Jachut

I'd be more inclined to follow the nutritionist - in terms of long term dietary guidelines and the doc for the post surgery schedule of how to get onto solid foods. Here, the doctors make no bones about the fact that they are SURGEONS. They place the band, they fill the band. That's it. They give the after surgery guidelines but they dont in general tell you what to eat. That's because they're SURGEONS. They are not nutritionists. It really concerns me that so many surgeons are acting like they've got a lifetimes eperience in nutrition when really, their training is in the mechanics of band placement and maintenance. A nutritionist is way more likely to be more knowledgeable and give you more serious advice and less personal opinion than a doctor. To me, its like going to an opthalmologist and asking for gynaecological advice. Yes, he's a a doctor and will be more knolwedegeable than a lay person but that's about it. Then again, the nutritionist I saw was all for the five basic foodgroups, carbs included, which sits well with me. If I'd been told to go high Protein, I would have ignored her.

I've always been one to shoot for the lower number but I know that's because my body type is such that I'll always be someone who is healthier at the lower number. I'm 5ft 10 and 154 now and not super skinny, so you can see, as mentioned above that if someone is 5ft 9 and 170 and superskinny, we must have quite different body types. Of course, it depends what we both call super skinny too. But the point is, my healthy weight range is (I'm going in kilograms here, cant convert in my head) 63 to 79kg. That's a HUGE range. And I always always naturally sat at about 82kg. I thought I had an ENORMOUS weight problem, and I spent my entire youth desperately dieting. I've got photos of myself now, about two years ago at that weight, a year into my journey. I look pudgy, bloated and not my best. Once or twice, I got down to about 75kg, once I got to 72 for my wedding. It never held, it would bounce right back up to 82. With the band, Im now sitting at an easy 70 to 72. No effort at all. You probably CAN do it, but I think too your body will take you where's best for you if you allow it to. This is just where my weight loss petered out and stopped.

An unfilled band will let the food through at an almost normal pace, so the pouch doesnt get full. The food just drops through to the bottom part of the stomach, it is ENTIRELY normal to be able to eat like this early on in the journey before you get restriction. A fill will make the hole smaller, and food will begin to accumulate in the pouch when you eat, and you will begin to feel full much quicker.

My kids love it. They love the fact that most people these days are overweight and out of shape and they have the hot mum, lol. And they love boasting about the fact that I can run 10kms to their friends, they even fib and say they came with me. They love that I dont wear daggy, embarrassing clothes too. Of course, I never taught them thin is better. We had in fact talked about how everyone is the same and deserves the same respect on a number of occasions, particularly when I heard comments about other people. But the fat prejudice has set in, it comes from more than just home, I fear. And I suspect my journey, and my obvious relief not to be a fat person anymore has reinforced that for them. DH is now banded too which reinforces it doubly. We have definitely sent the message that it is not good to be fat and that we are willing to take quite drastic steps to avoid it. It was never my intention to reinforce the fat is bad message, but I think we have. They are 12, 11 and 5. Of course, Eliza who's 5 remembers no different. But the boys do.

It sounds rather tight to me, but I agree, there's probably not much harm in waiting till it loosens, at your stage you'll lose weight pretty fast and before you know it it will be more manageable. If you're really suffering hunger, perhaps eat a bit more often?

I think its normal. I'm not menopausal yet but I had about 9 months of horrendous menstrual symptoms, awful PMT, horrid period pain, developed endometriosis, none of which I'd ever suffered from before. It all sort of gradually died down again and my periods are normal now.

The thing is, its a fine line. At least Protein shakes by and large are healthy - low fat and usually *good* fat and a low calorie way to get your Protein whereas eating lots of animal products, cheese, meat, deli meatn(even the low fat versions), whilst part of a balanced diet, the whole proportion of your diet gets way off track with such low calories as bandsters typically eat. People think coz its protein, its great but forget they're often taking in 40% of their calories as fat, mainly saturated fat, and completely and utterly ruining their Omega3/Omega6 ratio too. A high protein diet doesnt have to be a deadly, cholesterol raising one, but the way many people do it, it is. At least shakes kind of help prevent that. If you eat legumes, pulses and tons of fish its a different story.

Me, within reason. Although I am very wide open at the moment, I had some fill removed due to inexplicably tightening. In hindsight, that coincided with some ah, girlie problems I was having and now that I had a bit out, and those problems have resolved I can eat a horse (and the rider). But even at max tightness I was still able to eat anything as long as I was careful. And even NOT at max tightness, it does vary day to day. Breads, cakes, donuts and muffins - difficult foods. Some days really uncomfortable to eat. I dont perservere, I mean they're hardly necessary to sustain life anyway. Other days I can indulge more easily. I had fill removed when I was struggling with fruit, vegetables and meat some days. But overall, I manage and did so with more restriction too, a normal diet based on all five food groups.

Oh, its so hard. I know exactly how you feel. Ok, so I got out of really bad batwing arms and a really bad tummy. But oh, boy, its dissappointing to realise you will NEVER have the body you dreamed of. There's some things are so bad I have to do something about it - my boobs. God, they're awful. They have to be fixed, despite the financial sacrifice. But I will always have cellulite and jiggles, my thighs will never be great. I really really try to accentuate the positives. I dress to show off my best features - despite my deflated old boobies, I have a great chest, collarbones you could cut yourself on and really nice arms, hands and wrists. So I work with those. I bet there's things about yourself that are gorgeous too. We all have our good points. I really went through a phase of being dejected about it and spend hours obsessing over how I could afford PS but it did pass eventually, I've been at goal for over a year now and its starting to become *my* body. But it is definitely not as simple as lose weight - get thin - be happy.

Cloth all the way, and LOTS of Fuzzibunz, they rock! Pocket diapers are the cloth answer to disposables - trim, convenient, stay dry cover, super easy to wash and dry. With cloth, you dont have to wet pail and use chemicals, dry pail, cold wash, they are no more energy and resource intensive than sposies, because they're only manufactured ONCE. There is nothing better than a cuddly cloth bum. We got into it by accident, all three of mine were really sensitive to disposables, horrid rashes and the like and it cleared up with cloth. I wouldnt do the old terry squares though. Prefolds have NEVER been around in Australia, I have no idea why, because I think folded into three and laid in a cover they work really really well, so much easier than folding and pinning. And I had a brief look at the new Bumkins covers the other day and it makes me want to have another baby! There's ALSO a whole comminity of cloth users out there on line, and some great mama made products, real collectors items. I have a few Made by Mom ones here that would probably go for $100 each on ebay now.

I'm not a low carber, but I love cauliflower in place of potatoes and rice. And sauteed strips of zucchini instead of pasta. I do those because they actually taste BETTER than pasta! And a lot more vitamin packed.

Early on, for about 12 weeks after surgery, it always felt like I'd just eaten a big meal, I was very UNhungry. When I ate, I got full super duper quickly. THen it mellowed out. Eventually it became so I feel normal. I get hungry, as normal, but I fill up quicker, that's it. Occasionally get pain or discomfort with certain foods and occasionally get stuck. But I just feel "normal'

I'm a uni student, but I have 3 kids. I'm doing a Bachelor of Primary Education (which is grade school to you guys). I've got a year to go, JUST finished the semester, apart from one big critical essay due in 2 weeks. I also work in a local private school as an integration aide with a grade 3 girl who is struggling with literacy issues, 2 mornings a week. And as I said, I've got 3 kids, and a home to run too, and a husband who is an executive and works crazy hours. So I know about busy. My worst habit is that I do resort to sweet carbs when stressed. Which is why my stomach appears to be resting on my knees at the moment, lol. I have had eight, yes eight major assessment pieces due in the last two weeks. I has been utter hell. But its over now. I guess I *REALLY* focus on not letting anything upset my exercise routine completely. I have to be realistic, I have to do less when I'm so busy, but I have an emergency routine that's more doable during these times and I stick to it. I tend to eat badly during these times though (and so does the family) but to be honest, sometimes I have to be in like four places at once and dinner is just not possible, it HAS to be a takeaway so I accept that and realise that I can get doubly back on track when its over. But I have to watch it because that's how I got fat, tooo busy to shop, too busy to cook, grab something easy, multitask while eating and eat more than you realise, etc. I dont buy food on campus, I make my lunch at home and take it. I also take coffee in a thermos, because I get sick of only being able to get cappucinos and lattes! I just want brewed coffee! I'm only there for short periods of time though, not entire days. I do every unit I possibly can in off campus mode too. Being a crusty old 41 year old means drinking with other students is not one of my priorities. I'm more likely to come home and go out drinking with my friends. And I avoid the other more mature students because they're too boring and studious, lol. During most of the year, the workload is more manageable as i do tend to be one of those infuriating straight A students who do little work to get such good results, lol. I dont do an awful lot of home study apart from when stuff is due it. Its just teaching rounds and end of semester that get hairy. But really, if I can do it, anyone can. I'm a very very busy person.

Erk. I would definitely make a Soup of some description, with lean meat and lentils or Beans in it, AND vegetables, blend it all up. I'm sorry, yes Protein is the most important nutrient right now, your body will have enough stores of other things to miss out on veges for a few weeks but you're going to find it awful to eat, impossible to get down even, and you're going to get super duper duper constipated. And probably bloated and gassy too. ONLY meat or protein for weeks? That's really not very doable. Focus on it yes, but Water it down with veges and broth so that you can at least swallow it! And a moist vegetable like pumpkin and gravy and blended roast meat like beef or lamb was very palatable too.

You're not kidding. The view on Protein in Australia is polar opposite to the view in the States. Most nutritionists and surgeons here would tell you to stop being so faddish, and eat normally, that there's no extra need for protein after WLS and that wholegrain, low GI carbs are healthy foods. I've never heard of anyone here being advised to have Proteins shakes at any time other than the presurgery liquid diet and post surgery for the first week or two. Actually on my second ever visit when I booked my surgery, the surgeon asked me if I had any questions and I mentioned I'd found a great online community. He said, let me guess, high protein, low carb? I said yes. He said be careful of believing what you read on the internet, so obviously he disagrees with it. Yet, a whole country full of Americans losing weight cant be any more wrong than a whole country full of Australians, can it? Who knows? I think you need a healthy dose of self belief and confidence in your own decisions in this game.

It depends where your problem spot is, I guess, but although I have a jiggly bum, I cannot bear wearing any of these garments, they actually make me feel sick after an hour or two and weirdly they trigger sciatic pain for me too. Its only worth it for me to wear them under a slinky dress for a special occasion. So truthfully, I would only buy ONE item and see how you go. But I am addicted to the camisole tops. Usually, that's where I'll have a problem - if I want to wear a really stretchy fitted top, the lovehandles and slight belly jiggle will ruin it. One of those tops smooths everything out.

BMI 36, lost about 45kg depending on the day. My weight loss didnt break any world speed records though, it took me a good 2 years to lose that. But it was steady and dependable. I run an hour nearly every day though.

I've been between 150 to 155 for a bit over a year now.

Nah, I'm too busy and I cant be bothered. I also tend to approach weight loss as black and white. Eat less, move more and stop acting like a fatty boombah. There's not much to blog about in the face of an attitude like that. I dont sit around navel gazing and analysing my motivations etc. I'm not against it, its just not the way I approach things. So my blog would be very short. It would just be "good day, ran for an hour, ate well' or "ate a packet of choc chip Cookies today, must do better tomorrow". And I would probably vent about all the people who annoy me because they're not as decisive as I am, lol, and offend half the planet.

Yes, pro breast as I am, it makes me mad when people insinuate that formula is poison. And breastfeeding is not only a physical struggle for some but an emotional one, and some people simply hate it. A baby is always better off with a happy mother than a lactating one if a choice has to be made. And then there's going back to work. I was lucky I could be a sahm because I sure as sugar failed at expressing breastmilk. I would have had no choice but to bottlefeed if I were working. And I always had to leave formula if I was away for a feed.

Yes, politics, private schooling and Protein (roflmao!!!!) guaranteed to cause fights amongst even the best friends. I never discuss my polotical beliefs or educational choices, dont know why I cant shut my mouth on the protein issue, tee hee. Something about being online makes us all tend to be a bit more vehement and a bit less respectful, I think. I get angry quite easily but I always regret it, and afterall, what on earth does it MATTER if someone you'll never meet and never know thinks differently to you?

I was asked to have a full bladder, that's all. But I can drink water with no restriction.

Lordy, that must cost a fortune over time! I expected to open this thread and find you'd eaten three boxes of Cookies or something, lol. But yes, that's what blow out means (here anyway). I used to get it done every now and then for special occasions. I wear a straight hairstyle but have fluffy, frizzy hair, so I have to straighten it with a straightening Iron every day since I cannot and will not ever be able to straighten it round a round brush with a hairdryer - its easy to roughly dry it and then fix it with the iron. Now I have this short, concave choppy bob, I absolutely HATE a blow dry unless its my hairdresser (I used to just go down to the no wait, no appointment salons that are everywhere here for a cheap blow dry) because they do it around a round brush and give it lots of body and it looks freaking awful - like a bank teller from the 1980's, lol. Its MEANT to be piecy and choppy! But my hairdresser can do it perfectly. But at $30 to $40 a pop I couldnt afford it regularly and being a runner, generally my hair gets washed and dried every day.

I had the best weight loss of my whole journey pre fill just after surgery. In the 3 months between surgery and my first fill I lost about 40lb. I had super restriction for ages, and I was very compliant with the stages of the diet, after that initial weight loss though, I was a slow and steady loser in the range of about 1lb a week.

Why worry? Eat less when you stop losing. The more you can eat and still lose, the better nourished you'll be.