Jachut

For me, it was being able to call myself a runner!

I dont substitute! Ill just end up eating whatever it was anyway. I either give in or ignore the craving depending on a number of factors like whether i can cut back elsewhere in my day to allow calories

Ive been moaning and worn my coat all day in the classroom as it was 12 celcius here in Melbourne, freezing, lol! I dont know how Id go in a Vermont winter!

I struggle too. I mke up for it with vegies

I do try to include green smoothies! I always cut up fresh fruit and freeze it for smoothies. I believe 2 fruit five veg is good for us. Fruit is high in sugar, so I dont eat TOO much of it, and whole fruit is best (which includes pureed, rather than juiced). The trouble is, I dont like it very much, sigh. I pretty much dislike the thought of eating anything cold, I dont know why. Fruit, salad, cold drinks. Now I love my cooked vegies and I drink coffee all day long, but I cant stand the sensation of cold things - and its not that I have sensitive teeth. So it takes consistent effort for me to get enough fruit in, salads you can always replace with hot vegies. And I eat an awful lot of homemade healthy soup. Smoothies always block me up and get stuck too - I have no idea why. But I struggle on because I certainly believe an all Protein diet is absolutely horrible for us.

Somehow, I manged to avoid it even then! I did four left turns and that was it, lol. Now my son has refused to let me teach him to drive.

I agree too. I love running and spinning, truly enjoy them. Over the years here, people have marvelled that I'm so dedicated to exercise - I mean I ran right through chemo, radiation, surgery. But I truly love and enjoy it. I'm as lazy as the next person when it comes to say, weight lifting. Hate it. Its boring. Dont get a buzz from it. Start it occasionally coz I feel guilty and get sucked into the whole theory. But theory means jack sh*t if you dont want to do it! Consistency has paid off for me, it may have taken longer than it strictly had to but I got the body I wantfd by cardio - much as people love to say it wont work. Likewise diets. I dont give a fig for your high Protein low carb theories. I know I cant eat that way. I know I need some fun food in my life. I know I want to eat what I want and not track, weigh and measure. Most of the time I eat well, some days, I have Cookies for lunch! I let my band do its thing, it controls portions all of the time and I am in charge of quality control for most of the time. So Judy and Bigenuff, I reckon keep doing what you're doing, its working for you and dont get sucked into what others believe you should or should not do. At the end of the day, and I've really learned this after maintaining for so long - you need to be able to do wat you're doing FOREVER. End of story. You cannot go back to your old ways so if your new ways require amazing discipline, sacrfice and vigilance, you'd etter be sure you can keep it up or some regain is inevitable - even WITH a lapband.

Isnt it funny how many of us think "oh the boobs look OK with a good bra"? I feel the same. Mine are dreadful, lol, but it doesnt bother me - yet I think my hubby is baffled by my focus on my thighs. He'd see nothing else, and probably nor would any man - if I just had huge fake boobs. He'd jump to pay for that one, and is baffled as to why I dont want them. I actually like my small boobs, and have never in my life wanted big ones. When i had them, I loathed them.

Actually, you are completely right, it is simply another way of bringing people down. But its human nature. Things others do annoy us or we find them funny and feel the need to comment. This is an appropriate place and its just unfortunate anyone can read it. Nobody is politically correct all the time. People dont all get the same opportunities in life. People dont all have the same type of intelligence. Writing with poor grammar is not really funny, but misusing phrases for which the meaning is commonly known or professing to be an expert on a diet you cant actually spell IS stupid. Its easily avoided. My affliction is my spatial sense. I cant reverse my car, I cant parallel park, if there is anobstacle I will most likely hit it, and if I have to read a map, it is guaranteed I will get lost. I cant even teach scale and mapreading to my sixth graders, I have to get one of the smart kids to explain it for me. Truly, Im of normal intelligence but in that sense, I am a complete moron and I dont really mind others laughing at it, although I will get stressed and embarrassed if I have to perform one of those functions in front of others. Like the time my brother in law wanted me to reverse a boat down the ramp!

Lol, people get very offended by this topic dont they? Since i got an ipad and smart phone, the quality of my typing in here has taken a nosedive! Cant type on either! I got caned recently on here for starting a thread on the Atkins diet. I cant stand having my carb eating ways berated by someone who keeps saying Adkins! Sheesh, thats not diversity and Im not being myopic, thats just plain stoooopid! How can you claim to be an expert on a diet when you cant even say or spell the name correctly. Never mind, i got put back in my pkace and called a perfectionist.

Donuts feel like eating ground glass to me, they STING! Weird. Fresh soft hot cinnmon donuts mmmmmmm. But Im not tempted by cold ones, the ft all congeals in them, eeew.

Well, I was lucky in that I had a full tummy tuck recently that was reconstructive (and therefore covered) due to problems caused by cancer surgery Unfortunately, its not the one I would have picked. What I really NEED is outer and inner thigh liposuction and perhaps a bit around the flanks. I am quite hippy, that is what would make the most difference to my body - no more saddlebags and no more love handles. I still might do it. But I'm a little concerned at 45, and having lost a lot of weight that my skin might not shrink back well.

Mine was relocated as part of a tummy tuck and its barely visible now, even at a bmi of 20/21, id say do it!

I'm not by nature a tracker or counter but I have been lately because I have to keep records for a dietician I have to see for bowel problems. What I've noticed, years into maintenance, I tend to eat about 1400 calories a day across three meals and a snack, plus milk for coffee. My diet pretty much ALWAYS falls somewhere around 25-30% fat, 25-30% Protein and 40-50% carbs. For me, I run a lot so I burn those carbs, but I have no trouble maintaining my weight. I have a BMI of 21 and feel great. The program I've been using doesnt give you grams of each of those macronutrients just percerntages. I try to stay away from fried foods, takeaway foods, really processed foods like Lean Cuisines and canned Soups (I make all my own soups, I absolutely LIVE on thick, homemade soups) and sugar. Sugar and I do not have a good relationship, I tend to binge on it, so even though I really believe in anything in moderation, when i am going to eat sugar, I know I'm in for a pig out. Sometimes, I simply plan for it, enjoy it and move on.

Actually wine can really BURN my stomach, horribly. I do need something in my stomach before I have a drink.

The thing is with blood pressure and cholesterol, it CAN be weight related and weight loss will help bring your numbers into line. But sometimes, its just not. Many thin people have cholesterol problems. Many thin people eat really badly too. I know there's no real consensus on the whole high Protein low carb thing, but if you have cholesterol problems that arent resolving with weight loss, its probably best to steer clear of too many animal foods and eat your fruit, veg and wholegrains. High cholesterol levels can be hereditary. I know my DH was banded, lost 40kg and is still on blood pressure medication. His BP did not budge at ALL with a that weight loss. Mine was never high, but came down significantly with weight loss. My cholesterol levels tend to be a little on the high side, right t the very top of normal. But my LDL/HDL ratio is really good, exercise and weight loss has really fixed that even though it hasnt brougth down overall levels very much. My mother had a heart attack at 65, so did my maternal grandmother and there's HEAPS of bowel cancer in my family, and i've already been a victim before the age of 45. So there's no way on EARTH I would eat the high protein style diet that so many bandsters have. I am sticking with wholegrain breads, cereals etc and lots of fresh produce, minimal meat etc. It might just be a health condition you have to manage. But dont despair, by losing all that weight, you blow away your risks of so many other diseases and conditions, and you maximise your potential of not dying as a result of heart disease whatever risk factors you cant control. Cholesterol is only ONE risk factor!

I have a variety of approaches depending on how I'm feeling with my weight, where I'm at with training for running events, what's gone on that week, and such. Sometimes, very occasionally, it truly is OK to just let your hair down and indulge. But I woudlnt choose to do that on a week where I'd already had a few indulgences or a few events on. I wouldnt choose to do it when I"m at the top end of my swing room weight wise and I did it a lot less whilst I was recovering from my tummy tuck and not running regularly! Sometimes, particularly with family, I just have a drink or two and push food round my plate and then have a small bit of dessert. I hide the fact that I dont eat a lot because when you're thin that alarms people. Apparently all thin people who dont stuff their faces at a party are anorexic. Most times I stick to ONE glass of wine, avoid all the chips and nibbles before the meal, eat a small meal, have just a bite of dessert and dont touch the cheese platter or after dinner chocolates. I basically stay away from anything not portion controlled on a plate. That just one chip, or one cheese and cracker, that's a spiral to disaster for me! I also try to do a really big run, like 12, 15kms and burn a good 1000 calories that day.

OK you may have read my reply but I just decided I was being overly sensitive and need to rephrase anyway. what I said in a nutshell was it seems a bit strange to me to ask for the advice, but then quote me, refute me and claim to not be making it up. You asked a question and you can either disagree or agree with my opinion. But if you still have a calorie deficit at the end of the day then you ARENT eating back the calories - and you may indeed be undereating if you're sure you burn 800 calories wiht an hour's swimming, that's one helluva workout. I sure couldnt do it, even in a spin class and I'm very fit, but I guess I'm also only 145lb these days. At the end of the day though, trying to make your weight loss fit the math is a path to madness, plateaus and uneven loss is what happens to most of us. I used to go weeks without losing and then suddenly drop 10lb in two weeks. I dont know whether what you mean is do you need to eat more or do you need a specific type of snack immediately post workout. I dont really know. I lost all my weight running, with minimal strength training, never drinking Protein shakes and eating carbs, so apparently I had no hope of success. Yet I lost 120lb, have kept it off for four years, am fit, toned and have the body I want. So to my way of thinking that means there's any number of paths that will lead you to a fit, health body and weight loss - as long as at the end of the day all those paths lead to eating less calories than you burn.

I think it is important to keep track of reality in this sort of situation. I am so guilty of beating myself up over a 1700 calorie day - um, I am at goal, have been for years, run for an hour or more a day and am 5ft 10, 145lb. I kind of NEED that sort of calorie level to survive. Look at what other people eat - 1700 is below maintenance for most women. But it feels like so much food/sheer gluttony. I get it in one way or another - I mean, I can keep my meals teeny tiny so that I feel virtuous but I will then simply pick, graze and nibble my way to that and more! In truth, you would lose weight - more slowly - on that sort of calorie intake. So simply put it behind you and move on.

Olives are good fat and the sodium is not that high if the rest of your day is fairly unprocessed.

I dont think we entirely understand it yet, I'd shoot for moderation. Look at it this way Saturated animal fat is positively associated with heart disease and cancer - in a statistical sense. We may or may not be on the wrong track, since all the proponents of the caveman/paleo style diets have some convincing evolutionary arguments. So....... dont be completely afraid of it, but dont overindulge. Choose low fat dairy products, and dont eat too much red meat. We know the good fats help to prevent cancer and heart disease and may do good things hormonally for our bodies in terms of where we carry weight, how we burn fat etc. So eat oily fish and incude good olive oil in your diet. The worst kinds of fats are trans fats - the crap that's in processed foods - baked goods, fast foods etc. Dont eat it if you can avoid it. If you have high fat, you're going to have high calories. So regardless of whether or not we have our facts on fat right, if you eat a lot of it, you might struggle to keep your calories in check. So keep your fat to the current guidelines of 30% or so of your calories per day and try to make a good portion of that the good fats, and less saturated fat. All it really means is avoid full fat dairy, dont have too much red meat, and choose lean cuts, maybe dont eat five eggs a day, include oily fish, avocado, nuts instead of quite so much meat and dairy.

I had an early menopause brought on by cancer treatment - OMG it was HORRIBLE. The hot flashes, I would get major panic attacks with them, and want to rip my clothes off. At home, I did rip my clothes off! It upset my sleep markedly too I was absolutely bug eyed, totally depressed, having major sugar cravings, etc. I went onto HRT. I know the risks, but I'm only 44, have early osteoporosis, was miserable and not coping with the menopause symptoms. HRT has been an absolutely life saver for me, I will be on it for a long time yet. I also had to start testosterone treatment and THAT was incredible. That's the fountain of youth. It took away all the aches and pains, the belly weight gain, the declining libido, the mood issues. The little break you had might just be a coincidence, I think a more natural menopause can sort of come and go, cant it?

If you look at it logically, you're trying to lose weight, so you're trying to create a calorie deficit. So why on earth would you purposely eat back those calories? Makes no sense. You might TIME your eating to include a snack right after exercise - many people believe we need a small Protein snack. But overall, you need a calorie deficit - which you achieve by eating less and exercising more.

Wow, how exciting! I dont think it hurt that much - other than coughing, sneezing and laughing (OMG, you will do ANYthing to avoid that for a few weeks!). I had a five day hospital stay - we dont get kicked out here. That really helped. I didnt need major pain meds after the first two days and by the time I was home, I was taking nothing at all. What does bug you is not pain but swelling, immobility, bowel difficulties, impatience to see your new shape, wearing the compression garment, that type of thing. Its a very long recovery to the point where you can say, go out and run and do a full gym program again and the changed pressure in my abdomen has actually caused me some pelvic floor issues that I now have to have treatment for (dont worry, I'm a special case, lots of pelvic radiation, bowel surgery etc). He sewed my muscles up super duper tight, I felt like I couldnt take a deep breath for about two months.

Yes, I have slight pouch dilation and I do really notice that I can eat things - like a sandwich - that I would never have DREAMED of eating a year or two ago! I have not gained weight though, as in reality I've been at goal for years now and eating a sandwich for lunch - just one sandwich - is hardly a fast track to obesity. I still have the headhunger demons, the urge to reach for a biscuit just coz its on a plate in front of me, or share the chips because they're there. I thing mmmmm a glass of wine might be good at 5pm. I have to still manage all those behaviours, like anyone does, so to be honest, a little extra capacity is not that big of a deal to me. I stress, I still cant eat anything like what a normal person eats! My doctor is happy to just watch as long as its not symptomatic - but I have had heartburn. I had a small unfill which has improved that. But I am thinking about a complete empty and soft diet to fix this. I would like to have my band working like it used to.