Jachut

Dont muck around with it too much but if you're not even enjoying what you eat, I doubt you need to be that tight. I had a small fill back in Feb thinking I would shoot for 65kg. What happened is it just made me really tight, and I stopped enjoying my food, was barely eating, my running suffered and it started to become really inconvenient to try to eat out with a band. At 68 to 70kg I have a BMI of around 22, I look fine (if not supermodel perfect), I'm fit and healthy, WHAT was I thinking? Why try to lose even more. I realised I was being silly and had a bit taken out. I have .1 less in now than when I had the tiny fill in the first place. It took a week, but my appetite and capacity definitely increased. I had fallen prey to eating easy foods with my tighter band and for a week or two, I continued to eat those foods only more of them. Whoops, up 2lb. I pulled my socks up and banished those foods and now I'm sitting nicely on around 68 to 70 again. If I manage this for six months, I *might* take a little more out. But the point is not to start eating everything again. You have to be on this plan for the rest of your life, that's how you maintain. But basic enjoyment of what you're eating is not a silly goal, its what you need to stay sane. And never ever ever give up the exercising! That's really important in weight maintenance.

Refreshed is a good word. That's all you'd ever need. I've been "refreshed" once in the last 18 months or so. My last real fill was 18 months ago. In fact I just had a little bit out a few weeks back because I'm cautiously trying to reach a spot where I maintain my weight but can eat the widest variety possible - for the sake of fuelling myself for running and for my long term health. There's no advantage to eating a tiny amount long term if you can eat more and still maintain, nutrition wise. So no, you dont need "fills" but you'll continue to need the moderation of the band. I'm pretty sure were I unfilled totally I'd gain weight!

When you do slip up, you dont tend to slip up so badly and its easier to get back on track. You do still tend to drift off your plan, like you would before, I still can only keep up ANY sort of intense diet for a week or two before I start to drift, but portion sizes remain constant and physically a lot of the really bad foods (like McDonalds, KFC, pizza) are just so darn hard to eat, I just dont eat those anymore, ever really. So you dont get weight regain and you can get going again. You dont get hungry, so even if food choices are not absolutely optimum, you're not eating a lot. But mainly I like to eat and I like a wide variety so I exercise a lot. The band hasnt made me take up running, that was all me. Now I run an hour four or five days a week and the way its changed my body (I havent just lost weight, I've really changed) I'm confident that as long as running is part of my life, I wont battle my weight again. With the guiding hand of my trusty band of course!

I think you have to find one that suits your skin colour. I like St Tropez, but there's 2 cheap ones that work really well on me too - Bronze Up is a great colour on my skin, and its non tinted and non sticky, and it doesnt have that development smell on me. So that's what I use mostly. I just put a coat on at night twice a week. For a special occasion you cant beat a Mystic Tan in the booth.

I eat a totally normal diet - which to me means its wholegrain carb based - bread, cereal, protein to me is important but not the only important macronutrient. I eat fruit and veg and I like a glass of wine at night and everynow and then we have a takeaway dinner like fish and chips. I dont really like pizza and with a family of five, chinese or indian costs a fortune - that's a couple of times a year only for us. We'd have a takeaway dinner maybe twice a month. I never choose junk food for lunch anymore though, never ever.

I'm a dedicated fake tanner. I dont know that it makes me look thinner, but it makes me look WAY healthier. If you keep it light, I reckon a dark tan is aging and looks pretty awful. But a light tan - in winter I still do my face, neck, chest and hands - blends in my dark undereye circles and means I need a bare minimum of makeup and dont frighten myself when I look in the mirror in the morning. I dont like a face full of make up personally, its not a look I like, so I'm happy to have an, ahem, "natural" glow and a bit of lipgloss. I just dont look as healthy or nice when I go full on pale in the winter. But I stress, it has to be light - one coat. Orange is not a good look. I think it depends a lot on your skin tone, I'm pale but olive if that makes sense. Fake tan on pink based skin, ugh. In summer, I'm happy enough with the natural colour I get, I dont need to be dark, but I wouldnt bare my bod on the beach without the camouflage of a nice tan! But fake is always best. Sunbeds are downright dangerous and there's not much point looking great with a tan at 28 if you look like a handbag at 40.

Lol, yes the image in my head is an olympic athlete! But I let myself down by actually singing Abba songs aloud during that race. I realised I was doing it when I started to get funny looks! But yeah, really we're hard on ourselves. When you think where we've come from, to look normal - jiggles and all - is good enough for me! Do you know Chickie, that that's what I really love about running. That hour of positive affirmations and postive self image (even if it's fantasy) is such a healthy thing for self image, I think. It gives you a respect for your body that's quite separate to how it looks and it gives you a way of looking at your body that is not so judgemental. Its how you FEEL that really matters after all. You look great though Chickie! And when in doubt, just run in front of someone much bigger than you wearing pink, lol.

well, here's want rather than need: http://www.supersportimages.com/products/showbib.php?xs=467&s1=535 those are me, just came through my email now. I'd sure LIKE some work done on those upper thighs. I think they're horrendous. But do I need it? Nope. And its not really a good photo, they're not that bad. Here's my stomach (posted a few weeks ago when someone asked about scars: I think its jiggly, and when I bend over, it all hangs unattractively in the middle, utterly disgusting. I hate it. I'd like to fix it if I had lots of money and the scars werent bad. But do I "need" it? No. Its easy enough to just not wear a bikini isnt it? That's want v need in my opinion. When clothes wont fit parts of you or your 3 sizes different top to bottom or your back aches becuase of the weight of your boobs, that's need. Its not wrong however to "want" plastic surgery you dont "need". There's nothing vain about it, there's no shame in wanting to look as good as possible. For me, however, it stops with going into debt for it.

If I'm hungry at night I ignore it (probably have a cup of coffee). I just go to bed hungry. I dont find that hard to do, I've never been a night time eater.

Here's the photos. Ugh, they got my thighs mid jiggle I think! http://www.supersportimages.com/products/showbib.php?xs=467&s1=535

I'd do it a thousand times over. For me it was a resounding success.

There could still be something there, I've definitely had to PB 2 or 3 times over an hour before the offending item finally came out. Or you may just be one of those people who's tummies get easily and instantly irritated by a PB and it may settle. I'd stick with sipping Water for a while (a cup of tea is an excellent idea), do liquids tomorrow and see how you feel. I would skip the medication for this evening, what choice do you really have? (unless you can dissolve it or something)

OOOOH, one you can use wet? I'm salivating. I have almost exactly the same haircut as you. the only wet to dry's here are Vidal Sassoon ones wich are a pretty crappy brand and would fry your hair.

There's no harm in it really. Statistically, you're barely any more at risk of weight related disease. And you can beat that by being fit and eating well. I was always very critical of this, its not in my nature to aim for anything less than stupendous results. I always wanted to get down to about 65kg, which is a BMI of 20 for me, I'm so nearly there, but I am realising that my bum is STILL going to be flabby and my face isnt going to look that great. My upper body is bony thin, I like bones, I like a very slender look and I think collarbones are sexy, but I definitely do not need to lose anymore, or I will be gaunt. What is left is probably extra skin which whilst its not hanging like it is for many, it does make for a bit of flab. I probably cant lose it so I really am coming to terms with not even trying. Its hard to just "stop dieting" though. I've never been at a place where I was happy with my weight. So although I'm happy with it now, I dont really know how to just be this weight if that makes sense. If you can definitely say "right, I've finished" and mean it, then that in itself is an important part of overall health. and thank you for not saying skinny is ugly, which is what ALWAYS causes fights over this topic.

A good straightening Iron is woman's best friend. Forget diamonds. But it must be a good one, like a GHD or mine is a bioionic, and i"m sure there's great ones that I havent heard of in the US. Cheap ones will ruin your hair. I dont have to do mine EVERY day. Like Sunday mornings I do my long run so I shower and do my hair after that, and it lasts through Monday, I never wet my hair Monday. And I wont run tonight, its a rest day so I wont wash my hair tomorrow either. Mine copes with humidity well, but if I get caught in the rain, its a disaster. But that's my hair, not my current hairstyle. Its always been the case. But for anyone that wants great hair, styling is a fact of life. Unless you're genetically blessed, you will never get that professional look just leaving your hair to dry naturally. Mine is hideous, that's never ever been an option for me, but meh, it takes 20 minutes. How hard is that? For good hair?

Hey guys, I finally cracked the hour for 10K. I did last Sunday's 10K in 59.43. I have had a huge improvement in my running since my small unfill, so glad I did it. I nearly got arrested on the way to the race, lol. Got onto the tram (parked a fair way away from the race because all the roads closed and you cant get out to go home!) and got a tram down St Kilda Rd. Ticket machines are on the trams, only I didnt realise they were coin only - I never catch public transport anymore, I drive everywhere. I only had a $5 note, and onto the tram comes a ticket inspector. I copped a $50 fine, ack. Oh well, I'll know next time to take exact money. I'd hate to be a tourist in Melbourne, what with our Citylink tolls and the complicated exact money ticketing system on the public transport, you'd end up with $500 in fines just trying to get from your hotel room! Anyway did the race, nearly froze my tits off, it was 3 degrees C and I was half an hour early and had to stand around for an HOUR in a thin top and running tights. Then on the way home I got rearended in Toorak Rd, lol. I stopped coz the arrow turned red and this young guy in an old car hit me from behind, not hard, so it was fine. Only it wasnt his car and he wasnt an insured driver so I made sure to get the registration number!

All good suggestions but I'd be straight in to see your gynae. If you have an ovarian cyst its a high possibility that there's a gynaecological cause for this. My sister for example, 39, fit as anything, a marathon runner, never had a baby. Has suffered all her life with endometriosis, badly. Suddenly got the urgency issue, really badly. Went in for a laporoscopy, her endo is wildly out of control again and ALL over her bladder, constricting it badly. Fixed totally by getting rid of all the endo during the laparoscopy. So do check it out, it may be more than weight and/or weak pelvic floor.

I was going to say the same thing as Chickie, that even if the wax only lasts a week, it'll still get you basically over the operation. Its not a big surgery, honestly, I could have shaved my legs the next day, but even if you're not so lucky you'll surely be fine within a week to carry out personal grooming. I didnt mean to insult anyone by suggesting it, I dont have PCOS and I'm not a very hairy person so of course my expectations of how long a wax should last may be different to yours. But short of a magic cure, what else can anyone suggest? Its probably the better option or you can just not worry about it and be hairy.

I was told 3 meals a day no snacks and that really works best for me. Once I start snacking I tend to keep going!

I'd call that too tight. And it wouldnt surprise me if you're disappointed in the weight loss you get for such sacrifice, it seems to work that way. I'd prefer to exercise more and thus be able to eat more (well a wider variety more specifically). I had a small unfill recently because I found myself that tight (we think some girl problems i've been having contributed) and I found it really darn inconvenient and very embarrassing eating out with others, I'm sure I looked like I was anorexic, I didnt enjoy anything and although I didnt seek it out on purpose with the intent of losing any weight, I didnt lose any at all.

I've been told by a PS that butts are very hard to fix well. I saw a guy about my tennis ball in a football sock boobs, and asked him more out of curiosity than anything whether there was anythign to be done about the fact that I'm now wearing my bum on the back of my knees. He said to me that its very hard to get a good result with droopy bottoms and cellulite on the backs of thighs, that what you often get is a very flat bottom as a result. I've already got that, its gone very flat (but still wide as I'm basically a pear shape). I wonder how true that is? I've seen GREAT arms in real life Aubrie. The woman in question was a very good healer, I mean you cant even SEE any lapband scars after 2 years, she's got beautiful skin. But the arms, yes there's a scar running down the inside of them, but it doesnt really stand out, you only see it if she raises it and given her great skin, there's no real purple/red colour to them. Worth doing a million times over if you get a result like that. Me, my scars stay purple for years, I get a zit and you can see it for six months!

I used to have this problem when high waisted jeans were in fashion and to solve it I bought men's jeans. I've never liked jeans with a 10 inch long fly, I only ever wore lower rise ones. Now that jeans are all lower rise, I've never had this problem again. No more gapping at the waist. I dont live in the US so cant recommend specific jeans but I find almost any bootleg, mid rise jean OK now, although my proportions are better these days. Meaning my arse is smaller. But if you go for a higher rise, and you're pear shaped, you'll always have this trouble. My advise is to just get used to a lower rise.

Prof O'Brien has found in Australia there's considerable success with lower BMI patients. Of course you cant equate that with pounds lost, but with percentage of total body weight, low BMI patients tend to do very well. In layman's terms I look at myself. I simply didnt have the "issues" to overcome that many heavier people had. As a lower BMI you are likely to have been fat for less time, not to have been so fat in the first place, not to have developed as dysfunctional eating habits and issues. The stories people tell about what they used to eat, including entire bottles of soda in a day, well I never DID that in the first place, so I didnt have to overcome it. I'd never eaten two big macs in one sitting or entire cakes, or six ice creams, I didnt eat three plates full of dinner. I may well have gotten to that point. Now I'm not saying by a long shot that all people with a bmi of 50 indulge in those behaviours but its a fair call to say they probably eat a lot more than I did at a BMI of 35. So it was way easier for me to change, I probably had a much milder form of the disorde4r. I also hadnt got so fat that I couldnt exercise or hadnt exercised in years. I was still able to be active and if there's one thing I could say is the secret of weight loss its hard exercise. If youre so big you can barely more, its much much more of a challenge. All those are reasons why that study found the results it did and they're all compelling reasons why you should be able to tackle a weight problem seriously before it becomes really difficult. And of course that's just generalising because there are indeed people on this board and out there in the world who HAVE gone from BMI's of 50 down to 20 through sheer guts and determination.

Ah yes. I'm a student teacher, but am at the stage where I'm out on teaching rounds a LOT now, so working a good part of the academic school year. I take very easy things to eat because its always rushed. I eat well at home int he morning - I have two sittings at breakfast, lol. First when I get up I'll get some Cereal and a coffee down, that travels around the house with me, while I'm showering, doing my hair, dressing the kids, etc. An hour or so later when I leave to do the school drop off of my kids and head on myself, I'll take some fruit and a piece of toast with me. That way if all I have for lunch is yogurt or some cheese and crackers, I've eaten well in the morning.then its an afternoon snack of something healthy which can be more leisurely. And dinner as normal. personally I'd rather be fat than live on Protein shakes and bars, I dont consider them food or a viable option at all for me. This large breakfast snack lunch doesnt fit my normal three meals a day routine, but I'll have to adapt when I'm finished studying and am working full time.

I can swallow a big pill. I've always hated doing so and wont take a huge multi, an Iron pill and 3 ginormous fish oil capsules, I've found chewable options for all of those. But if a pill was my only option, I can do it, they dont block me up or anything.