Chickie

A friend of mine was banded in '97, or '98 (in Australia) and she is still doing great.

Pants. I have far too many pairs of pants.

I have gone from a BMI of 50.8, to a BMI of 29.7 in a bit less than a year.

Well, here goes.. I can RUN! I can cross my legs, I can wear a size 12/14 (US 10/12) I can make it through the day without needing a nap, I can walk into a "regular" store without feeling like I don't belong. I am sure there is more, but that is what I can think of off the top of my head.

I would go a step further and say it is an awesome price!

I, like Jodie, am 163cm/5"4 and my doc gave me a goal of 70kg/154lbs. I always had my personal goal as 80kg/175lbs, but now that I am there, a size 12-14 (10 -12 US) I think I will be able to get to my surgeons goal. It may take another 6 months to get there, but I feel with time, it is doable.

First off.... Congratulations! I am not pregnant, but am trying really had to get there! If you do not mind sharing your experence as a pregnant bandster, I am all ears. Sam.

Here in Australia we have a tax payer/govenment funded health care system called Medicare. A lot of Aussies take out "private" health cover, so they can be treated in private hospitals vs public, and have the dr or surgeon of their choice. If Aussies choose not to take out private cover, they can opt to use Medicare for their banding. It can mean up to a 10 year wait, but Medicare will pay for the whole shabang. My question was really aimed at all the Aussies, because I just wanted to see what the average here was.

It is worth pointing out that not everyone ends up with an erosion. PCOS is one of those wonderful syndromes, that you can only ever hope to control the symptoms. There will never be a cure. That said, weight loss is the #1 way to control the symptoms of PCOS and IR. At almost a year out, I have found that I have regular cycles, the acne is all but gone (I get a single spot on my chin just before AF arrives) The hair on my arms has thinned out, and the hair on my chin grows back in after waxing slower than ever before. My sugars, and insulin are 100% normal. To me it was, and still is worth the small risk of complication to get my weight under control, and get some control over my PCOS.

We have our own sub forum here too; http://www.lapbandtalk.com/forumdisplay.php?f=75

Well, yes, I do have to agree - you win! LMAO It is so hard to stay focussed at times, and have myself just gone through a rather extended plateau, and am trying to find it within myself to stay dedicated to my exercise. And it is so hard sometimes to see how far you have come. During some of my lower points, it was far eaiser to see how far I had to go, rather than how far I had come, KWIM? I sooo hear you on the fat lady store thing! Have you noticed how much less you spend on more clothing? It is amazing what they charge for plus size clothes... I get twice as much for hlaf the price these days.

I am 163cm. Very, very short! My surgeon says he wants me to get to around the 70kg mark. I am still quite heavy (80kg), but am only at 29% body fat... So 70kg sounds about right.

Hey ladies, I am in the western suburbs of Brisbane! Small world huh?

Hi there AussieGal! I am more than happy to compare notes if you like.. PM me if you like. Sam

All total, I paid AUD$1,800. Not too bad, really.

Hi Kerrie! There are a few Aussies on LBT, you just have to find us! lol

I need to start running again. I felt fab when I was running 3 or 4 times a week. Everything just falls into place when my exercise is good. I crave all the right foods, drink more than enough Water. Everything just *works* when I exercise. It is key for me. I would like to get the last 8kg (17.6lbs) off before the middle of this year too.. I know I can do it!

Hi there! First off, congratulations on your pregnancy. I am TTC #2 as of this year (We are fighting both PCOS and male factor infertility, so this could take a while lol) When I told my dr what I was planning, he was estatic for me. He told me that of his 20 or so band babies, all the Mum's had either; *Not gained a whole lot (like 5 or 10lbs that they lost within a month) *Not gained anything *Lost weight while pregnant (apparently on lady lost 30lbs during her pregnancy) I have no BTDT advice, sorry, but I am here as an ear if you need one. And I do look forward to reading your post regarding you band baby pregnancy! Good luck!

Simply? Health, family and vanity. I wanted to be healthy again, be around for my family, and look like the little fox I once was

It is interesting you should post this. I understand there are a few debates going on about this very subject at the moment. PCOS does not make it totally impossable to lose weight. It just makes it harder. Like Amy said, meds (regulating insulin, and hormones) put us on a level playing feild with non PCOSers. It may take longer than the "average" (and what is average, or normal anyway??) person, but it can be done. There are more than a few on www.soulcysters.net who have lost weight (Including Kat Carney owner and founder of SoulCysters) Diets have a nasty habbit of failing because by their nature they are designed to be temporary (Diet finishes, you go back to old habbits, or you fail to see results, and give up ect). Where the band is a huge plus, is that it involves a total lifestyle change (that said there are people out there who do not change their lifestyle, and do not lose weight) But at the end of the day, no matter what medical conditions you may or may not have, losing weight comes down to energy in vs energy out.

I thought Sharon had VGB?

Done! I always said I would be thrilled if I got below 85kg (187lbs),, Well this morning I was 84kg (185lbs) I am so happy. This is the first time in 10 years I have been this light :Bunny My next real goal is 80kg (176lbs) for my plastic surgery.. then depending on how much they take.. 75kg (165lbs) And I will be done, done, done... At goal. Boy am I close! WooHoo! I had to share with people who would understand.

1. Bread Toasted - yes 2. Pasta No 3. Pop Never tried 4. Tortillas Yes 5. Salad Ohhh yeah!! Salad is my buddy 6. Steak Only if it is cooked just right, and chewed well 7. Roast See above 8. Cereal Yes 9. Hamburger Just the meat and salad, no bun 10. Pizza Never tried 11. Apples Depends on the day. Sometimes 12. Chips NO! Evil litte slices of potato.... They get so stuck. 13. Cheese Yes 14. Shrimp Yes, but I take is slowly, and cew, chew, chew! 15. Pop corn Yes 16. Pretzels No

I have gone 39 weeks without diet coke... Doest that count? I gave up just before my surgery, and have never touched it again!

Thank you all. It still feels a bit unreal. I never thought that *I* could do so well. I thought for sure that I would be one of the few who managed to lose little to no weight, yet here I am so close to goal! I was close! Let me tell you! lmao, I was running around in the living room in a G string!