Chickie

I am glad you re posted it. And it was nowhere near as rude as the OP.

Jachut, could you post this recipe, link to it, or PM it to me please? It sounds like one I lost in the great kitchen disaster of 2006....

I am totally unfilled, and never ate the 1/2 cup that people go on about even when I did have a fill... But To give you an idea of what I eat; Breakfast Cup of coffee, bowl of oats with nuts and a banana. Snack; A home made ricotta cake. Today's are mango ricotta cakes ((drool)) and a cup of tea. Lunch; Tabouleh with 2 vegetarian sausages. Snack; An apple, a handful of nuts, and a big bottle of Water. dinner Moroccan chickpeas (a tomato based dish with chickpea's, zucchini, sweet potato, pumpkin, sultanas, nuts, and couscous) Or if I can convince DH that he has the energy to go out, Bruschetta. Snack Cup of tea and a couple of squares of this fab organic chocolate I found at Mrs Flannerys.

Like Jachut, I don't "aim" for any Protein goals. I just eat a balanced diet. And when I have doubted myself, and counted protein grams for a week, just to be sure, I found that I averaged somewhere around 65-70 grams a day. I never lost hair, have nice strong nails, have plenty of get up and go, and lost weight just fine.

Yup. Have a fill, watch your diet, and exercise.

It's passive aggressive bullshit. They don't have the balls to say what they mean, so they "poke" till someone bites, then cry about how mean the "know it all's" and "oldies" are.

I didn't have any issues beyond being pretty lazy, and not being accountable for my lifestyle.

I went from 297 to 107lbs. No, I didn't make my band real tight, because I wanted to eat as "normally" as I could and still lose weight. I overhauled my diet completely, and fell in love with running. It took roughly 17 months to get to 135, and then another couple of months to get to 107lbs, and at that stage I had a total unfill, and I have maintained this weight ever since.

Dude. If that was the truth, I would have NEVER have lost any weight at all. Nor would any other ladies with PCOS. We just have to be more careful with what we eat and how often we exercise (meaning accountable for our actions) than others. And the reason women gain weight with PCOS is usually deeply rooted in insulin sensitivity issues.

Hi Karen. 2.4cc would be a lot in a 4cc band, but I am inclined to think with that size fill, you would have either a 10cc VG band or the (I think) 14cc AP band. In which case, it isn't a huge fill. It will take time to get to your "sweet spot". Just make sure, that in the mean time you do as you are doing, eating healthy and exercising. Don't stress over the 2lb gain. It's likely just re-hydration or some PMS type "Water weight" gain. Welcome to LBT!

What can I say. I read your post, shrugged my shoulders and though "You ain't gonna be any happier with the other bits after a TT than you are now" I was just trying to be helpful. If you *do* indeed have body image issues, a good solution is going to be therapy.

Sometimes I do wonder about that. Are "they" (oh, dear, lmao) "Know it all's" because what "they" are saying isn't what the inexperienced bandsters want to hear?

Why did it work for me? In the beginning, it controlled my portions, so I could concentrate on on WHAT I was eating. The band has made it so a "normal" portion looks normal to me now, not small (I, like a lot of overweight people had a distorted view of what a normal portion was) The band was the kick in the ass I needed to change my lifestyle. *I* did the work that was needed to get the weight off. I still had the option to eat chocolate and sit on my backside all day. But I wasn't going to have surgery to stay fat. So I worked at making dietary changes I could live with long term (not just till I had lost weight, and got to goal) and I found an exercise I really love (and I do love it) and I exercise daily. Really, what it came down to for me was making a "lifestyle" change. Above and beyond trying to lose weight. A life long change that would see me get the weight off, and keep it off.

Good question.

Pretty much. And you will do what is required of you to get it. Great posts ladies and gents!

Plastic surgery is rarely a solution to body image problems. Perhaps you might benefit from seeing someone you can talk to about this?

If I remember correctly, I paid 7 days in advance.

Hi Shell! Welcome to LBT.

That formula is only correct when one it at their ideal weight. Wrists get fat too.

I thought so. I was just confused by all the Medicare talk.

Photoshop. I imagine whoever did it has a high level of skill. It's a good job.

I am not sure if Medicare covers people visiting from over sea's.

Actually, it really varies from doctor to doctor. It might be worth emailing a couple of surgeons in the area you plan to stay for a quote.

I have a treadmill , boxing bag and free weights.

Nope 30 minutes of cardio isn't enough at all. Hard as it is to hear. At least 60 minutes of really, really fast walking is needed to get any sort of a work out (you need to be sweating, and you need to be breathing harder than usual) Good luck.