Ada81

Ha ha ladies you made me laugh ;D I can think of a number of things to say but I never will - makes it harder that I used to be in the military and he was a senior officer to me. He is a kind man and I know he doesn't see me as unattractive or anything like that as he often compliments me on my appearance (eg. you look lovely today said in a dad way not a creepy old man way!) I am sure his heart is in the right place, but perhaps sees just also me as overweight.

Ohh wow it blocked a word I used! I didn't even use a swear word! I am sure he has foot in mouth disease! In a few weeks I will be losing weight and he can go eat McDonalds!

Thanks guys, yeah I guess I don't need to say anything, but sometimes I just don't think people realise how detrimental comments like that are to people like us. A few yrs ago I would have been devastated, today I just thought you insensitive **** and got a bit angry. He is an older man who has known me for 4 yrs and has been very good to me for the most part, nearly dad like (he has daughters my age) but today I was pretty disappointed.

I would just ask him what his issue is. My partner and I broke up for 6 weeks earlier this year and I was gobsmacked - I really didnt see it coming. We had a break and then I went to him and said I really didnt think we were having problems, would you agree to at least talk to me about what went wrong and maybe just maybe try to resolve our problems. He agreed to my huge relief. We both ended up writing pros and cons of the relationship, discussed what had been bothering both of us (I realised there were a few things that I too wasnt happy with) and we agreed on a way forward. I wont go into details, but by writing down our insecurities and discussing them together over a number of weeks (he needed lots of space between discussions) we got through. Something we also did while we were both thinking about this was that we went on outings as friends where we had a 'no talking about problems' rule. We ended up giggling and enjoying each others company and although frustrating that I couldnt kiss him or grab his hand etc etc I think those afternoons were really special and made us realise why we really did like one another. We have been back together for 4 mths and not had a cross word. Who knows if my relationship will work out but I am a beliver that with clear communication you can work anything out. The main thing is you both have to be willing to try! Good luck and look after you xx

Hi Terri, Have you tried just mixing the shakes with Water? I use the Optifast shakes (Australian so not sure if you have the same) and they taste pretty good with just water. You might also be intolerant to an ingredient in the shakes? Perhaps ask your surgeon if you can swap them for something else because you will get very weak if that continues Take care xx

Glad to hear you feel better. I'm soon to be banded and am a little worried how I will feel afterwards. You put it into perspective - thanks

Good luck! How exciting! Take good care of yourself and let us know how you go, we are close behind you

Incredible. It's people like you who make the rest of us starting out believe we can do it. What a handsome young man in both photos - but the most recent looks much more confident

22 days to go! Not that I am counting ha ha! Optifast starts on the 7th of Aug and surgery on the 21st.

I think you just need to take each day at a time and try not to freak out We are all doing this because we need to lose weight to be healthier, happier versions of ourselves. I have no doubt giving up chocolate for me is going to be a killer but if it means my surgeon can operate on me more safely its a small price to pay. We are all here to help each other so when your feeling hungry redirect and come on here and tell us about it!

Love the TimTam comment lellow my brother has just started working at Arnotts, I've told him I do not want a care package! One timmy is never enough!

I'm not banded yet, but as for running just make sure you invest in good shoes. I only wear asics kayanos as they have a lot of gel underfoot and great support. They are pricey but worth every cent to reduce injury, especially shin splints. When I started running, I did exactly what stalledout suggested. Small runs, get your breath back and run again. Eventually I was running instead of shuffling I also train on the beep test, that starts out slow and gets faster and faster, it's a good way to see if you are getting better as you can beat yourself each time you do it.

Wow tricky being your mother-in-law. Laxative in her tea perhaps kidding! I Would be telling my partner to have a quiet word with her about how building your confidence will help you succeed. With my own mum, we ended up having a screaming match a few years back where i told her that her comments that I would look better like this or that didn't actually do anything but make me retreat into myself more. If she bothered to make nice comments and build my self confidence I might actually start believing I'm attractive. Fortunately you can yell at your mum and she still loves you the next day - not so easy with the MIL

I have just come across your blogs and wanted to say they are awesome! There are a number of people who have a real way with words and you my friend are one of them Thanks for sharing and making me giggle, it's nice to see humour in our battle of the bulge!

You guys really made me laugh - thanks. My all time favourite is from my mum, she has said to me my whole life 'that would look great if you were 5 kilos smaller' REALLY?! She is super tiny and I outgrew her clothes at 9 yrs old. I am much taller, broader and finally gained the courage to tell her it would be nice if she just thought I looked pretty at any size. As for my friends - I really don't think lap banding is a good idea - you just need to do......... Ummm thanks, I hadn't thought of any of those things, how insightful of you!!!! I'm sure after my band my list will keep growing! Thanks for cheering me up

August 21 cant come quick enough! Hello all

Wow, I think the fact that you pulled yourself out of that emotional eating needs to be commended! Well done! As women, we are so used to doing ten things at once and thinking that issues at home, work, with friends, children etc should just be juggled with everything else we do. Take a minute to realise that your home situation is abnormally stressful and its ok to not be coping. Once you realise that, you empower yourself to find a better way of dealing with that stress - which you did! Inside is a strong and wonderful woman, try to focus on the little positives and achievements as they snowball instead of the percieved failures - they arent failures, you just percieve them that way. Good luck with sorting out your relationship issues, and remember there is always calm after a storm. Big hugs for now.

Hi All, I'm looking for some more August banders as I am closing in on my surgery date!(21 August!!) An Australian girl here, I'd love to share my experiences with you all as we go through the process. With 42 kilo to lose (approx 92 pounds) I know I have a big journey ahead but I just can't wait for it all to begin! Looking forward to talking to you all!

Well we will be the Global August Banders!! I'm Australian Sarah so I work in Kilos and I had to look up what it would be in pounds too! Are you guys all on Optifast for pre-op or do you have a different brand of shakes elsewhere in the world? I think the nerves will kick in for me on the morning I am driving to the hospital. EEEEK! I have my mum flying over from the East coast to look after me for 10 days which I am looking forward to as I havent seen her for awhile. We are a 5 hour flight away from each other on opposite sides of our big island So glad I have more August mates! Catch you soon

Where are you guys from?

Awesome! Well the countdown has begun for us both of then! I will look forward to hearing how you are going are you doing a pre-op diet yet?

Ohh you poor thing, did they give you any pain medication? Perhaps it will knock you out and give you some rest. Hope you feel better soon

Laughing again! You crack me up, I hope you are writing a novel - it will be a best seller! I need to stop reading your posts at work, people are wondering what I am giggling at!