Hi, im Jo & was banded 5th Sept 2013

[oztega]

Thought it was time to stop being shy and tell a bit of my story, so here goes...

I'm Jo, 49 yrs old & mum of three grown-up lads. Two of my lads are on the Autistic-Spectrum & one has gone on to develop Schizophrenia. I was married to my childhood sweetheart, together 22 yrs but it all ended rather badly when I left him back in 1999 due to his controlling behaviour.

I was a very skinny child who really wasnt into food much then lost my dad, hit puberty & found my appetite with a vengeance! By 13 I was 12 stone & on diet pills, which needless to say didnt work.

Ive been on just about every diet going since, have been as heavy as 19 stone & as light as 11 stone, but despite my best efforts always put it back on & more, I am the poster girl for comfort-eating & yo-yo dieting!

In the last year two of my lads have left home & i met a lovely guy & we are engaged to be married next year sometime So I decided now is the time to do something to help me lose the weight & keep it off, stop messing my poor body about anymore.

My start weight was about 17 stone, I was banded at Dolan Park, 5th Sept and all went well. I'm now at 4 weeks on starting to reintroduce more solid foods & textures, divine! I had my first fill today which was so much easier than i imagined, hurray!

I have a 14ml band & was told it had 5ml put in on Op day but the nurse who did my fill today took out all the fluid to check & could only find 4ml, she didnt seem surprised & said its not uncommon, she topped it up with 2 ml & I now have 6ml in total. Feel very gurgly & full of wind but feel fine, looking forward to finding my sweet spot & shifting this weight, slowly but steadily

So thats me in a rambly ole nutshell lol

I havent posted much yet as still feeling my way round but have been drinking in all the great advice & being amazed at the many inspirational journeys ive seen.

I look forward to getting to know you all a bit better, so thanks for sharing your stories & sorry if i wombled on too much! Xx

 

[ICAWM]

Hi Jo
No wombling here.

Nice introduction and good to hear about people. People fascinate me.

Congratulations on your surgery (if that's the right thing to do). Look forward to hearing - and seeing - your progress updates x

 

[sarahrob]

Hi Jo! I was banded by THG in august, due to go for my second fill tomorrow. I look forward to seeing your updates

 

[slaz]

Hi Jo, welcome to the forum. You will find a lot of support here regarding weight loss but you will also find support for non weight related issues as we all have different back stories and there will be somebody on here that your life so far will resonate with. Welcome again.

 

[top_kat]

Jo, welcome and you "womble" on as much as you want, wish or more so need to - after all, its what these boards and we are here for

And welcome to banded life - it can take a while to get used to, and to work out and learn the "quirks" that your body will certainly have with your band.

I have had my band 13 1/2 months and it has changed my life in a way I never thought possible, I am now the lightest I have been since I was 17! I can't believe I spent 23 years of my life being as heavy as I have been, and how different life is now.

The band isn't easy. It takes a LOT of hard work and will power as you find or work to find your level of restriction - from my own experience it has taken me over 13 months to find that, but follow the guidelines, work with the wonderful tool it is and I am sure that you will be walking down that aisle feeling wonderful

 

[oztega]

Thanks for the welcome & kind words

ICAWM, I find people fascinating too, given my time over I like to think I would have studied anthropology, I think it comes from having a pretty out there family lol

Sarah, lovely to meet you, good luck for your 2nd fill today! & please let me know how it went x

Slaz, thanks for the welcome & Hi my life is relatively calm these days, thank goodness! But always nice to know there is somewhere where others can relate xx

Top Kat, Hi & thanks for the welcome Ive been following your quest for restriction with interest & was so pleased to see your latest fill has been successful so far! Woo & indeed Hoo! Really keeping fingers crossed for you xx

Thanks for sharing your story as it has helped me a lot. I really appreciate how hard you have had to work to lose over 10 stone & the advice you have posted along the way has been invaluable, you are amazing girl! & i look forward to reading your progress & shouting in yr direction when i need help!

In other news ive had an unusual night, first fill yesterday and have been gurgling like a geyser all night, then the inevitable wind kicked in! My poor partner started off amused but after a couple of hours i was so embarrassed i took myself off to the spare-room...just as well as it would seem i may have overdone the Movicol the doc prescribed last week. Spent most of the night in the bathroom, Erk...wont make that mistake again!

 

[top_kat]

Oh goodness but yes, the famous gurgling lol

 

[oztega]

It takes a bit of getting used to, its so loud! Just made myself laugh by imagining a convention of us banders & the noise at lunch lol :-D

 

[Val]

It takes a bit of getting used to, its so loud! Just made myself laugh by imagining a convention of us banders & the noise at lunch lol :-D

CAN YOU IMAGIN WHAT ALL THE OTHER DINERS WOULD BE THINKING.."FEED THOSE POOR WOMEN THEY SOUND STARVED", LOL!!!!!!
Ooooops sorry Caps lock was on

 

[oztega]

Exactly Minn! :-D

In all seriousness, I'm hoping it settles down because a meal out with friends or family [who dont know as ive only told my partner,son and mum] will be hard to explain...

Feeling really dizzy and not too sharp this evening, think the combo of stinky cold, overdoing the Movicol and being up half the night has got to me. Hoping a coffee and watching Strictly:Takes two soon sorts me out

Hope everyone else is doing ok xx

 

[frankyboysh7]

Welcome and good luck

 

[Banderbird]

Hi Jo and welcome - good luck with your journey.

I bet you're an amazing mum. My neighbour has two severely autistic sons, and she's incredible.

I have the joys of this mega-gurgling to come lol

 

[oztega]

Hi Franky, thanks & good luck to you too xx btw I saw your post about Curried Parsnip soup and you are so right! yummm!

Hi Banderbird, thanks for the kind words, much appreciated, just doing my best & have learnt over the years to laugh most things off xx & yes, brace yourself re the gurgling

Finally figured out how to upload my pic & i'm sideways any suggestions about how to get it right gratefully received!!

Feeling much better since having some nice mushy corned beef hash. Hoping to start swimming again tomorrow, used to go three times a week but got out of the habit so looking forward to getting back to it, just hope the pool is quiet so I can sneak in unnoticed

 

[frankyboysh7]

Were you lying down when you took the pic?
That might me it.

 

[oztega]

Aah, yes...thought everyone did?!

No worries, will try & sort it out later, im usually quite good with pc stuff, but just got new laptop & windows 8 is so diff ( translation: crap) to vista can't find where anything is?!?

Seem to have hit a speed-bump, weighed myself this morning & have gained 3lbs, I know from reading other banders diaries this is quite common so was prepared but still makes you feel like rubbish! Im watching my cal intake, under 1200, and keeping to small portions so shall just keep going & hope it settles back down.

Was feeling demotivated so tried on old pair of jeans which were really tight & uncomfortable 2 weeks ago & they fit! loose in places even so happy with that always nice when you can sit down in your kecks without it cutting off your blood supply lol

Off swimming in a bit, hope everyone else is doing well xx

 

[frankyboysh7]

Stop weighing yourself!

 

[Banderbird]

It's the inches that count as much as the weight

 

[sarahrob]

I managed to gain on liquids! Thankfully as fast as I gained the weight it dropped again. It's worth taking measurements if you haven't already, so you can measure yourself shrinking.

Good news on the keks!

 

[oztega]

Thanks for the support guys, you all make good points

I threw my scales away many many years ago as if i lost lbs I ate to celebrate and if i gained I ate to commiserate [pillock!] Decided after the Op that i was just acting in denial so got some again. Started off just weighing myself once a week but soon became every morning, so Franky, well said and i shall try to leave the damn scales alone.

Just having one of those days, feel totally meh and this is when I would usually cheer myself up by mindlessly snacking, usually chocolate or crisps, and as if trying to take on my lifelong foe, food, isnt enough, I also quit smoking a week before the OP, so cant even have a fag anymore!!

Just keep telling myself that this time IS going to be different, this time the weight is coming off & STAYING OFF, been here so many times before, so weary of losing then gaining it right back...

Sarah, are you me!? Putting on weight while on liquids, ouch Sometimes it seems like our bodies have it in for us! & yes thank the lord for looser keks!

Thanks again lovelies, hope you are all doing ok xx

 

[sarahrob]

Well done on quitting smoking, that's brilliant!

I do weigh myself every day (sometimes more than once, ridiculous!), but I only record my Sunday weight. I do have days where I gain, but then I'll lose a lump of weight very suddenly, it's bizarre. I guess the point I'm trying to make (honest, I do have one) is that fluctuation is normal, and as long as the trend is downwards don't let small blips on odd days get you down. I giggle when I gain on 600 calories of liquids - that's about par for the course with me! x