Jachut

Its weird isnt it? I can handle the cereal/milk combo but chunky Soups, ugh. I have to be REALLY careful with things like minestrone, any Soup with big bits in it.b SUCH a healthy food, and very satisfying but definitely not something I'd ever eat in public due to the risk of PB.

the thing is, if you search, you'll find 100 different formulae for that. Which one is right? Althought that puts me squarely at about 65grams a day which is reasonable. Not like the 100+ grams that some formulae tell me I need, which is patently ridiculous since I get nowhere near that amount and I'm perfectly healthy. Its the same as the calorie thing - I*should* be able to eat about 2500 a day at my height, weight and activity level, yet I cant. I have normal build, normal amount of muscle, I'm toned and fit yet I maintain on about 1800. You have to read your own body I think and go with what makes YOU feel good.

I have a chewable Iron, but I'm in Australia but for what it's worth they're called "Iron Melts", you may find them. I buy children's burstlets for fish oil, its the same size and shape of a capsule but flavoured, and the capsule bursts and you can spit it out.

Who's disagreeing with that? That's moderate advice. I dont disagree we need protein, I feel more that it shouldnt be the ONLY focus in our diet. Just because you get enough protein you cant necessarily relax and call your diet healthy. We need our two fruit and five veg, and our dairy, etc. Having a lapband makes that difficult and I really believe that this focus on must get my protein makes people forget about other aspects of their diet. You're better to go slightly short on a range of nutrients rather than load up on one macronutrient and fall VERY short on alot of others. Overall though, I happen to hold a different opinion to you on how MUCH protein we need, shaped by the fact that in Australia, in general, bariatric surgeons dont advocate lots of protein and the fact that we did all this back in the 70's, and it didnt solve obesity then and it isnt solving it now (just as high carb/low fat hasnt worked). Less calories and more exercise is the answer there. Also shaped by the fact that there's loads of Aussies read this board and find the protein advice offputting and alarming and I think its important that we share the fact that we've lost weight on ALL sorts of diets, not alarm people with psuedoscientific evidence that we all believe just because its on the internet. Most Aussies dont like to read a board and be told that unless they eat like an American they wont lose weight. There are quite significant differences in our eating cultures! I dont need to "take this offline" and be forced into accepting your opinion thanks all the same. I dont need to prove my own to you. I am entitled to share what I think for the benefit of other readers who may agree and generally on this board, people know my opinion on this and I know theirs and we manage to get on pretty well anyway. However, I do think that quoting a dodgy internet article is not really a good way of backing up your own quite relevant, perfectly feasible opinion which is certainly shared by many people here. We all feel passionate about things we believe really help us, and people certainly feel that way about high protein diets. I'm not saying that its wrong. But its certainly not universally "right" either. The thing you've got to remember is that you have an opinion based on medical advice from your surgeon, information you've read from various sources and personal experience of how that's worked for you. So do I. I've found my information from the same sorts of sources - medical opinion, wider reading and personal experience about what works for me. We're both equally as likely to be right, and both equally as likely to be flawed in our reasoning.

Yes, I saw an ad in the Herald Sun and noticed he was operating at The Avenue. There have been a few people on here that saw Peter Nottle, only he used to operate from Williamstown hospital under the public system. He had the quickest turnaround coz usually you wait years for a spot in a public hosptial. Guess he sold out and went where the money is, lol. Dont blame him. Apparently he's a really nice guy. I attend Prof. O'brien's clinic, The Centre for Bariatric Surgery, and its a few doors up from the hosptial itself, altough I can also see my surgeon at the Women's and initially I saw him at Cotham Private. Not sure if Mr Nottle has joined this team or not. I'd imagine so, you wouldnt really set up in competition right across the street! Good luck!

In Melbourne, at The Avenue, Dr Gary Crosthwaite. Whereabouts are you?

I eat all cereals and breads. Bread doesnt cause me much problem other than it is VERY filling and I cant eat a lot of it. I often cant finish one slice of toast in the morning. Cereal I find a good food. I have PB'd on cereal ONCE when I ate it dry and then drank coffee. We have these things called Weet Bix and they also come in little fruit clusters, I ate about six of those (in a hurry, due at swimming lessons) and gulped coffee. Ten minutes later we're at Eliza's swimming lesson and they erupted, publically and loudly, lol. So yes, cereal expands but only if you eat it dry and THEN drink the milk! I try to avoid things like Corn Flakes though - worthless, high GI processed carbs. I stick with oatmeal, muesli and occasionally more processed things like Sultana Bran.

Running really helps me. For me, I need action, movement. Things like a long bath are nice to do and relieve tired type stress but arent really effective for the I cant cope with my life stress. The type of stress I usually face is the I've got 100 things to do in 1 hour type stress, my life can get utterly ridiculous at times between a family, a job and full time study and I often find situations arise where I have to be in four places at one time. DH gets cross at me and simply doesnt understand how I can walk away from a bomb site of a house and go running instead of cleaning up. The mess and disorganisation we live with as a result of lack of time causes me stress as well, but I cope with it ALL better as a result of being fitter, centred and having some me time. So no matter what, I endeavour to keep to my exercise schedule. Nonetheless I have periods of weeks (like now) when I simply CANNOT afford the time to spend on an hour's run most days, this week I have handed in five assessment pieces at uni, and have two more to go by Saturday. I just have to do them. But I've still got out once or twice. Emotional stress, everyday stress, anger, etc a good run clears that out for me and music is an important part of it for me too. My music choices may be a bit daggy and old time, lol, but to go for a run listening to something you find uplifting is a really good experience. Of paramount importance for me though is avoiding it in the first place. I'm a pretty disorganised person, when I really make an effort not to be stress levels are much less.

I do an hour five or six days a week - running at about 6mph. Several times a week I'd also get out and walk 6kms with DH, its a nice thing to do early on a nice weekend morning for example, or on a nice evening. Other than that I'm pretty active in my daily life, its easy to fall victim to the "I've exercised so I can do nothing for the rest of the day" trap. You really cant. Overtime your body becomes so efficient at your chosen sport too that whilst people think they'd lose TONS of weight from running almost 10k six times a week (and you do at first), for me its a weight maintenance thing now. I'm maintaining my weight now - although it does enable me to eat quite a bit - I'd have what I'd call is a NORMAL diet now, meaning I'd eat about as much as a normal small woman would eat - about 1800 to 2000 calories a day, although probably somehat less than a normal 5ft 10 154lb woman eats.

I rarely eat it to be honest, I'm a bit lunch meat phobic. To me its a prime example of unhealthy processed food. Nitrates preservatives and such, ick. Some ham gives me asthma from the sulfates. Much of it is high fat and made from lips and assholes (what was that movie?), lol. And it so commonly makes people sick, I think the lysteria hysteria from pregnancy has stuck with me. I really only eat it if its cooked, as a condiment - ie. some salami in a Pasta dish.

Quite simply, there's something wrong. This is not the way being banded is supposed to be. You need to follow this up urgently with a surgeon. I am not in the least bit worried about long term nutrition because my daily menu might look like cereal and fruit for breakfast, a tuna and salad sandwich for lunch (Ok, not ALL of it) and meat and 3 veg for dinner. I eat normal foods in smallish but still normal quantities and i eat from all food groups. There may be foods you cant tolerate, like bread, but you work around that, but you should be able to eat a pretty normal diet. If you cant even eat solids, you might be slipped or there may be some other problem and you need to have this checked out.

Oh, to be a 20 year old boy, lol I didnt lose fast, but I dont think I could have done it without the band. I was and am basically a healthy eater but I just tend to reward myself with food, add too many treats, use food to punctuate my day. I do it less now, but I'm inconsistent, I'll eat perfectly for three weeks and then terribly for two, I tend to cycle. I could *always* lose weight, but once the cycle broke, I'd regain it. The band stops that for me, I still cycle, but the bad eating is not *over* eating anymore, its just not so organised and perfect food choices. So I just dont regain. A really BIG part of my success with losing weight and keeping it off has been my running though. The band has nothing to do with that and had I run as regularly and been as dedicated pre band like I was back in my teens and early 20's I never ever would have become as fat as I did in the first place. I have a genetic disposition to be "solid" but not to be obese, that really happened to me because of the huge lifestyle change and lack of exercise/increase in boredom eating that tends to happen once you start having babies. The band keeps me thinner than I would naturally be but with my activity levels now, I really dont believe I would become obese again. I think I'd probably return to my "natural" 80 kg(180lb give or take), not a weight I was ever happy with but just chunky not really seriously overweight.

sounds like Iron deficiency too I dont pay any attention to Protein, but I was fine last time I had bloods done. I eat more than an average bandster though, I always have been able to lose on 1500 calories a day or so and of course I do eat protein from natural sources, its just not my focus. I guess you're much more likely to become deficient in anything if you're eating less, like under 1000 calories a day.

I'm coming up for three years now and so far, absolutely no problems. I've begun having Fluid let out of my band, although its made it a bit harder to maintain, i want to find the point where I can have the least restriction possible and still remain at 70kg. I really believe that being tight for long periods of time leads to higher risks of problems. I also endeavour to maintain my weight as much as possible with exercise rather than relying on tight restriction for severe calorie control. So far its working well. I dont fear problems, but if they arise, I will have NO hesitation in being either rebanded or revising to the sleeve (which is becoming more and more popular here). I know I need intervention to remain at a normal weight, the difference in appetite with even small removals of fill is quite remarkable. But I just remain optimistic and thankful for the tool I have.

Yes I did. I didnt *have* to do a liquid diet, at a BMI of 36 I had by pure chance had a liver ultrasound due to to an overzealous gp who sent me off for a barrage of tests when he referred me to the surgeon. So I knew for a fact my liver wasnt enlarged or fatty and had the results for the surgeon. He said there was no need to do the liquid diet but I thought I might as well get a good jump start. When I fainted about five times (three days into it) I rang him and he said to get off it and eat something, that its only done to shrink the liver and in general terms is not in the least bit good for you or a healthy way to lose weight unless there is a pressing reason to lose fast. I also had trouble on the liquid part of the post op diet but I had to stick to that. I lost weight well on 1500 to 1800 calories a day so perhaps itwas just too severe a caloie restriction for me. I also cant cope with a high Protein low carb diet, it makes me feel TERRIBLE, I really need my carbs. But if she was getting no blood in the vial, you're quite severely dehydrated.

I picked 70kg because I'd gotten as low as 72 and felt great. I knew a BMI of about 20, 21 would be good for me, I didnt want to be still pushing overweight, I wanted good leeway. My healthy weight range is 63 to 79kg and I know that 79 kg is still FAT for me, because I weighed that for years and years and years. I'm just not naturally skinny enough to hold 63 or I would go for it. But I seem to sit really comfortably at 70 so it was a good choice. I'd like less of a muffin top though!

I eat vegemite all the time. I can eat toast, dont very often but I have anything and everything on Ryvitas or cruskits for Breakfast and vegemite and butter is a fave. Its good on Saladas, vita wheats (squish it thru the holes, lol), etc.

I am really really lucky in that I didnt hit a true plateau till I got to a BMI of 21. Ideally, I'd love to be 5kg lighter, but I cannot shift another pound for love nor money. I've managed weeks of eating very little and exercising a lot but it seems here is where my body wants to stay. I think in reality, I look fine, its just my little obsessions with bits of flab etc that make me want to lose more. Throughought my actual losing phase, I did have periods of weeks where I didnt lose, but I just kept doing what I was doing and overall I was a slow and steady loser.

Hmmmmm, not quite sure. What I found when I began running though was that I was already quite fit cardiovascularly speaking. What held me back and had me staggering by 2 or 3 kms was not feeling like my heart was beating 1000 times per minute or that my lungs were going to explode, it was muscular exhaustion. I found I had to work for quite a long time to build up the muscular endurance (and probaby my body's ability to deliver oxygen if you want to get more technical). I didnt worry about the heart rate. It was what it was. I was sweating, breathing harder, and getting tired, therefore what I was doing was effective. Too much focus on having your heart rate exactly so really can distract from what you're trying to achieve. You dont want to be working really light but fast all the time, you need some harder work to build your muscular endurance. What about interval training? I found that REALLY super duper effective in getting me fit and strong very quickly. Some really hard work at that higher restistance, it will shoot your heart rate up through the roof but you dont try to maintain it for an hour, then you step back to some lighter easier work for a short interval. If you need some encouragement, I cant recommend Cardio Coach highly enough its PERFECT for the elliptical. www.cardiocoach.com. Its inexpensive and not at all cheesy, he's a really good trainer and the music is great too. It really really helped me in the early days and I still rely on it for treadmill work which I find a bit boring.

Oh, it makes sense to me, its an anticipation thing.I was a bit like this each time I was pregnant, an intense orgasm could bring on quite painful cramps and the anticipation of it hurting really ruined it. Its probably something that will settle with time, the same as how your port can hurt if you move suddenly or do a lot of exercise early on but a year or two down the track you're never aware of it.

With all due respect, you really have to consider your sources with internet information. That's not a particularly credible source, certainly wouldnt stand up in an academic sense. I'm not arguing with it or saying anything is untrue, just that I'd be very careful about believing everything you read about nutrition on the internet.

OK, I'm not really a low carb advocate but sweet carbs were my downfall too. I can control that now for the most part. While I havent cut carbs I dont eat those sweet ones any more if I can possibly avoid it. Sometimes I do and whilst I cant say I identify with the stories people tell of "if you have one bite of them the cravings come back really strongly" they are moreish and I find it best just not to eat them. However, I can handle wholegrain low GI carbs fine and I do have a higher Protein diet than I had, although I dont go in for 80 grams a day like many do, and all that does help to keep the blood sugar and appetite more stable and the tendency to suddenly pig out at bay. What also helps is that cakes, donuts etc tend to get stuck and hurt going down, which over time has made them just not as attractive to me. All I did BEFORE surgery was vow not to eat like a pig until surgery day. I practiced eating moderately. But I've never "changed" my diet that much since it was pretty healthy already (just too much and too many treates) and my definition of a healthy diet isnt cottage cheese and eggs all day long. So there was really nothing to change. I just tried to not eat everythign that wasnt nailed down and I started exercising.

I worried about that but it really wasnt an issue for me. food doesnt really help you deal with anything as much as you think it does. What I decided when I made the decision to be banded, was from the day I saw my surgeon, I was starting my new life. No crash diet and mad exercise, but I determined that I was going to try to practice life skills. Sensible eating and moderate exercise. My goal was not to lose any weight, it was to avoid stuffing myself stupid from that point until surgery. It REALLY helped me. I was much fitter by the time S day rolled around, and I felt good about myself. It wasnt a feeling of thank god I'm getting this band to control myself by that point, it was the next step in a journey I'd already started. Most of the mental preparation and soul searching came well before. I didnt go to see a surgeon until I was sure I wanted to do this.

It probably will go away with time, there were quite a few strange feelings in the months after surgery. I still ocassionally get a strange pain now though, its a real belly ache, completely without nausea, its muscular pain, and it makes the top of my stomach really hurt, but also travels up my esophagus and makes my jaw and cheeks ache really badly. It can be excruciating. Really cold food sets it off, but sometimes I just get it. It doesnt usually last very long though.

I was admitted to hosptial at 7.30 am and the first thing I had to do when I was taken to my room was have a shower with some betadine wash.