Chickie

I actually look healthier than my non banded peers. I am athletic, and strong with thick hair, clear skin and bright eyes. I put that down to my vegetarian diet and exercise. I look after myself better than the majority of the population.

Hiya Cherry!

I would wait till you are at goal. But that is just my opinion. I have seen the difference 5 or 10lbs can make closer to goal, and I would be pretty pissed if I had gone to the effort of a breast reduction and ended up with saggy breasts again because I couldn't wait.

Once elasticity is lost, it is gone forever. And no amount of exercise will help with that. Exercise will build muscle, and fill out some of the sagging skin, but it will not "tone" the skin at all, because skin is not a muscle.

"They' don't actually know what causes erosion. They theory is either improper band placement, or being too tight for too long. But they are both just theories. No one really knows for sure. You could do every single thing right, have the best doctor on the planet, and still erode. I can't say that I have ever heard of this before. We have had a few members here at LBT erode, and none of them spoke of feeding tubes, and being bed ridden for up to a year post removal. It might be worth doing a search for the erosion stories here on the board. They might put your mind at ease. Best of luck to you.

Many lower BMI bandsters feel they are slower losers. It probably isn't your PCOS that is causing the slower weight loss unless you have insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes or very imbalanced hormones. And even then, with medication, proper restriction, diet and exercise we are on a level playing field with the rest of the population.

The trick (for me, anyway) was and is to eat as many whole foods as possible. Fruit, veggies Beans and so on. I focus on quality, not quantity. Starting an exercise program will help in a big way. When did you start with that?

I don't think it ever really occurred to me that I couldn't lose 100% (or more) of my excess weight. I just did it. All I did was had faith in myself , ate right, worked out, and saw my doctor on a regular basis.

I think you might have something there. Notice that the people around here who are happiest with their bodies are the people with other interests?

I like straight forward, honest, capable people around me.

I hated the gym too, that's why I started running 2 years ago. I never looked back.

When I got down to overweight/top end of a healthy BMI I looked a bit bigger that the bottom than the top (hips and thighs mostly). When I lost a little more weight, I evened out, and I look pretty proportionate now.

I love the way I look now. Younger, healthier and happier. That, to me anyway, is far more attractive than fat, unhappy and unhealthy.

I can eat anything I like at this stage (32 months post op).

Don't know babe. When you figure it all out, let me know. 3 years later, and I still cant win.

Oh. My. Goodness. You were "expounding on her the true meaning of Christmas" ? Why do I find it funny that you were "expounding the true meaning of Christmas" to an adult woman. Who has her on belief system? (of which you know NOTHING about? ) And it's only the truth as you see it. Other people have their own interpretation's.

Actually, I was being sarcastic I gathered from your anti-Christmas stance that you don't celebrate. But you are welcome, anyway!

Pretty much. Merry Christmas!

I very vividly remember Christmas 1985. I don't know why. I remember going out Christmas Eve with my parents to look at lights, having a big family dinner, then going to midnight mass. When we got home Santa had been. And by golly. I got those twin Cabbage patch kids I wanted so badly. Nothing else mattered but those dolls. Good times.

I lost at a good pace. It took me about 17 months to get to goal.

Today; A coffee, bowl of oats and a banana for breakfast. Mid morning snack was dried figs and goats cheese. lunch was lentil pizza. Afternoon snack was a cup of tea, a plum and a couple of milk arrowroot biscuits. dinner will be Veggie lasagne and salad.

Part of me does. But weight loss is a lot like religion and politics (in that they are a deeply personal thing), and no one like to be preached at (and that's how it always felt to me when someone would say "I lost xxlbs on this diet, you should try it). So I refrain. If people who know me from "before" want to know how I did it, I share, but otherwise, I don't say anything.

I honestly have no idea what could be going on. Best to see your GP. The last time I was exhausted like that was when I had glandular fever about 10 years ago. It was shocking (I had a new baby at the time too, so the doctors put it down to that at first) I feel your pain, have no real advice, but wanted to offer a gigantic (hug). Sam.

I was at goal for over a year before I did anything about re sizing my rings.

I don't really know. I don't time myself.