10 days post op

Seeing as its 10 days since the operation, I thought I would be a little more adventurous with my food.

This evening I made pasta with pesto, red peppers, tomato and Parmesan. Wooooooo!

The pasta was from Hungary. I bought it when I was there last month as it looked perfect for my post-op diet. Its basically tiny 2mm blobs of pasta that swell a little when cooked. I guess they use it in soup or for baby food. It boiled really quickly in 5 minutes, so its nice to know its a quick meal if I need it. I had no idea how much to use, so I put in about 50 grams of it. When it was done I put a teaspoon of pesto with it and a quarter of a soft boiled red pepper and the flesh of the tomato and sprinkled it with Parmesan. There was quite a lot there, and I was right to think that I wouldn't finish it. I managed about half. so next time, I will be sure just to use 25 grams of the pasta!!

Anyway, it was delicious.

Before the operation I was worried that I would be looking longingly at other peoples meals, or that I would still want the rest of the meal I had left on my plate but not able to eat it.

I realise the BEAUTY of this gastric band is that I feel neither of those things.

I eat my food slowly, enjoying it with everyone else. I fill up quickly and the fullness really does mean that i don't WANT any more food. Not mine, or anyone else's either!

Gastric Banding is like magic. They say its no magic cure, and I am sure it is not, but it is a magic tool. Its like no other tool around. It is impossible for me to over eat. That was my problem, and now its not. I couldn't care less for cakes, sweets or milkshakes. Cream and sweet things were never my fall downs. I like savory things. And lots of them.

I think that if you like the sweet stuff, the Gastric Band is not for you. You could cheat too easily and temptation would be hard to resist. You would be better of with the RNY Gastric Bypass as then you get the malabsorbtion of calories.

The band works best if you are a volume eater. If you love your food and are always hungry, then this is the baby for you.

I could cry at the result. I cannot express my delight at having this operation. I weighed up the other options very carefully, and did my research. I chose the right option for me. I am glad. No doubt the RNY would have been great too, but the Lap Band is just fine. If I had been a sweet lover, then I would have chosen the bypass, but I searched myself and I am a double starter girl rather than a double pudding girl!

The feeling of satiety is the absolute key to this. You just don't WANT the food if you are hungry. I have no cravings for Chinese, or Indian or any of my favorites. DH had a kebab after badminton the other day and because I was full, the thought made me feel ill. However, lets not forget that in the future if I want a kebab, I can have one. I weigh it up against the weight I want to lose and the calories. I will only be able to manage a few bites anyway, and frankly I cant see the point of wasting my capacity for nutrition on something like that. That said, I am not perfect and I expect that at some point I will nibble something naughty. I doubt there is a person alive that doesn't - skinny or fat.

I know that this band will work for me. It makes me quite emotional to think of being slimmer. I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that this was the best thing I ever did in my life.

I weigh in at slimming world tomorrow, and yes, I told the consultant about it. She was very supportive and had actually had a couple of people who had had surgery to aid their obesity. So she is all behind me coming to class, and its just between us. She is right when she says its a tool to help me, because I could sit there and melt mars bars and drink syrup. I still have to make informed choices about the foods which I eat. They also have to be healthy. I would hate my hair and nails to stop growing or my skin to be rubbish.... so I am glad that I can still attend. I didn't think it was fair to just carry on going without telling her.

So I will let you know how much I have lost this week.