Roro

Thats so fantasic Michelle... im so happy for you... and that smile in your picture says it all.

You are truely an inspiration to me and many others here xoxox

Hahahahaha... you guys are sooooo funny.

I must try that chandelier for my new ab exercises... turn it into a real fun exercise event for all... sure the hubby wont mind!!

First Pic-June 9th-Day before surgery http://s483.photobucket.com/albums/rr192/c...oreandafter.jpg

Sec Pic-July 10th-One month postop http://s483.photobucket.com/albums/rr192/c...urrent=bef2.jpg

Third Pic-Sept 6th-Almost 3 months postop http://s483.photobucket.com/albums/rr192/c...nt=sept6004.jpg

I can't seem to get the pics to show up on the post, MamaMichelle, help!!!

Cathy, your looking amazing... 45 pounds in almost 3 months is fantastic !! Your an inspiration, I hope to do aswell as you xx

Im also having problems uploading photos from my computer... any ideas???

I just checked my BMI and I am at my optimum weight. All I have to do is somehow grow another 23 inches to a height of 7 feet 6. Sometimes that seems just as easy as losing weight.

Hahahahaha... thats so funny... good luck with the 23 inches.

Its a daily battle... but we will all get there in the end my friend xx

Okay, I know this is what we demand as a bandster, but wholly cow, I can barely eat a thing.

I was able to eat an english muffin w/sausage this morning, about 5 bites of chicken at lunch and 1 chicken fajita for dinner and wow, major restriction.

I chew chew chew until it's liquid, I am so afraid of another PBing episode, so far so good.

I need to retrain my brain again to stop when I'm full....that is the hardest part of all this...a plate of food, take a few bites and want more, but can't.

Cross your fingers it stays for awhile and I can get back to being a loser!!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Im sorry about you not being able to eat much... but OMG look at you... you look amazing... and 43lbs ... that is fantasic... when i saw your new profile pic i had to look twice... WELL DONE!!!

:cheerleader: :cheerleader: :cheerleader: :cheerleader: Kim you look soooo good, and im so happy for you. The pictures are always

such great encouragement for us bandsters... for me personally i cant imagine how good it will feel to get into a size 12... dreaming of that day xox

OK...I need some input from everyone about how they are doing with the excess skin that comes with the weight loss. I am 5'1" and started out at 268. As of today, my 4 month anniversary, I weight 201. I just love to see how much narrower my body has become, but when the clothes come off and I stop holding my stomach in, I feel like I don't look any different..and unfortunately that's due to the nasty apron of skin around the belly. I even notice that the inside of my thighs have started to look like drapes. Not a pretty picture, huh? At 49 years of age, I know the skin isn't going to bounce back like a 20 year old, but what have you all been doing to help your skin "catch up" with your weight loss? Is it possible to exercise enough so that your body gets toned? Unless I win the lottery, a tummy tuck or any other tuck is out of the question. I have a gym membership and basically I'm doing the treadmill, the bike and sit ups. I believe a younger bandster will have an easier time of toning the body, but what about us older bandsters? I would love to just relax my body, instead of feeling like I always have to pull my gut in. So what kind of toning moves are you doing and do you think it makes a difference?

Thanks

Barb

Try to stay positive Barb, before being banded i spoke to my Dr about the extra skin especially around my waist after having 3 kids,.. he said to give your body 2 years before even considering any surgery for the extra skin..he said majority of the extra skin as a living organ will slowly start to fit our new body... but not as quick or as perfect as we would like due to skin elasticity ... but there is still hope for us !

I just found out today from my orthopaedic doc that I have a torn meniscus that he is going to have to repair with surgery. This has been a LOOOOONNNNGGGGG process in that I fell over a year and 1/2 ago and have gone to 4 orthopaedic docs and have had 2 MRI's of my left knee. At times I have thought i was crazy since I can barely walk. Well FINALLY my most recent doc has found it and I go in day after tomorrow to find out what his plans are. I am freaking out because I am now only 10 days out from getting my band and am wondering what you guys think I should do. Should I go ahead and have the surgery on my knee and go to OCC with my leg bandaged up, or should I wait til after my banding to have the surgery and go with the bum knee? I've been dealing with it for a year and 1/2 and apparently a piece has broken off and is now loose in there and it hurts like crazy...but i just don't know what to do. My other option would be to put my banding off another week or 2...but I really don't want to do that either...Has anyone ever had an arthroscopic knee surgery and can tell me how long it will be til I can get around again?

Thanks guys! :lb12:

Hey Vix... i totally agree with Blazn about checking with the Dr about what order to have the surgeries in... Ive had arthroscopic knee surgery and the recovery time can be different for everyone... but i remember i was still able to get around quite easy just after the surgery just a little slower! Goodluck and keep us updated.

Maybe you are cooking the meats too long....I use my George Foreman grill and it makes nice moist meats every time. If things get a little too done it will dry out and then I have to whip out the ketchup or BBQ sauce! Here is a very easy chicken recipe and the meat falls right off the bone...you can use pork if you want

Chicken Adobo

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup vinegar

1/2 cup water

Minced Garlic

Chopped Onions

Chicken pieces (I use boneless, skinless thighs) or Pork

Put this all into a skillet and bring to a boil and then cover and simmer for about 30 minutes and then take the cover off and cook until the liquid thickens. This is very delicious and the meat will fall apart it is so juicy and flavorful! Bon Apetite!

That sounds so yum... i will definately give that a go

Okay, I was banded July 21st and just started on chewable food this week. I am not a cook. Most of my weight is a tribute to eating out every day...literally. So, I cooked a turkey burger in a pan with a little olive oil. It was dry. So, I tried a boneless, skinless, chicken breast. Again, dry. Tonight, I grilled a little cubed steak with veggies...dry. I haven't been able to finish any of it completely. My jaws give out before I'm full!! Any advice on EASY, 4 ingredient tricks to moisten this stuff up? Also, aside from tuna & salmon, what else is on a sashimi platter? Maybe this will be moister...it certainly can't be any drier!!

Thanks again for any advice.

I was banded on the 22nd of July so im actually starting to cook and eat real food aswell. And I understand your frustration... its sometimes an effort to actually make something and then when it turns out DRY thats a huge disapointment... What i do is measure out 100grams of lean meat.. chicken or red meat

and soak it over night in natural yoghurt... its a natural tenderiser.. with the chicken i add a little tandori paste. The trick is to cook it on low heat and not to over cook it. I created a meatball reciepe and they are really yummy...and has about 23grams of protein per 100grams...

I freeze them in 100g serves and take them out as needed.. its helps with those days where i don't have the time to cook....Even the kids think they are great

500g extra lean heart smart mince

1 grated carrot

2 tablespoons of salt reduced tomato paste

1 egg

3/4 cup of dry breadcrumbs

1 teaspoon of curry powder

1 teaspoon of mixed all spice

2 tablesoons of caramelised onions

2 tablespoons of worchestshire sauce

Salt and pepper

Add all the ingredients to a large bowl and mix.... then make them into small balls... i usually weigh the first ball to 50 grams then make them all the that size.

Then i place them all on non stick paper in the oven on around 150 degrees for about 30 minutes... There quick there yummy and i beleive low in fat and high in protein.

Goodluck

:cheerleader: OMG :cheerleader: . .. you look so beautiful ... congrats to both you and your husband, Im so happy for you. xoxoxox

Its pictures like this that keeps me motivated !!!

Hello

Im just wondering what some of the different brands of post op drinks you had where.

I was recommended 'Optislim' I think, there are others I know as well which might be good like :

Optimax

Sustagen

(But that's all I know off so I am hoping some experts here can fill me in)

But id love to know yours as im pre- preparing for my op.

I know about the juices and soups etc but I am after only the ones you can buy because I might not be in the mood to do stuff after the op

Thanks everyone xx

Hi again WormButterfly... what worked best for me is Opti-fast (chocolate) my Dr recommended that 1 week prior to surgery for Breakfast, lunch and dinner..

was a little tuff and was hungry and emotional for the first few days.. but it was sooooo worth it. Ive noticed that some of the things mentioned (recommended)we dont have here in Australia... which is a bit of a bummer... i was told you could also have Tony Furgerson shakes which is available from Bloom and Terry White pharmacy's. I was banded here in Sydney on the 22nd of July and my starting weight was 106.7 kilos... with opti fast in the past 4 weeks i have dropped 10 kg which is about 22lbs... ive been told that will slow down but thats okay too... Also since being banded ive been taking Supradyn which is a daily vitamin supplement which dissolves in about half a cup of water... just have to remember to let it go flat before drinking .Im still pretty new at this too but i hope that helps.

OMG!!!! Ridiculous! Bye --- best wishes

Kimmy, seriously ive read alot of your comments on posts and i think that you really need to be more careful with your choice of words... support and encouragement would be great... we all daily battle with weight issues and to come on here and have to read nasty demeaning comments is starting to make

people feel uncomfortable... so please try and stay positive and provide positive helpful feedback.

Hello,

My Dr comes reccomended well as far as his place of business, apart from that i dont know much about him or anyone that does the operation. You all say to research about your dr, but how do you do that? He sounds very well known, has written journal articles and is head of surgery, that sounds great dosnt it. However where can I find more? He is based in Melbourne, (VIC) Australia.

Thanks so much

WormButterfly

Hi WormButterfly...

I was recently banded by Dr Loi who is quite well known here in Sydney Australia... when i was doing my research i searched in goggle and i found alot of information from previous patients. When I typed Dr Peter Nottle name in Goggle... and alot of information came up... there is some information in Yahoo messages from ppl who have had there band with that dr... they have there yahoo id's maybe you could email them and ask them some questions. I hope that helps. xox

I won't be having mine done at OCC and have just realised that this is a site for OCC. Is everyone else here because they had their surgery done at OCC or are there other ringins?

Hey Shasha, I had my surgery done here in Australia and found this website by chance. I log on daily and read most of the posts... I have found it really great and the people here are really supportive. Everyone is different although it is great to talk and read about things that you were not aware of or read about something simular to what your going through...

I also brought the Wii fit here in Australia last week... seems to be a shortage everywhere. Paid $150 here... seeing our dollar is almost the same as the US these days you guys are getting it much cheaper than us. BUT its worth every cent To be exercising and having fun in the luxury of my own lounge room is priceless.

Ive not exercices for many years so its a great way to get started for anyone at any age... Big High 5 to Nintendo Wii from me xoxo

Oh Michelle, im so sorry to hear you so upset... i will pray that you find what you have lost.. Although i have a good feeling you will find it... xoxox

Wow.... You look great... im soooo sooo haPPy for you Amber... its an amazing journey. Thanks for sharing it with us xox

Posture does have 2 elements working together to make it good. First a conscious effort to sit and stand tall and suck in the "core" as much as possible. the stronger your core is the more able you can do this. Now with excess weight it is more difficult and your muscles are out of shape I am assuming so this is more challenging. It's my opinion that weight loss alone will not help your posture but can help you to manage it better. There's alot of good info out there on how to strengthen your "core" as in pilates, ab work and many other ways. We must make an effort at all times to suck in our stomach and stand tall with or without extra weight to achieve optimal posture.

Thats great information Julie.... Ive always known that i have poor posture but its funny now that i have had the banding that the port actually hurts when

im leaning more forward or not sitting straight.. so its like a jab to my abdomin saying " sit straight and stand tall " In a few more weeks and hopefully

a few less kilos (pounds) i may start doing some pilates core work to help.

Michelle.... you look amazing just after 5 months... your truely an inspiration to a new bandit like myself. xox :girl_dance:

I wonder too. Potatoe and other mushy foods will get liquidy if you add fluids to them? Did you get a list of what is considered mushy food? I was so surprised at all the foods that fall into that catagory on the list from my fill doctor.

Hi Barb,

Would you mind to post your list ofwhat is considered Mushy? Its been 11 days that ive been banded here in Australia and im currently in my mushy stage..although im sort of confused whats mushy and whats not... have a daily menu idea from my dietian although hasn't given me a list of foods that are considered Mushy...I was able to have some scrambled eggs tonight...and they stayed down okay... although im not sure if its really considered mushy... :-?

I found that Opti-fast doesn't taste great at all for the first week.. and i almost puked everytime i had to drink it...but in all honesty ive been on them now for almost 3 weeks... and im actually really enjoying them and they are actually tasteing GREAT. I have only tried the Chocolate and its really yummy if u add some crushed ice. :lb3:

G'day mate!

You made a bonza decision getting the band. (I've got a wonderful friend in SA, near Adelaide, and she's taught me ALL the best terms, including 'crikey'.)

Another possibility for you is to look for a nutrition store nearby. We have them here, called GNC (General nutrition company) and they sell all sorts of food supplements. A store like this one should have that product, or at least a parallel product that would accomplish the same objective.

About the questions... no worries.... keep right on asking them!

Bill

Hey Bill... gee read a few of your posts.. sounds like the girls give you a hard time... or should i say the other way around (only kidding)

Ive been banded now 6 days... and feeling pretty good, had a bit of a scare tonight with a small amount of no fat custard...i ate tooo fast... i totally forgot slow,

slow, slow ....thought it was going to bring it back up but i managed to keep it down :lb16:

I feel pretty blessed to have found such forum... Ive read and learnt so much here already... unfortunately there is not alot of support for ppl that have banding

here in Oz, well not that ive found yet anyway.

Hubby went to a big GNC in the city today but was told due to the FDA laws here in Oz we don't have liquid protein :punish: although he found Musashi Protein Powder which has about 31g of protein per serve... just not to sure if i can add it to my opti-fast - will give it go and see what happens - cross ur fingers for me :i-m_so_happy:

Hey Gang

I love that I am much smaller than I have been in the last 7 yrs,

however I have lost my bum and now find it uncomfortable to sit down on a hard surface.

I think I will have to get knickers with the fake bum cheeks in them.

Nicolek

~ Thats so great to hear Nicolek, im sooo happy for you... =D> =D> praying for that day where my butt bones actually touch the seat.. im also

happy to share my extra cheek with you to help with your no bum problem

:cheerleader: ~~Congrats on being Banded ~~ :cheerleader:

Ive now been banded for 6 days and for the first 3-4 days i did burb alot, it seems to have settled in the last 2 days

so i can tell you its pretty normal :good3: