Fanny Adams

I really liked fresh ginger tea. It works as a stomach soother, to cut the sliming, and it helps with gas too. Just grate up about 1/4 - 1/2 inch of fresh ginger, put it in a cup of boiling water with a teaspoon of honey and let it steep for a few minutes, then drink like a tea. Refreshing and delicious!

Nat, it does sound like you're a little too tight and too tight is way worse than too loose. That's what leads to long term problems like slippage or erosion. Waking up choking at night is a very bad sign - please talk to your doctor about this! A tiny unfill can make all the difference in the world.

Whoohooh! You are doing SO well! Looking HOT, girlie!

Hehehehe - I saw the thread title and wondered how it would go down, posting the word "cons" associated with exercise in the Fitness and Exercise forum. I wasn't disappointed

"And I thought my mom was bad for getting drunk at my birthday dinner and telling embarrassing stories about me. " Isn't that what Mum's are supposed to do? *reassesses my relationship with my daughter* j/k'ing

September 24th is my birthday, so that's gotta be a good day!! Good luck to all on that day

I use an Australian site with the same name but it is free to join, so not sure if it is the one you mean. Mine is CalorieKing.com.au - Australian Online Diet and weight loss club. Lose weight for good!

I hate to say this, Denise, but all the stress of the UTIs, yeastie beasties and difficulties in achieving full satisfaction are probably combining right now to make it even more difficult for you. For many women, achieving orgasm seems to be far more about their headspace than the physical sensations. I know I can't even get myself off unless I put myself into the right frame of mind and no amount of toys, vibrations, lube or trying will make a difference if I don't let myself relax and get into that headspace. I could rub myself sore without getting anywhere. I suspect that this is where you are right now - subconsciously tensing up on each attempt, wondering "will I get there this time". This is the female equivalent of erectile dysfunction and the more anxious about it that we get, the worse it is going to be. My suggestion would be to STOP TRYING! Accept that, for the moment, orgasm isn't always going to happen. Don't push for it, or work for it. Concentrate instead on the simple giving and receiving of pleasure for its own sake. There's a lot of pleasure to be had in sex, without actually cumming. You may find that once the pressure to "perform" is off, it sneaks up on you anyway, and if it doesn't, at least you'll have had a lot of pleasure along the way, instead of anxiety and frustration.

Hmmm.... 100lb - a guineapig (2lb?), a brain (4lb?), a 2y.o. (25lb?), a cat (10lb?).... Damn, just how big is that elephant's penis??????

Welcome fellow Aussies. There's a lot of us chatting in: Australia Local Lap-Band Support - Lap Band Surgery and Lap Band Discussion Forum

Just think - in another 16 weeks, that 30lb could easily be 60lb and won't that be great? I was just about where you are at 16 weeks (actually a little less, I think - 27lb?) but over time it all adds up! This is a marathon, not a sprint, and if you stick to the plan, you'll get there eventually. Exercise does help it to come off quicker. I'm a bit erratic about exercise myself - sometimes really good and then sometimes really slack. This is probably why I'm sitting in the middle of the loss range for my month group, rather than leading the pack as are the ones who put the extra effort in. I'm cool with that though - I planned on at least 18 months to get to goal and I'm pretty well on track for that... Celebrate your success and good luck in your journey!

Hi and welcome! There's a whole bunch of us Aussies chatting in this forum: Australia Local Lap-Band Support - Lap Band Surgery and Lap Band Discussion Forum

It's been 16 weeks since your op and 30lb in 16 weeks is at the top end of the optimal weight loss rate of 1-2lb per week. I don't think you should be sad at all - I think you should be celebrating! That's a great achievement, especially in the first months, when you are still working on getting restriction. If you aren't struggling hard with hunger and are resorting to soft slider foods on occasions (like mashed potatoes), I think the last thing you need is another fill. Try eating more solid fibrous foods (lean meat, fresh vegetables). These will fill you up and let you eat reasonable quantities and lose weight at the same time. It takes a LOT more mashed potatoes than steak and salad to get the same feeling of satiety and will cost you in calories and slower weight loss.

I used to blame my gas on my poor diet and high meat consumption. Imagine my dismay when I discovered that it got WORSE not better after banding and switching to a much healthier diet. I did a little research and discovered that one main cause is a high-fibre diet. I had been getting some constipation issues and really pushed the fibre in my diet in an effort to control that, but found that I ended up with really awful gas, especially in the evenings. I've cut right back on the baked Beans and prunes, which were great for constipation but not so great if you don't want to fart like a steam train! Luckily mine is all noise and very little odor. Info: flatulence refers to the passage of gastrointestinal gas (flatus) under pressure via the rectum and anus (back passage). In colloquial terms this is referred to as 'farting.' Excess gastrointestinal gas is most commonly caused by air-swallowing (aerophagia) which occurs in patients who ingest food too quickly or are overly anxious. Rarely flatulence may be secondary to a serious underlying gastrointestinal disorder so it is worth having this symptom investigated by a doctor. In addition, flatulence can be a potentially embarrassing disorder and be quite socially disabling for patients. Management concentrates on lifestyle measures as drug treatments have shown little benefit to date. Definition Flatulence is the release of a mixture of gases (flatus) from the rectum under pressure. Flatus consists of methane, nitrogen, hydrogen and carbon dioxide gases and is often accompanied by a sound and smell. The ratio of the constituent gases varies depending on your diet which subsequently alters the odour of the flatus. Normally flatus is passed 10-20 times per day, equating to 400-1300 mL of gas passed via the rectum. However, the normal amounts of flatus varies largely between people so it is more important to take note of changes in the amount and other associated symptoms such as belching (which is the passage of gastrointestinal gas via the mouth, commonly referred to as 'burping') and abdominal bloating. You may therefore notice you have flatulence due to the following symptoms: Passing wind often Smelly flatus Loud flatus Abdominal distension and discomfort Rumblings in the lower abdomen. Causes Production of intestinal gas is a normal part of the digestive process caused by reactions of enzymes and the breakdown of food by bacteria. Normally most of this gas produced will be reabsorbed and enter the bloodstream. However, if a large amount is produced it will remain in the intestines and travel along to be later expelled. The following conditions may lead to an increase in gas expulsion: Air swallowing- A small amount of air is normally swallowed when you eat or drink. If you eat quickly, gulp foods, drink through straws or chew gum you may swallow increases amounts of gas. In addition, anxiety can cause excessive air swallowing. Air swallowing is the most common cause of flatulence. High-fibre diets- Fibre is difficult to breakdown in the intestine. This leads to bacteria in the colon working overtime to further digest food. These bacteria are one of the key sources of gas leading to flatulence. Common high fibre foods such as bread, are imaged below. Irritable bowel syndrome- Patients with this disorder have alternating episodes of constipation and diarrhoea which are often accompanied by flatulence and bloating. Lactose intolerance- Inability to absorb the sugars present in milk leads to gas production as these have to be broken down by bacteria via the process of fermentation. Dairy foods such as milk, cheese and cream (displayed below) can exacerbate symptoms as they contain a high concentration of lactose. Medications- Some antibiotics and other drugs can cause flatulence. Rarely flatulence may be a symptom of a serious underlying disease such as coeliac disease or pancreatic insufficiency which can lead to malnutrition

I find the smell of cooking oil and fried chips to be absolutely stomach turning. I think our tastes do change after we change our diet - sugary things now taste too sweet and I don't miss Coke at all in my occasional scotch drink - mixing it with water is just fine now.

I'd leave it on as long as you can. I made the mistake of taking mine off after about 7-10 days and part of the main incision popped open a little a few days later. It didn't come open far but enough that that half of the scar has healed to be thick and obvious, whereas the bit that didn't pop is a nice thin line.

Sigh, me too :wink_smile:. I think I've got another 10 years of this misery to go though - 45 years in total (10-55) will be too damn much!

I can sympathise, as Day One of the misery sets in and I know it will only get worse for the next several days :wink_smile: At almost 46, I can't wait for menopause, but unfortunately I think it's going to be another 10 years before that happens for me. My mother was in her late 50's before it happened for her, as were the women on my father's side of the family, so not much hope of early onset for me. Of course, we were all early bloomers too, and had our periods by the time we turned 10 :thumbup:, so 45 years of the damned things! What's really annoying is that my tubes got ruined from an infection from an IUD when I was only 22 (after having my daughter) and I haven't been able to get pregnant since, so all this pain and misery for the last 25 years (and for the next 10) has been in vain - rats!@!

Something to consider too, Katie - IUD's slightly increase the chance of infections, which can have disastrous long term effects. I had an IUD put in after I had my daughter, which got infected a couple of years later. I had it removed but it was too late by then - the infection had moved into my fallopian tubes and scarred them closed. The doctors did try to surgically correct it but were unsuccessful and I was never able to have children naturally after that. I am thankful that I had my baby before I did this, as I can't imagine my life without her but do regret not having more kids.

This has been a fascinating read, Heather. You are obviously very dedicated to your religious observances and have tried very hard to practice your belief. I'm sorry it didn't work out the way that you wanted but pleased to hear that you have done the sensible thing and gotten the unfill and foregone the trigger of fasting and late night eating. I hope that the alternative of feeding the hungry is a satisfying one for you. Good luck with your journey!