Bright

Sue I've been killing myself trying to find chewable multivitamins WITH iron - please, does anyone know if we shouldn't be taking iron? I normally take Haliborange chewable tablets - multivitamin with iron and calcium.....but recently started having Berocca - it disolves in a glass of water and is concentrated B vits, Vit C and Zinc - I find it brilliant for energy and stress relief..... They are available in the US for about $15 I believe....

jeez.......I feel physically ill seeing that second photo again! Aaarrgghh! New Hope - thanks so much! I am 34 and the great skin is courtesy of Lancome! If I lighten up the avatar, I will look more like pic 2! That's my biggest beauty tip - take photos with the flash off Thanks too Leatha

Alex, my boob-twin!!!!! I'll check out your recommendations - I get mine at Marks & Spencers - only the best store in the whole world next to Ikea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Donali honey - lovin you so much! Lane Bryant would prob send stuff to Ireland but the shipping/tax ends up costing more than the bloody product so don't worry about it! I am defo getting to the US next year - have travelled enough this year so far! And maybe, hopefully, perhaps, some of you could meet me in NYC or where ever we visit? While I'm there I usually stock up on Gap stuff for the kids and Pottery Barn stuff for the house - but now MAYBE i'll be slim enough to get into gap stuff or whatever thinner cool people wear over there! Thanks a million Rica - you are my new favourite LBTer!

Yay Sarah, so glad to see you here! When we "spoke" (through the magic of MSN Messenger!) recently, my heart went out to you, you seem to be suffering so much, in a circle of self-loathing and comfort eating - You HAVE to look at the weight you have lost with joy and respect. If you didn't have your band put in, you would more than likely weigh 50lbs more than your top weight. I am so glad you got the book - she specifically doesn't lay out exact diet plans but lists food's glycemic (sp?) index, ie how much of a sugar "hit" you are likely to get from certain foods - she has fructose syrup at one end of the scale, and wood at the other end! For people who haven't heard of/read the book, here is a quote: "While we think of sugar as a food, it is actually a drug - an external substance acting throughout the brain and body on cellular receptors designed for an internal chemical called glucose. Since glucose is usually the only fuel the brain can ever use, and is critical to mental clarity, mood states and the controlled release of energy in the body, it is astounding how cavelierly we sprinkle sugar, its inferior substitute, into everything from children's breakfast to ketchup. If sugar were to be put on the market for the first time today, it would probably be difficult to get it past the FDA...." I don't want to advertise this book - when I read it, the whole concept of the glycemic index of food was totally novel to me - but I now often see articles/books/tv programs about it - so if you are interested in this concept, or feel you may be sugar sensitive, you could check out any source really. What attracted me was, the title - I had just weaned myself off prozac - I had all the symptoms of depression, and was prescribed the drug, but it made me crazy - so I felt there was something else wrong - and kept researching until I fould the link between sugar addiction + MO + depression. She even mentions in the book how you are more likely to suffer from sugar sensitivity if you have a lot of alcoholics in your family, which I do, so this convinced me that I was on the right track. I am SHOCKED at the difference this theory has made on my life - that's all I can say. And Sarah, I really hope it helps you too - mostly tho, you should try to visit the support boards, and try not to get too isolated - you are doing brilliantly, considering the year you have just been through - I am thrilled for you and so proud of you.

see? This is me on the damn beach - this one is actually taken at night - wouldn't be fair to you guys to show you the swimsuit one....

oh my god - thank you so much for the compliments guys - tragically I excitedly got home from my vacation, shaking all over from withdrawal symptoms from my pc, and quickly hooked up the digital camera to view all the gorgeous photos - I looked VILE in all of them - you know when you are in the sun, (doesn't happen much to us Irish folk!!!) - and suddenly you feel all free and sexy - you stick on a vest top, skip wearing makeup - let your hair go free (ie don't bother blow drying it or *ahem* BRUSHING it) - you smile confidently at the camera, thinkin, this'll be a BE-YOOO-TI-FUL photo - well, I thought I'd look all californian hippy girl on the beach - I ACTUALLY looked like middle-aged irish woman abroad with red sunburn and v saggy boobs! Siiiiiighhhh.... So I picked up cruel unkind digital camera and, snap, took a photo sittin right there at the 'puter in my junk room with all my crap and rubbish behind me - I enclose the regular sized one for y'all to see - professionally done? Em, no, but I think the camera sorta knew this was his last chance....

I pretty much avoid sugar when i can - it really causes mood swings and wrecks my life (I am a fully paid up member of Drama Queens of Ireland) so if I am really needing a sugar fix, I have it before bed so I become Bitch of the World when I'm asleep. Eg: on holidays I had some chocolate before bed or some icecream but still woke up with a kind of sugar hangover - headache and feeling sort of grumpy/blue. Also the sugar hit is minimised if you have it with a "good" food - ie I have blueberry jam on a linseed/wholemeal cracker or breadroll.... Sorry for being boring about this - I feel so evangelical about it! Really has changed my life, I now feel so guilty for all the mood swings my family has had to endure when the "answer" was so simple....

Yay thanks for the validation Alex, I feel so HELPFUL for once! And yup, me and Britney have SOOO much in common - 'cept of course I have orange hair.... hmmmm go on then Donali, you ARE right :rolleyes - actually you probably are - I presume the gas is caused by the air swallowing that must go on with incessant gum chewing... but apparently it's sugar free that causes the bloating, not regular gum so I dunno what that's about! I haven't tried regular gum because I really don't need to be latching on to another sugar filled product.... but perhaps in the interest of science and banded-kind I'll give it a go... Neicy, I so know where you're coming from - I was dependant on my gum to help curb my appetite - I would pop some in to "officially" end a meal and between meals to just have something to chew! Since I've stopped chewing I have started to brush my teeth way more often which is a good thing I guess AND I look way classier not blowin bubbles!

I don't know if I mentioned before but I have put a lot of stock by the book "Potatoes, not Prozac" by Kathy De Maison - she talks about being MO and addicted to sugar - she originally found out while working with recovering alcoholics, if they stayed away from sugar they could keep up their resistance to alcohol much more efficiently. She then applied this thinking to herself, she was overweight, depressed, having a Jekyll/Hyde personality etc, and realised that she was sugar sensitive. When I read the book I was positive I was too sugar sensitive but did nothing for close to two years as I couldn't bear the thought of not having my sugar every day - when I was out at gatherings/parties/pubs people used to tease me about being tipsy/merry/slightly drunk and I wouldn't have had any alcohol at all - I definitely got a high from my sugar addiction - I was almost manic at times - I had a close friend at the time who is bi-polar, and he used to tell me my "symptoms" were almost exactly like his - swooping manic highs one minute, devastating depressed lows the next. When I was preparing for my surgery for banding, I decided to apply the principles of this book to my future W.O.E. (tm Donali!) and I cannot tell you enough about the difference it has made on my life - forget the weight loss, I feel so great, so in control - I can sleep, I don't feel depressed, I have more confidence, less mood swings etc - Food is definitely an addiction. It is never cured, just managed day by day. I strongly believe I will be managing this addiction forever, with the help of my band.

congratulations Alex - you look wonderful - so happy too! So proud for you xx

wow Donali, you look amazing! It is such a triumph to get into MEN'S jeans too - they are cut so much narrower than female jeans - AND the thigh is slimmer too apparently so double WOW! Loving the bra too - having such trouble getting a bra to fit these days - the "big" bra's in the plus size shops are too big - and the one's for large busts are too small in the back sizes - they only go up to a 38 or 40 here - I really need a 42DD - I can get a 46 EE or a 38DD but nothin in between! Aaaarrgghh! There is a brilliant English company called Bravissimo (www.bravissimo.com) who do great bras for large busts if anyone's interested! Pretty sure they's ship to the US. Sadly they are too tight for me.... I have one bra that really HOISTS everything up - I call it the Medievil Truss.... Think I should try to market the name to Victoria's Secrets?

my sister is anorexic/bullemic and weighs less than 100lbs - she looks scary, and we worry so much about her - when I went to France to "interview" my surgeon who eventually performed the wls, he was asking about my family history - I told him about my sister, and he said "you are both exactly the same - it is the same illness, establishing itself in different ways...." My mother used to call us Laurel & Hardy - helpful! I was watching some old video the other day of me about 2 years ago, at my top weight of 330lbs, and I was shocked at how awful I looked, not just vanity wise, but all puffed up with a sheen of sweat on my face... straining to walk around Disney World.... I was really angry watching that from the perspective of 80lbs lighter - where the hell was my family/friends at that time? Nobody ever took me aside and said "hey, you are going to die young here - can I help you fight this?" Everyone rallied around my sister and begged her to get help, literally moved mountains to help her - I never thought anything of this other than, she has a serious problem and I'm just stupid and fat. It is way more politically correct to be anorexic/bullemic than MO, if you know what I mean. I talk a lot about being MO these days - talking to family/friends about the reasons I got so overweight, and they all kind of turn away, and find the subject a litte distasteful, as if I was sharing too much intimate information..... Fat is definitely the last taboo...

thanks sue - I am just back from my vacation in France - our Ferry directly from France to Ireland was cancelled, and we had to drive 11 hours up through france to England, then 7.5 hours through England to Wales and get a direct ferry to Dublin - Sitting in motorway traffic in britain for so bloody long I was just about ready for a laugh! You obliged, thanks a million! Ps - remind me to fly next time!

.......my husband was like "Wow", Donali - thought you were the "after" on one of those pages for cosmetic surgery, that I'm always looking at! The girls are looking good - no wonder Indiana is buildin up those airmiles!!!

Fantastic progress Babs, well done - I'm absolutely thrilled for you - here's some more dancing bananas!!! :banana :banana :banana :banana :banana :banana :banana :banana :banana :banana :banana

I'm with Weenie Alex - THUNK :knockedou :knockedou :knockedou (me fainting...) Teresa, I don't even want to think about you having all of those accidents - shouldn't you wear bubble wrap or something?

What a wonderful outlook Your girls are gorgeous Alex - wish summer would drop by Ireland!

wow Leo - you look fantastic - you look SKINNY!!! I am so happy for you - well done xx

Today it's exactly nine months since surgery and I am still delighted with my wonderful band - at last I have found a fill doctor (I have a 9cc Inamed band which the surgeon filled to 4cc during surgery) and am looking forward to having my first fill sometime in August/September. Anyway - I was wondering if anyone else gets frequent pains under the shoulder area, above left breast? I have been having this pain for weeks now, it's very similar to the gas pains post surgery, and actually I had this exact pain before when it turned out to be pneumonia! I have no other symptoms, and am sure it's not pneumonia this time but it is quite irritating at times, mostly occurs about an hour after eating, so I am presuming it is band related.... it hurts when I move that area and even when breathing in deeply! I am worried that I am doing something wrong which is what prompted a search for an english speaking surgeon to do my "maintenance" - the one who is willing to take me on is very highly qualified and would have been my first choice for the surgery but being self pay, I couldn't afford him at the time! I am off to England to see him for a fill/endoscopy in aug/sept but was wondering if anyone could shed any light on this mysterious shoulder ache in the meantime? Thanks a million

I know - I'm such a user!!! So basically what you're sayin, Donali, is that I am packing in too much food Gosh, you're probably right, I do tend to "finish my plate" and am eating too much in the end obviously.... How did I guess that the answer to this problem would be "quit eating..." - story of my life

......definitely a waist Don! Looking good (well, in the tummy area, which is all I can see!!) Hope you're feeling better today? Ps Thanks so much Penni for all your great advice - takin' notes here!

Hi Yana, I live in Ireland and looked for ages to find a good european/english support group - wlsinfo is pretty good - they are really helpful - also there is a good yahoo group called European Bandsters - but I haven't "been" there in ages! In all honesty, I find this one the best even tho all weights are in pound and I don't know a tenth of the food they recommend!!!! Still the best and friendliest people on the www! best of luck anyway xx

Sounds like it was pretty awful for you...hopefully that was the worst of it over, and it'll be better from now on.... Thinking of you and looking forward to welcoming you back! :D :D love and hugs xxxxx

it's already Friday the 2nd here across the atlantic, and I'm thinking of you....hope the surgery goes ok and that you aren't in too much pain and discomfort.... Hope your new ghost band kicks in immediately, and you don't feel too bereft without your old one.... we'll be here with cyber hugs when you're ready ((((((((((((((((((((((((((((be well soon)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) :Bunny :Bunny :Bunny :Bunny :Bunny :Bunny :Bunny :Bunny :Bunny :Bunny :Bunny :Bunny lots of love & hugs (& kisses from Fudge xx)

I just visited the OTHER board to see what all the fuss was about - (I normally avoid the yahoo boards as I find them kinda confusing - never can find the begining or end of threads...) - and can I just say how shocked I was to read people's responses to Donali and Delarla? I mean, actually SHOCKED - forget about any bandster to bandster respect, what the hell happened to manners or just plain politeness? So apparently some of these "oldtimers" have achieved great things on the weightloss front, well done - but they have become arrogant, rude, and condescending in the process. I may be pretty naive, and perhaps spoiled by mainly visiting "our" friendly forum, but I had no idea people would reply to a query or comment in such a horrendously rude manner.... it's like some horrible 80's teen clique movie - honestly, have I mentioned how SHOCKED I am? Sheeeeesh.....I'm off to bed shocked. I am genuinely shocked. :speechles :eek :speechles :eek :speechles :eek