up with the dancing though. It is so much fun. I still don't know how to Samba but tomorrow I am doing the bellydancing class. What a great way to exercise. I can't believe I didn't think of it before. I am going on holidays to Perth to visit with my family in about 3 weeks. I am hoping to get down to 95 kilos by then. That would make me 20 kilos lighter since they last saw me in April. Cool huh???

Sightseeing Sydney

Hey everyone - Isn't anyone gonig to try the cannelini mash????? Please do and let me know how you went. . .

Today I did some sightseeing around Sydney as we have a visitor staying with us from Perth. I had a yummy dinner too. Ended up having a quarter chicken with rice. I was naughty and had some chocolate mousse.... Ummm. . . no wonder the weight loss has slowed down. But it is important for us not to forget that we cannot deprive ourselves all the time of everything and anything we love. Otherwise it just creeps up on us and then BINGE...........and we all know what that means. Am I just justifying my delicious mousse???? Perhaps........ may be I will toll it.....and you can tell me.......

Here are some pics . . . Oh one thing is great since losing weight I am able to enjoy these types of outings so much more.... WHY??? for one I am more comfortable in terms of what I am wearing.....secondly I can actually walk and even sprint to avoid the rain as I did today with ease.... It is really such a big differrence that 30 odd kilos can make on your fitness.... What a difference........

Recipe - Cannelini Mash

I used my food processor to make this delicious and healthy mash. Why not have this recipe instead of fattening mash that let's face, has very little nutritional value. Instead follow these easy steps for a mash that you could have everyday if you wanted to. It is full of fibre and protein as any food with beans is and the best part is that it looks just like mash but much yummier. Believe me I love potatoe mash and this bean mash is yummy.

can of cannelini beans - wash well to remove all added sugars and salts and drain. Put in your food processor. Fry some garlic lightly in olive oil. Make sure it is olive oil to avoid those trans fats. Make sure that you don't overheat (burn) the oil (don't let it smoke) as it takes the omega (good fats) out of the oil. Let it cool and add to the cannelini together with the oil.

Salt and pepper to taste. Add a little milk whilst processing so that you get the exact consistency you like. If you want to be naughty (or your making it for visitors or the like) then you can add a dolop of butter.

That's it........... how healthy is that????? Please leave comments if you've tried it . . . I would like to know if you liked it so let me know.............PLEASE...............

Dancing with the Lap Band

Guess what??? I am going dancing tonight.. . . something I've always wanted to do since I used to dance as a little girl. I found this school that appears to concentrate on casual rate adult dance classes. Which is exactly what I want. I don't want to become a professional dancer I just want to try different kinds of dance for fun and exercise. I hope I get a good work out. I suppose it is all about how much you put into it so I have to make sure I work hard. I will let eveyone know how it goes. Can't wait......

My weight has gone off sooooooo slowly that it is a little unmotivating. I have to make sure I keep my spirits up. Of course I am still eating right. I've cheated alot more, it is always a struggle on the weekends for some reason. Anyway, I am really good during the week and have styaed off the coke and other naughties. I am eating really healthily and I think I might start a new segment on this blog for recipes I have been enjoying. I am really focused on eating well now. I have to admit that I have been very lacking in exercise. Last week took only a long 2 hour walk on the weekend and thats it..... no wonder I am not losing weight fast enough.

I have also struggled more with the lapband lately. Alot of times during meal times I have been experiencing some pain and I think it is because I am eating too quickly??? I will try to correct this and I will let you know how I go. Whats with all the photos of me wearing brown??? I promise I have other colours in my wardrobe - maybe it is just a winter thing for me....

At Work and Working On It

This is pics of me at work this week. Still got that double chin....you can see how much I miss my family and friends they are all on my wall.

I've had my third fill now. Certainly does make a difference but the differences are subtle. I am still eating a entree sized plate at each sitting. the fullness lasts for about 3 hours. At my last fill the doctor said that I will be in that green zone once it lasts from one meal to another. So I guess I still need a fill or two. I am still around 98.5 kilos and the weight loss has definately slowed down. Exercise of course is the key.... sometimes I do and someweeks I don't. Last week I only walked once (3 hours). I need to do more intense stuff as walking just doesn't cut it anymore.

I am setting myself an impossible goal which is never a good idea. but........... At least it gets me going. I want to be 90 kilos for when I go on holidays to Perth to see my family and friends. That will mean that they haven't seen me since I was 115 kilos. So I am looking to impress...eheheheh...... I've got 6 weeks to do it in..... keep your fingers crossed for me..

DOUBLE DIGITS

Hi everyone - thanks for keeping reading..... I am finally over the 100 kilo mark. I know it is only psychological but it is soooooooo comforting. I have picked up somewhat on the weight loss which is also comforting.

I couldn't recommend more for people who are interested in lap banding or have done it after me to keep reading the blogs. A few weeks ago I thought I had it all worked out and there was nothing else to it. The truth is that for the first time I felt sick twice since my last fill.

Once over cod fish - a fish that I know is very fibrous but since I have never had issues with it previously I went for it.... Well it got stuck. Because it was a first time for me I didn't know what to do.... I also thought that maybe I had eaten too much. But in fact it was just stuck because after some time and lots of PBing after I fainlly tried stretching my arms well above my head and it worked,, dislodged and the pain immediately subsided.

Oh that brings me to PBing - Unfortunately now I know exactly what it means and what it is. When it got stuck I felt like burping all the time, but it is a very shallow burp that escapes and sometimes food would come up with it......... YUKKK......

the second time was this Saturday when I attempted to eat some left over chicken. I know I know I've been warned about this but I have been warned about alot of things and I eat them all. So anyway, the chicken was too dry and my first bite was disastrous. This time the pain in the chest was just as bad as when it got stuck but no PBing, instead only after I vomited did the pain subside. At least it is a quick recovery. But believe me I didn't eat again until dinner several hours later.

talk soon.....

STALLED PLATEAU WHATEVER

This is me and my husband jogging at the beach.................eheheheheheheheeheheheheheheh

hi everyone - Sorry I haven't written in so long - truth be it I have very little to say.... I have only lost 1.5 kilos in an entire month!!!!Q AARGH this is so annoying. I have been walking to and from work 2 to 3 times weekly - last week I took a walk to Leichhardt which took me an hour and then I walked to Marrickville which took me 30 minutes. Admittedly I did stop at Petersham for the famous Portuguese Pasteis de nata - but I only had 2.... ONLY???

Anyway I am not doing anything differently then I have before and the weight is not budging. I started swimming today. I read somewhere that your body adjusts to any exercise regime between 6 and 8 weeks. It has been about 8 weeks since I started walking and truth be told it is not really tiring me much anymore. So I decided to try to target different muscles. I went swimming and intend to do so for some time - well at least until I stall again........................ however I noticed that I got straight back into it. I am obviously getting fitter because I did 40 laps which previously took me about 8 weeks to work towards. Additionally I not only did 40 laps but I did them in 35 minutes without stopping - something I could not do before. This is all good BUT it was hard to get my heart beat up - In fact the fastest was 157 but on average I was about 145 bpm. I should be working between 130 and 170 - so it's not bad but for weight loss I have to go harder. I think I am going to have to explore different types of exercise. I might go jogging with my husband. I will let you guys know.

OH the taunting around 100 kilos is killing me.......... I WANT DOUBLE DIGITS AND I WANT IT NOW......

Testing 1, 2, Video

Damn I tried putting a video on and it ain't workin'........ Will keep trying...... Got these photos up ok as usual. This is me ready for bed..... 101.9 kilos.

Second Fill

I had my second fill on Monday. I was really needing it. I was eating larger and larger portions and also more frequently. I have also been stuck between 101.5 and 102.5, for 2 whole weeks. It is very dissappointing. I can see how people could easily put on weight even with the lap band. One sure way to put weight back on is to not get your fills. You can easily spread out all the food you want through out the day. So definately not the easy road some people expect. You still need all your motivation - it is just a little help.

Anyway after the fill - he put 1.5 in, so that now I am at 3.5 total. Right after the fill I felt full well until dinner - had late dinner that night. Then I ate very little probably close to a cup. Stayed full for a long time again - that was nice. I have had problems eating in the morning though and this morning I couldn't finnish my toast and had to give it to my dog, who was most appreciative. Not sure what that is about but I had big chest pains as the food is going down. But no problems at lunch and dinner. Today I feel alot better and despite sticking to my one cup limit I can clearly see that this is not filling me up enough. So tomorrow I might fix slightly bigger meals. I just wanted to be very careful like the doctor warned me to - just to avoid being sick or having PB etc...... that (knock on wood) I still have not experienced. Thank goodness.

I can see this will definately not be my last fill . . . . . I just hope I can start losing weight again. Honestly I have stopped exercising almost completely - I am sure that had something to do with the stall in the weight loss that's for sure. As you can see by my ticker since being filled only 2 days ago I have already lost 1/2 kilo. So it's on the way down hopefully..

Thanks for everyone's comments - keep them coming ! ! ! I thought today that I may make summary type posts that will have a certain topic.... not sure how this will work but coming to you soon - I promise.

More photos of me at my starting weight

I found these photos of me at my starting weight 130 kilos in October 2007. Check out the size of my boobs...........argh SCARY

Melbourne or more like . . . HELLbourne

It's been awhile since I blogged. I wanted to first of all thank those of you who commented. Thanks everyone. . . Apparently rosehip oil will help with those stretch marks and scars. I have also heard that bio oil helps but I would imagine that that is a bit more expensive. Actually I am on my second bottle of Palmers' skin flexibility cream. It costs about $10 but with the size of me, it doesn't last long at all. Anyway I will keep everyone updated on what works. I will try them all. Last week I attended the support group again. It went much better this time, and one of the ladies showed us her tummy after loosing 52 kilos. Yes it was flabby but not as bad as I had imagined. She was alittle older than me so I hope that will make a difference.

Let me explain HELLbourne - went there for the long weekend for a wedding. Had a great time, I fit into my little leather jacket again and it feels great going through all my clothes that feel like they are new when in fact they are quite old - would you believe that some of them I have not even ever worn???? anyway getting off track. Hellbourne because I ate and then ate some more.

I have to be honest I ate, drank, got drunk, ate chips, dips and other ips. I fully cheated. I sipped water and coke whilst eating to help it go down more and ultimately to allow me to eat more. Never got sick, never got anything stuck but I have to admit even though I was eating more then I have since lapband, it is still significantly less then before the operation. That is the bottom line - yes you can cheat - but it is always going to be less then before. RESULT - no weight loss at all this week - still 101.5 kilos. To make things worse it has been raining non stop in Sydney and so NO EXERCISE. I think I will have to start swimming because rain or shine the pool is always open.

Back to Sydney and back on track. Since returning to work on Tuesday I have returned to eating about 1 1/2 cups of food and sticking to 3 meals per day and the occassional night snack. I have also gone back on only water and non sugared drinks like tea. So I hope it will show on the scales this week. Thanks for listening guys and keep up the comments.............PLEASE

Exercising and Loving Life Again

Well I am walking alot now. In the past week I have walked 4 1/2 hours according to my heart rate monitor - these are great little devices that record how long, at what intensity, and how many calories you have burnt at each session. Then it adds up the whole week and gives you a summary. Apparently I burnt (during exercise sessions) 2248 calories. Not bad. I have noticed that when I exercise that is when the weight comes off. If I don't exercise it just sits there.

This week I lost another kilo - so now I am 103 kilos. I am atually enjoying going out again and getting dressed up. This is a photo of me on Sunday 25th May. Also enjoying going out and eating. I shared a seafood risotto and I probably had about 1 cup of it - or perhaps even less because I couldn't resist a tiny corner of their fresh dinner rolls with butter. In terms of drinks I am still only strictly sticking to water. Nothing else except for an occassional cup of tea - without sugar of course. Today I had fruit smoothie for breakfast - for lunch I had half a steak sandwich and for dinner I had boiled fish with boiled brussel sprouts and a tablespoon of spinach rice. YUM all drizzled with Portuguese olice oil of course. YUMMY - It will be my lunch tomorrow also. Today I got hungry at 12 noon - probably because I had breakfast so early. Then at 4 pmish I was hungry again so I had some pepitas, 2 shelled peanuts, and sunflower seeds. This kept me happy until dinner at 6.30 pm. Now I am very full at 9 pm and will go to bed soon without even needing my evening snack. Way too full for that. Gosh I love this feeling. Psycholgically still difficult to not think about eating and having a snack - but I am working on it, and when you are this full - It is not so hard.

The Week After - The fill that is

Well didn't have to go to mushies or liquids again. In fact I am still eating whatever I like just once again - and I cannot emhasize this enough - CHEW.... I haven't even really noticed that much of a difference on the amount of food I have been able to eat in one sitting since getting my fill. Really I haven't felt a big difference since getting my fill and it has probably only curbed my apetite somewhat. My sister asked me today if I felt anything weird or different since having my lap band done - the honest truth is nothing at all - I feel 100% normal and the same as I was before. Nothing but the amount of food I can eat has changed for me - and that is what I told her.

Basically I have eaten this week - among other things of course - carrots (cooked), steak sandwich, cheeses, fish, chicken snitzel, oregano bread, you name it - it looks like a can eat it without issue. I am still eating about 1 cup - e.g. went to dinner yesterday - the best garlic prawns I have ever eaten - the sauce is to die for. If you live in Sydney visit Mario's Restaurant in Croydon. YUMMY - they serve 5 x king prawns and 1 x roll of fresh bread. Well I had about 4 prawns and 1/2 the roll. I should've left it at that but ended up having the last prawn which really made me full - and this time there is no mistaken it - I mean really full. The feeling that you cannot eat anymore or you will throw it up. But I didn't feel sick at all, no pain , no discomfort - just a feeling of over fullness - which is great because I didn't get the munchies last night that's for sure.

I am getting real good at estimating the amount I eat. I always use a side plate as my plate which helps to estimate the amount. This shoudn't be piled up either - nice and flat on the plate. Unfortunatley it is easy enough to cheat - without feeling sick or bad in any way except psychologically. On Thursday we had the biggest morning tea at work - I participated fully - let me asure you - whilst everyone else packed their plates - I ate the usual morsel of food - however you can only eat 1 cup AT A TIME - that means you can basically go back and eat some more every 2 hours or so. That's why the doc's tell you NOT to graze - because you can get alot more in this way, and believe me I DID..... I thought I would share it with you because I want this blog to be as honest as possible. I know that I am still responsible for my weight loss - therefore I know I cannot do this everyday - and so far it has been easy enough not to - as on most days I want to have a good meal - I stay full for 3 to 4 hours - honestly closer to 4 hours and therefore rarely think of food until that time - at which time it is time for dinner again.

I have added a photo - not much difference I know - but what difference in the clothing. I am now in my size 18 jeans at 104 kilos. That's a weight loss of 6 1/2 kilos in 4 weeks since my operation and a total of 26 kilo loss since I started this diet in the new year.

First Fill

Had my first fill today. I wasn't expect it..... I went in for an appointment with the dietician and whilst there I asked to see the doctor as I wanted him to check one of my scars and how it was healing. Anyway.......... the point is he had one look at my scars and remarked about what a good healer I was and gave me a fill right there an then. Two weeks early. He said that the 6 weeks was arbitary in any case and so 4 weeks for the first fill is fine. I believe him - in the US they do it after 4 weeks. Also I have been getting increasingly hungrier so it makes sense - It ruined my lunch plans though. I was too worried to eat too much....

PAINLESS - absolutely painless - not even the feeling of the needle going in. In fact, it hurt less then a bloodtest even with the tiniest of needles. I didn't even feel the needle go in. HONEST

Well I am still 105 kilos but not surprisingly after this weekend of eating so much - alittle at a time can go a long way. I had a get together this weekend and that's my EXCUSE. I will have to get back into it tomorrow with the exercising and sticking to the 3 meals. I was eating everything in terms of variety - rice, pasta, croquettes, corn, peas, prawns, bread - even fresh bread. So basically everything I have been told would be tricky. Now I have been warned to go easy again after this fill. So I will keep everything mushy and I will go back to eating only 1/2 cup of food at a time. I will keep you posted.

CHEW CHEW CHEW and then just for good measure CHEW

Gosh I have no idea what is happening. I've been feeling full again...I am eating still 3/4 cup but it is again lasting quite awhile sometimes up to 5 hours. I don't feel fuller than usual in the mornings like some bandsters have experienced. I pretty much feel full consistently throughout the day. Having said that there is the odd day that I feel more like eating then other days.

Yesterday for one, I had the munchies late in the evening. Perhaps it has something to do with what I eat. I will have to make a mental note of this so that I can work it out. Anyway it doesn't really work out too badly because even when I do snack I cannot eat too much thankfully. I know I shouldn't be snacking but oh well.

In terms of exercise I have been walking to work more often, not everyday but almost. I also have started this week walking at lunch time - about 30 minutes. I am currently 104.8 kilos so I've lost about 51/2 kilos since my operation 3 weeks ago. I suppose it is not too bad. I think the thing to remember is that the lap band helps with the food part of it. The rest is up to us - we still need to be motivated for the exercise part of it - for me, it's just like before the band - except I am not as hungry and therefore it is not as hard.

Food - to be honest - and please don't tell my doctor - I am eating everything... I have not experienced any difficulties with any particular type of ffod including the "enemies" such as white untoasted bread, bread in general, chicken, meat, rice - all the foods I was warned about. I think that the difference is in the CHEWING. I cannot stress this enough, I chew until the food turns into liquid THEN I swallow..... I do not take anything for granted - I chew EVEYTHING and I eat extremely slow...... very clow about 1/2 hour for 3/4 of a cup. CHEW CHEW CHEW - that's all I can say....

Hanging in there

Well one more week of mushies and I'm good. This week I have been eating mostly mushies but I allow myself occasional real food but chew the hell out of it before swallowing. I am still eating very little but eat about 3/4 cup now at a time. I have also been getting hungrier earlier now. Currently my meal lasts me about 3 to 4 hours rather than the 4 to 5 hours previously. It does seems to differ depending on what I eat however, but haven't been able to work it out yet.

I have been grazing and snacking a bit though. I know I have been warned off doing this but I can't help it. The good thing is that I keep it to one mouthful pretty much. Not sure if I am getting my protein in, and still haven't purchased that Whey powder as recommended by the dietician.

I know I wasn't supposed to weigh myself for a whole month but I can't do it. I just can't - I would be better without mum pestering me in the background asking me daily to please weigh myself. Anyway she is a good excuse in any case - lets see how I do once she leaves. Check out my diet ticker I have lost another kilo since last weighing myself. I have lost 25 kilos altogether. I have lost 5 kilos since being banded on 22nd April. 4 kilos on optifast and the rest I did myself.

It really has become noticeable now - I cleaned out my wardrobe earlier this week and threw away many clothes - not just because they don't fit but just wanted new and fresh stuff. I also have of course a bag of clothes that are just too big and I want to throw out and hopefully never ever see them again. Of course most overweight people will not be surprised by the fact that I have a wardrobe in almost all sizes - well from size 24 to 14 anyway. So I have separated all the sizes and will hopefully eventually fit into the size 14. Having started on a size 24 I am now fitting into the sizes 20 - in fact the 20's are too big but the 18's are too tight so I guess I am a size 19.....

Real food - 1 week to go. I am having mostly fish, spinach (through blender) and re-fried mushed up beans, thick soups, and bites of everything else.......

And They're Off

Went to the Doctor today for my post op check up. All is well apparently, and my bandages came off Hurray...... As you can see from the pics the scars don't look too bad. There is 5 cuts along the waist - which you actually can't see in the pic. The one in the middle is the biggest and the most visible. I have a few picmples which I think was a reaction to the bandages but they should clear up soon. In fact my stretch marks are alot more visible then my scars in the photo... how bad is THAT......................... Anyone want to post some stretch mark MIRACLE treatment please share.

I've been given the official ok to eat whatever I like as long as a chew chew chew and make sure that it is not lumpy. I will feel fuller if the food is thick but still needs to be moist. For lunch I had a fish cake (pastel de bacalhau) - not really a good idea as you cannot chew it as there is always fibres left that you can't swallow so I just spat them out. It was still very yummy and has kept me full for over 4 hours now.

I've been really good - no calorie drinks at all. Definately no carbonated drinks. I am desperate to try rice but I am not game enough considering what I have heard. On another of my blogs someone left a frightening message - It was good advice about chewing everything until it is liquid and avoiding pasta and rice altogether. Her band slipped after 3 years - which is scary to think things can go wrong at any time. This is important and was not made clear to me prior to the operation. I thought the risky time was whilst still healing. But doesn't look that way.

No more weight loss - still 106.5 - the Doctor told me not to expect any weight loss in the proceeding 4 weeks, so I am going to try not to even step on the scale for the month. Wish me luck guys.......................

Cheaters Never Prosper

The work week or more accurately 3 days of work, went well. Everyday I was feeling better than the previous week. Today I weighed 106.5 kilos so in almost two weeks I have only lost 3 1/2 kilos which is not much at all considering how little calories I am getting in. Anyway, according to the lap band forums this is to be expected. . . . . doesn't make sense to me but hopefully this will not last. Looks like I have no choice but to start the physical activity part of the deal next week. I have been really lazy and I haven't even done my walks. So as of next week I will start my 1/2 hour walks at least. Let's see if I get an improvement in my weight loss.

Liquids phase for me should finish on Tuesday however, as admitted previously, I have blatently cheated and will continue to do so.....................However now that I am nearly off the liquid phase I can do so without the guilt...........eheheheh - so officially on mushies for next two weeks commencing Monday. I don't think I will have a problem sustaining this as it is alot easier due to the variety of food you can mush.

This morning I had soft scrambled eggs - YUMMY still on about 1/2 cup which sustains me for about 4 hours. So I guess so far so good...... but the weight is just not coming off.

Back to Work

Went back to work today. Wasn't too bad but I felt great but felt more tired than usual towards 3 pm. The burping and "other" was a little difficult to manage in interview with clients. Everyone commented on how much weight I've lost but the reality is I've only lost about 3 kilos since they last saw me. In any case it is nice to see that people are noticing the physical change in me. They were so nice they presented me with a beautiful bouquet of flowers pictured , I have the best work colleagues.

Diet - 7.30 am - I had a banana smoothie made with liquid yoghurt and 1 medium banana...YUM...I felt full until almost 12 pm.

12.30pm - Opti fast Mixed Vegetable Soup - BORING. . . and didn't keep me very full. I was hungry by 3 pmish and starving by 4 pm.

4.30 pm - YUMMIEST - cheated again, and had the rest of that liver with 5 pellets of mashed potatoe. This equals 1/2 a cup of food. I put a little more than 1/2 a cup but looks like 1/2 cup is the upper limit, given I had to leave some as I was too full. I ate very slowly it took me about 25 minutes to eat 1/2 cup - seems like a joke but it isn't . . . . .

I know I shouldn't be cheating but I am being very careful. I water down each morsel of pureed food with lots of saliva - YUK??? actually no - I have never tasted food so well as I am doing now. In fact I am enjoyinng the taste of the food alot better. The tongue is a wonderful tool for tasting - we should use it more often instead of just gulping it down.

Optical Illusion

I suppose this is the best before shot for the lapband procedure. I am 107 kilos here and I was 110 kilos when operated so very little difference. Taken today. I went to the specialist for unrelated issue. All is well. I am 100% recovered now. Went shopping too without a problem. The boots mum gave me finally fit me, albeit they are a little tight at the top. Isn't it funny when you look in the mirror you think you look fine.....then you see the picture. Is this an optical illusion. I think so. . . believe me I spent some time today when I got home comparing my photo with the real life mirror image and for the life of me I cannot explain the difference. Very WEIRD. I don't remember being skinny but does this happen to skinny people too...???? If they are already skinny then imagine how good they THINK they look when they look in the mirror!!!! I think this explains some attitudes on people I know........eheheheheh Personally I can't wait to find out...

Do Not Feed the Lapband Patients

This is me today - 107 kilos. I've lost 3 kilos since being banded. 7 kilos since liquid pre-op diet and 23 kilos from the start weight of 130 kilos.

Today I feel great. Still not sleeping very well - but have got some advice to try Tylenol at night and I will be trying it tonight. I went out shopping with mum and felt great not very tired at all. It is a shame though that my incisions are right on the waist line, which makes it hard to wear anything on your waist and the repeatitive folding appear to aggravate the incisions slightly. Definately not a problem though.

The gas is gone I think - still wake up with a little but not much. I think this may persist. Perhaps from now on I will be passing wind (in both directions) more regularly and with more vigour than previously. I can live with that !!!

Still very hungry. I wake up hungry and I go to bed hungry. I am getting hungry approximately every 2 - 3 hours - but sometimes less. The advantage is that I get full very quickly thankfully but I haven't had a problem keeping anything down at all. i have had the runs though daily.

Today I am definately moving to second stage liquids - specifically this includes thickier and fuller liquids such as pureed soups, creamy soups, milkshakes and smoothies, real yoghurt (mind you the liquid one is yummy so I may decide to stick with that) and I have even had a 10 cent coin amount of soft ricotta cheese today. YUM.................................... gee i miss food. I dream nightly about food and about what foods I will be ale to eat. Admittedly this is one of the areas that held me back from doing the lapband. I don't mind not eating much of anything but I love my food and would love to be able to eat whatever I like.

I went on You tube last night. Couldn't believe the trouble some people are having with the lapband. I guess my turn will come when I start on solids but why can't we eat raw carrots. It doesn't make logical sense but there is definately a consensus on no raw (even if it is grated) CARROT. I am sure there will be plenty of surprises for me. It seems anything white is out also - white bread, pasta and rice.................... my favourites and I am sure what got me into this trouble to start with.

Horror stories on You tube are plentiful - there is some doctor that is posting all these videos about failed lap band patients. They tell their stories and it is quite concerning. This doctor is promoting his weight loss surgery of choice - the Mini Gastric Bypass. If you want to have a look for yourself search for failed lapband and all the videos will come up. Not sure exactly what this is yet but I will endeavour to find out. He reckons that it is normal for lap band patients to feel hungrier post operation when compared to before undertaking the operation. I am going to research this further and will keep you posted. In the meantime I am not going to let it get me down. There are plenty of success stories also and if they can do it then so can I........ Anyway I will just try to remember that if lap band doesn't work for me there is still one other option out there. That's somewhat comforting.

Almost All Better

This photo was taken of me following my waking up from the lap band procedure on Tuesday 22nd April. I don't look too pleased, but actually I was doing very well.

Today I feel great. Getting hungry regularly at meal times. I have commenced today having 2 protein drinks daily instead of just the one. Haven't lost anymore weight since those 2 kilos overnight from Wednesday to Thursday. I have to stop weighing myself. It is going to drive me nuts if I keep doing it daily. I will try to stretch these weigh ins to weekly and hopefully one day to monthly. I guess it is just because I am so excited. Not in pain at all anymore. Still a little gas but very little in fact. Almost back to normal. Last night I thought that I would for the first night sleep completely horizontal. Didn't work. Restless night and woke up somewhere in the middle of the night with a massive back pain and ended up semi upright on the couch again. Won't be making that mistake tonight that's for sure. I made a list today of what foods I am going to allow myself next week commencing tomorrow. Mostly have to remember to keep things very lliquidy - doctor described that it would need to be able to be taken through a straw. Nice and smooth too, no lumps. Includes smoothies and shakes, pureed soups, diluted yoghurt or continue with my liquid yoghurt, creamy soups, soft cremes, jelly, up and go, very soft weatbix, and of course the ever present opti fast range of soups, creme and shakes. Don't forget to follow the link to my diet ticker for latest weight loss results.

First day out of the House

I actually get hungry now. The healing is going really well and the gas is almost completely gone and not very uncomfortable anymore. The cuts are still a little sore but nothing to complain too much about. I managed the optifast shake yesterday by drinking it in 3 goes. I will probably manage better today as I am actually feeling hunger pangs. Today I actually left the house. Went shopping, and I got tired very easily and couldn’t wait to get home. The look on the Chinese lady’s face at the Chinese take away in the food court, when I asked her for a clear broth only wonton soup was funny and she even made it slightly cheaper for me. But I surprised myself by how much I could have. I must have had the whole liquid (approx. 500ml) in about 15 minutes. It does keep you full for some time though.

My breathing is almost 100% - with only the deepest of breaths causing discomfort. I can do all three balls on the respiratory thingy, as I did yesterday. Lots of wind both up and down albeit not as much as yesterday. It’s been a long time since I’ve eaten real food and I find myself thinking about it a lot, but it feels like I am doing so, more objectively as I am not tempted in the least to eat. Even made dinner for my husband yesterday and it did not phase me in the least. I was worried though about not trying it for flavour but nothing I can do. I know I need to do this to heal properly and I know I am not fully healing as sneezing this morning reminded me beyond question.

25th April 2008

Day 3 of recovery. Feeling much better and sleeping just fine. Still not hungry at all but I am increasingly missing eating fullstop. My abdomen is not very sore at all and the gas has thank goodness subsided. Still around though. Having gone for my 15 minute walk helped though. I have been doing my physiotherapy exercises and breathing exercises and I am doing quite well. I have not taken any pain killers today. I don't think I will either. I don't seem to need it.

I wish this liquid phase did not have to be for 2 whole weeks. Just being able to have something more substantive than clear liquids will help though towards the end of the two weeks. Can’t WAIT. I think I am on the road to full recovery by the time I need to go back to work on Wednesday. Thank goodness – I would hate to go back feeling like I do at the moment. I have already lost 2 kilos. Not surprising since I only lost 3 kilos on the optifast despite not eating for 2 whole weeks – that was HELL…. So I guess it is just catching up now, given I am eating even less calories now. I have to make sure I have at least one protein shake today. I didn’t yesterday and I am starting to feel a little weak. I will have it for dinner if I can manage it. I am even getting full on just liquids. Lets hope this restriction continues. Thank goodness mum is here to help me. My husband of course is not complaining about being able to eat take away at practically all meals – NAG FREE.

Second Day at Home

24th April 2008

Wow the pain is a little more today. The incisions and abdomen hurt a bit more today and the gas is also worst and more difficult in coming out. Almost a constant pain to my chest between my breasts which is really what is making me feel full. But I am struggling to even have the water I am supposed to as I am so full all the time. I have gone for a walk today 20 minutes each way it would normally take me half the time at my normal pace but not today – I felt like I was doing a real workout. Sweaty, hot and completely out of breath but one good thing came out of it. I coughed up some phlegm which I believe was stuck there for a while. I slept alright though. No pain during the night – perhaps I actually can sleep through it because as soon as I woke up I felt the pain. I have been tempted to use the pain killers that I picked up today but so far have only used the anti-inflammatories. I will probably use the celebrex later on tonight. Well tonight it will be 48 hrs and according to hospital the pain should be diminishing after this – so fingers crossed for tomorrow. I lost half a kilo since yesterday morning. I am not getting enough calories or nutrition at this stage but just can’t think about that now. Too full and too uncomfortable to eat – even if it is only liquids. Might leave that optifast shake for tomorrow it will be too filling for me today. Started with supradyn liquid multivitamins and benefibre today.

The Day After

23 April 2008


Left the hospital today . . operated yesterday 22nd April. so far so good .... the operation went really well. it was alot less stress and pain free then gall bladder operation I had a few years ago. Almost no discomfort in abdomin area except for slight tenderness. there is though some pain on my shoulder with the build up of gas. I didnt even need any strong pain killers which I was told was best to avoid as it can make somem people nauseous. not even panadol required. I started walking a few hours post surgery as advised. although this hurts more (gas) it helps get rid of the gas eventually so you just have to do it. walked again this morning and tonight. physiotherapist showed me some exercised that I have to do twice daily and a breathing exercise. actually that was probabl the hardest thing when I woke up from surgery. It was hard to take deep breaths. ok now though. feeling quite full today of course and on liquids only - but I don't miss food at all. the gas build up is the worst of it all.

Opti Fast pre-op Diet

I hate it.............arghhhhhhhh...........very difficult to do without cheating. I went well for the first few days but by the end of the last week I was dying to eat. It was definately psychological as the opti fast if taken every four hours keeps you full.

cheated a few times. That's for sure but made sure not to go overboard and remained 90% within the diet. The doctor says my liver looked really small - so I must have done something right.

Starting Off

Well I finally decided to do something about my weight when I saw how my face had exploded in a picture I took with my husband at a friend's wedding in October 2007. I have included the offending pictures above. I was even afraid to weigh myself at that time but after losing some weight I weighed 125kg. This leads me to assume that I was at my peak at least 130kgs. My hair though is really good not bad for a do it yourself job.

My journey began very slowly and gradually I made very small changes. By the end of the year I was 125 kgs. I would describe February 08 as the month where I really began making real changes and I have since then lost weight more regularly (approx 1 kg per week). It was at this time that I commenced exercising also. Very Very slowly at first. I was considering lap band surgery some time before really committed to doing it during this time. This actually motivated me more - which was interesting and I lost some more weight and was 114 kilos by the time I had to start the pre-op optifast diet.