Fanny Adams

Being an Aussie, we don't get the heavy emphasis on Protein that the US doctors seem to favour. Most of our doctors recommend a balanced diet of all food groups. I love this because I would miss my veges!! I tend to minimise the really starchy (high carb) vegetables like potato, sweet potato and corn but I don't avoid them altogether. I DON'T touch chips or fries. I've gotten really into buying the gourmet baby potatoes and one of those boiled is quite enough for me, along with my greens and lean meats. I eat my fill of all other vege types - love broccoli, green Beans, zucchini, squash, etc for dinner. I have a salad for lunch almost every day, which consists of sliced cucumber, carrots, celery, red capsicum (sweet pepper), snow peas, beetroot & unsweetened pineapple, with a scoop of mixed nuts & dried fruit and 2 oz of cheese.

ROFL! Well you should have known you'd only have to ask around in here, and someone will draw you a map! :thumbup:

LOL! All kudos to Alex for his hard work and all, but that button is part of the standard software and has been there all along :thumbup:.

Ok ladies, twist my rubber arm (here let me help you). I think he's utterly gorgeous (that smile kills me) and he is a lot of fun. We have heaps of background in common - he was a high school English teacher for many years and I did my initial university training in that field 25 years ago. We have favourite authors in common, lots of things we both like to do, eg fishing, camping, etc. He currently plays in two band for fun - a bluegrass band and an electric band playing 80's style rock & roll. I heard him sing for the first time last weekend and OMG *swoons* he's really good! It didn't hurt that he sang one of my favourite songs too and nailed it. All of this, plus he is kinky as hell (as am I :smile2:) and quite possibly the sexiest man I've ever met. Most definitely the most skilled, if you know what I mean :thumbup:. He knows all about the band and the weight loss, and has been so wonderfully supportive. He's really fit but doesn't seem to mind that I am still quite a way from goal - he says he "sees the determination in my eyes and really admires that". He doesn't get pushy about exercise or anything - just does things like suggest "why don't we go for a nice walk" after dinner or makes plans for picnics in the hills and we go looking at the wildflowers (which are spectacular in Perth this year). I'm having a hard time believing that anyone this wonderful could be seriously interested in me, but he has been the one to push the "let's get serious" aspect and seems really keen. We both just seem to be in the perfect place in our lives to really make something work together. It's been a whirlwind rush but we are already starting to make long term plans for doing things together, so I have to believe it. Don't anyone pinch me because if this is a dream, I don't want to wake up!!

LOL! I once bought a Thai hooker for a threesome for a boyfriend's birthday!! (oops did I say that out loud?)

If you are still on clears, chicken, beef or vegetable stock have flavour and should be on your list. If you have moved onto thick liquids, any of the "cream of" soups should be allowed. The "chunky" style ones are ok too, if you blend them. As you move into mushies, you can leave off the blending. There are DOZENS of soup varieties out there so, while soup itself gets a little old, you should always be able to find different flavours.

"I can still eat a whole bagel. a whole slice of pizza, a bowl of Pasta, a whole sandwich. " Well put it this way, when pre-banding would you have stopped at ONE slice of pizza? How often after eating a "whole" bagel, were you looking around for more? Can you eat TWO whole sandwiches now? I know previously 2 sandwiches was a minimum for me and I would often go for the third one. I'm presuming that you don't mean that you ate a bagel, a slice of pizza, a bowl of pasta and a sandwich all in one sitting, do you? I know I would have been capable of that in my pre-banding days. In the early days, it is quite normal to be able to eat "a whole" something, but if you compare it to your pre-banding days, I'm sure you'll find that there really is a difference. You might not be down to half a cup at a meal yet, but if you make the sandwich with healthy ingredients, limit yourself to one slice of pizza no more often than once a week and use a low fat, tomato-based recipe for your pasta rather than heavy cheese/cream sauces, you will find that you can eat those quantities and still lose weight.

It'll be worth it, Damo! I was self-pay too and it has been worth every penny to me.

Wow!! Stephanie, look at you!! AWESOME JOB!! I'll try to get some pics taken when I get home from site next week. Sorry but haven't got any other new ones to post just yet. Mind you, I'm slim enough these days to have attracted this hunk of gorgeous man: Ok, that's not a pic of me, but I'd rather look at these pics any day! :rolleyes2:

Go right ahead, Stephanie. I've done that most months, and I figure if it is still in November in still counts as 11 months! The only reason I voted so early this month is because I had just inched over the line into the 80's and didn't foresee making the 90's before the end of the month.

I eat small amounts of rice or pasta quite regularly and don't have a problem. I can eat bread but it does take significantly more chewing than anything else and I find that a half a sandwich will fill me up. I have my band quite loose and don't really have a problem with anything, but if I include those foods along with lean meats and fresh vegetables, I get really full easily and stay full for hours. I do spend a LOT of time chewing though

Part of that tummy is internal swelling. I didn't really get it at the time of banding because the swelling was all hidden underneath the fat. However, last month I had to have a small op to fix a kink in my tube and the surgeon replaced the port while he was at it. The swelling over the next couple of days made me look like I had swallowed a football!! My waistline must have increased by well over 10cm, maybe even 15cm! It was really freaky looking down and seeing that big belly sticking out again, just when I thought I had gotten rid of most of it! It took a good 2-3 weeks before that really went and my waist went back to normal. Don't forget that with the banding, you will have even more swelling, as there are all those additional small incisions and the band itself with its stitches around your stomach. Measure yourself now (if you haven't already) and then again in a month's time and I'll bet you'll be astounded at the loss of cms!

Good luck to you if it is!!

But you make such GREAT ones! :smile2:

40lb in 3 months? That's 13lb a month! That's a wonderful rate!! Celebrate!! I know it seems slow and we all want desperately to wake up tomorrow and be slim and svelte but it doesn't work that way. The pounds do add up to loss over time though and the time goes by faster than we realise. Just think, if you were to keep going at your current rate, in 6 months that would be 80lb!! That would be a phenomenal rate of loss! If your rate drops to half its current pace, in six months it will be "only" 60lb - which is 10lb per month - still well over the average of 1-2lb per week! For example, look at my ticker - its been 11 months for me and 80lb. I'm not the fastest loser in my "month" group, but I'm not the slowest either. I sit right in the middle of the range, which is exactly where I want to be and I'm thrilled with my results so far. You should be too! PS: If you are really struggling with hunger, eat some fresh salad with each meal. This food is high in fibre, low in fat, will fill you up and satisfy the hunger pangs for much longer than most other foods and you can just about eat as MUCH of it as you want without having to worry about it.

You don't say how long it has been since you've been banded, where you are in the healing process or if you've had any fills, so I'm having to guess here but I can offer some advice: * If you are still in the post-op healing phase and on liquids or mushies, eat small meals more often of whatever you are allowed. Don't eat solid foods too soon, as the stitches holding the band in place need time to heal and the band needs to "settle", to prevent future slippage. Unfortunately you are unlikely to feel pain at this stage if you break the rules, but you could pay for it later. Don't worry about weight loss, just aim for healthy eating and sticking to the food plan. Avoid high fat liquids/mushies. * If you are in "bandster hell", which is the post-healing but before the fills kick in enough to give you restriction, eat small meals more often of solid foods, making sure you chew everything thoroughly. Solid foods like lean meats and fresh vegetables will stick in your pouch and satisfy the hunger for a lot longer than liquids or mushies. Don't worry too much about quantities at this stage, as long as you stick to "good choices". Try not to let yourself get too hungry, because it is when the hunger really kicks in that we lose control and make bad choices (i.e. chips and icecream). It is actually quite difficult to go over 12-1500 cal a day eating lean meat and salads - eat multiple small meals of these and you shouldn't feel too hungry and should lose weight slowly. * If you are in the process of getting fills AND you are already eating solid healthy food, get another fill. It takes time to get to the sweet spot and it is different for everyone. Be wary about getting too tight, however, as you will find yourself resorting to soft slider foods that are high fat/high cal and won't satisfy your hunger, causing you to snack more in a vicious circle. Keep in mind that the band is meant to be a tool to control hunger and limit large-volume eating. It won't make the right choices for you about WHAT you put in your mouth, only stop you from eating too much of certain types of food. If you concentrate on eating all the healthy stuff first, you should find that your hunger is controllable to the point that you can say No to the bad stuff. Good luck!!

I made the Ural a link in my earlier post, so you can read up on it and try to figure out if there is a local equivalent. Basically it is a fizzy drink that apparently helps to clean out your urinary tract. I've used them a lot in the past when I've had a UTI or kidney troubles. It's pretty much like drinking an alka seltzer or soluable asprin - generally better tasting though. Warning: Make sure you use plain Vaseline, not the mentholated kind!!

By the way, although I'm not old enough to be your grandmother, I AM a grandmother and you are younger than my daughter, so I think I'm qualified to say that your concepts about "grandmothers" might need a little more maturity. Not all of us are uptight prudes :biggrin:

Yeah, but it was funnier that way :biggrin:

The new look is great but I really miss the quick links list on the right. I know most of those are available from the menu bar across the top but it is a pain to have to scroll back up, click the drop down and then choose. Is there any way you could lock the banner and menu down as far as the User CP/Forum Rules/etc row and let it scroll from that point down?

LOL! How can I put this delicately... hmmm... it's not your backside, it's your frontside , applicable to females only.

Denise, I know this has been an ongoing problem for you for a while and that you've tried quite a few things, so I've been pondering what else might help you. It seems to me that the problem starts with the UTI. If you can prevent that, you won't need the anti-biotics, and if you don't take the anti-biotics, you won't end up with the thrush, so here are a couple of suggestions for reducing the UTIs: * Switch away from your artificial lubes - I know lube has also been a problem for you but UTIs caused by sex are often a result of fluids/juices/lube oils etc getting pushed back up the urethra in the act. Try using good old Vaseline and apply a layer to yourself well before the sex act, using a mirror to make sure you coat the urethra opening. This is to put a barrier in place to stop anything travelling up the urethra. When you are ready for the act with your man, you can apply another layer for lube purposes. * If you can, pee immediately after sex - this will help wash out anything that might have gotten through the Vaseline barrier. * Wash with Water (not soap) immediately after peeing - this will remove anything that might sit in the warm wet folds and encourage bacteria growth. * Drink lots of water (flushing purposes) and lots of Urals (local brand name - not sure what your equivalent would be). These things should help to eliminate or at least reduce the incidence of UTIs. If you end up with one anyway, try to treat the symptoms as best you can before turning to the antibiotics. If you must use them because the UTI is so bad and you do end up with thrush, try these tricks (Do these before going to bed on a night where you won't be having sex): * Put half a cup of brown vinegar in a warm bath and soak in it for 10 mins, making sure that you rinse yourself down there thoroughly. * Use a tampon applicator or sterilised Monestat applicator to insert the natural yoghurt after your bath. * Apply the Monestat cream to the outside, to relieve the itching sensations. * Wear old cotton knickers - they will get messy! Don't wear synthetic fabrics, they will make you sweat and itch more. * In the morning, do the vinegar bath trick again to wash away the yoghurt, then apply a light layer of fresh Monestat for the day. Wear cotton knickers until all symptoms have gone. Good luck!! I hope this helps.

December 10 will be my 1 year Bandiversary. Good luck to all of you being banded on that date!!

Probably a brand name difference - Caneston is your basic thrush cream. I think we get Monestat too, and it is the same thing.

I have a horrible suspicion that I might be joining you in your problem, Denise. After a fantabulous weekend of amazing nookie, I found myself reaching for the Caneston cream by the end of it and 3 days later, I'm still sore. God I hope it is just that it has been a long time for me, and not going to become an ongoing problem.