Chickie

B: Oats, strawberries, and coffee L: Wrap (philli cheese, mustard, salad and veggie deli slices on pitta bread) S: Yogurt, small banana, trail mix and coffee. D:Veggie caesar salad (veggie bacon, eggs, cheese, croutons, dressing) S: handfull of Malteasers & a cup of tea.

Ok. So my story has been told before. So here is the short version... Banded 22 Feb 2005, after one last year long try to "do it on my own". I was 24 at the time, and suffering from PCOS, type II, high blood pressure, and my knee and back were killing me all the time. My health sucked. I also looked pretty bad. I was pretty enough, and my husband loved me just as I was, but I really wasn't happy with the way I looked at that weight. So, I was banded, and at about six months post op, I became a veggie. No real reason, it was just something I wanted to do. I also started running. Slowly at first. But by the time I was a year or so post op, I was running 4 or 5 km a day. I never kept a tight fill, because I wanted to be able to eat lost of fruit and veggies, and a tight fill would have stopped that. By June 2006, I was at goal. My PCOS was much better (I had been having regular cycles since about 6 months post op) my blood pressure was perfect, my sugars / insulin were perfect, and my back and knee were *so* much better, it was amazing. I ended up having a tummy tuck in August 2006. By December 2006, I had been totally unfilled. I have been ever since. I have stayed at 107lbs / 49kg for the last 2 and a bit years now. August 2008, I had to have the tube shortened, because it was sitting on my diaphragm, causing nasty shoulder tip pain. It was an easy surgery, and I go back to my normal life within 24 hours, and started running again in 2 weeks. Overall, I am very happy with my weight loss, but I am far happier with the changes I made to my lifestyle. I am still veggie, and I still run daily. I am as proud of this as I am of the weight loss. Maybe more so. So. yeah. There it is.

I don't know. That might be a question for your surgeon. Personally, I lost well on around 1500 or so. I never really stressed about an exact number as long as I was exercising daily.

Like Kat said, it really does depend on what stage you are at. Me, I eat pretty much whatever I want. I drink spring Water, coffee, tea, sugar free ice tea (liptons has one that a lot of Aussie restaurants serve) So I don't go without. Happy anniversary!

It makes me sad that there is so much of it. And it's just awful that people question the before & afters... What gets me is, it's always anon's, or fake screen names. No balls.

He's an Aussie, not British (unless you are talking about House himself) But I am not touching the rest with a ten foot pole.

Harpies you say? We are far more attractive than the harpies I have seen in books and photos... So you cannot be talking about me, or the lovley She, or any of the other good ladies who found the term "Re-re" in very poor taste. Libra, the OP was addressed. She knows what DH stands for now. I just wanted to know what she meant. It really is awful to use that word. I don't care how un-PC a person is. Using the name of a disability (or a variation of) to say you are silly / stupid / dumb is just bloody awful.

It's never, never okay to use that word in such a vile way. And people who do should be very ashamed. Saying sorry, then in the same breath saying they won't be PC is as good as never saying sorry. I don't buy that she even understands how awful it really is to use that word in that way.

You look fab Fairy! She, I think I saw them in Price Attack (do you have Price Attack down there?) It might be worth going in and having a squizz.

That. And I read it in Peter Griffin's (From The Family Guy) voice. Highly entertaining.

It has nothing to do with being PC and everything to do with being sensitive to the people around you. I highly doubt that people with special needs like being called retard more than you like being called derogrity names. But I doubt there is much talking to people who use words like that in jest.

It's not me you should be saying sorry to. It's awful to use any form of retard (re-re in this case) as a joke. It's a real condition that affects real people. Good people. But you are (I assume) an adult, and should know that putting people down for the way they were born is uncool.

Bugger. At least you can do it with your jammies on, curled up on the sofa.

((hugs)) You will do just fine She. So you have the next 4 days off? Mini Holiday! But you know what I really do hate? For real. I am not being silly. When people make fun of people/kids with special needs. It drives. me. up. the. wall. It not funny, cute or even bloody close. It's offensive and crude.

"special" Uh. Ok. Sorry. It's not cute. It's offensive. As the Aunt of 4 kids with special needs, I don't think it's cute at all.

DH is Dear Husband. What does re-re mean?

Enjoy your last day!

I love the brand, and have used it for years. But it did nothing to "reshape" my skin.

Poor bugger. Is it any better now? Do you have any idea what it is? Huge hugs to you. As for me, I was so tired last night. So frustrated that I couldn't sleep, I cried. Gosh. It's been a long time since I have been like that. It was a sight. DH tells me I snored like a freight train when I did get to sleep. Something I don't normally do. So it's odd.

Well, Mac and She... Hopefully we get some sleep tonight. I just can't do that again tonight. I was so farking cranky last night. Not fun.

Why can't I sleep? It's 1:58am here. I have work in the morning anf I *need* to sleep, dammit! So. How is everyone?

I am all for accepting ones body for whatever shape or size it is. It's healthy to have a positive body image. But you should never confuse a healthy body image for a healthy body. The two are very different. And if I am not wrong, you are trying to say that being MO is healthier than smoking? I would have thought they both are pretty hard on the body, and both have a plethora of negative health implications. I am not a doctor, but nether are considered healthy.

Yep, and not everyone who smokes all ther lives die of cancer. No one is saying every thin person is healthy. But the fact is, if you are morbidly obese, you are far more likely to be struck with obesity related conditions. People at a healthy weight are more likely to be, well, healthy.

Private Health Insurance Australia - iSelect will have info on most of the major private funds. You will likely have a 12 month wait before they will cover anything band related, but banding is covered by most of the major funds.(revision surgery, removal ect) And Medicare covers a good chunk, if not all of fills in Oz. I don't know the deal with Medicare for people from the UK. It might be worth checking out Medicare Australia for that sort of info. Good luck with the move.

I am just so glad that people DONT have to get to be super morbidly obese in this country (Australia) before they can be banded. Losing weight is fantastic, and does so much for your health. But sometimes being MO, SMO or even overwight will do damage that cannot be undone. I say let anyone who is comitted to banding be banded. Avoid becoming obese in the first place.