Jachut

The goal for the minimum for reasonable health is 10,000 steps per day. Its not as hard as it sounds, plenty of people already get that, I know I do without exercising - just by walking round, doing housework, going to the supermarket, to uni, the kids' basketball and the endless back and forth to the washing machine. However, whilst 10,000 is an awesome goal to have if you're really sedentary, its not a huge amount of exercise and if do already do close to that in an average non exercise day, then you cant afford to rest on it if you know what I mean. If you're body's used to that and you eat to fuel it, you'll need to do more to lose. Also, you can do 10,000 steps without raising your heart rate above 100 as well, and really, ideally you need some harder work to lose weight. Personally, I think that a great way to work that program would be to aim to get 10,000 steps a day in your daily life, and then have a reasonable workout on top of it. That way you're addressing both sides of the coin, that everyday incidental activity - which is what really makes a difference between whether someone struggles with their weight or not - and your fitness activities - which is what builds muscle and cardio ability and really makes the difference between just managing your weight and really losing. I guess its really just the opposite way of saying there's no point doing a really hard workout and then sitting down on your butt for the rest of the day. Pedometers are a fabulous way of making sure that doesnt happen.

What you're doing is very dangerous, you need to stop and go back onto liquids. Liquids are whatever will go up a straw. You can make healthy foods into liquids - with Water, stock, milk, canned tomatoes, whatever. You can have nourishing Soups and milk and fruit smoothies, golly, I had my christmas dinner - turkey, veges and gravy all liquified up into a Soup. You do not need to be starving hungry. If its going right through your band and not staying in the pouch at all (perfectly normal before a fill) then have a bit more, till you feel some satisfaction. But you MUST NOT cause your stomach to churn and work to digest it. It has to be smooth and lump free.

Libra, I think I love you! Do you KNOW how refreshing it is to hear that? It has not been said round here for quite a long time. You will go far - I'm sure in weight loss but in life in general. If you can view your life with that much responsibility the sky is the limit for what you can achieve. I applied it to my weight but I'm just now learning to spread it around the other areas of my life and the rewards are very exciting.

BJ, all along, I've talked about BEHAVIOUR, not somebody's worth as a person. If you dig into past threads BJean, you'll find tons of nice, supportive threads from me also, even in response to people breaking their liquid post op diet. They're along the lines of, yes, its really hard, just pick yourself up, keep going, one fall doesnt make you a failure. I've never said someone's a lesser person coz they're having trouble. Do you know BJean, I'd like to lose another 20 too but I just cant? I just cant get it together enough, get my eating just that bit more disciplined, exercise more than I already do. I've settled into maintenance and its comfy, I dont want to rouse myself out of it. I think about those 20lb but the difference here is that I'm not posting crying about it, I know why I'm not model thin like in my fantasies and I know its because I dont want to work that hard so what is the point making everyone else's life miserable with my complaints? If you read through BrandyII's lap band failure thread, and you are HONEST rather than just trying to one up me, you will see that it started out supportive, from me and from others. Over time it became what it did as people got frustrated with trying to help her only to have another ever so polite rebuff, another excuse. And all pretty insulting in their own way, all smacking of "yes, but you're not the same as me, its easy for you, you havent been fat all your life" kind of thing. Eventually people just get jack of it. Its really quite strange to come here, ask for help and then throw that help back in people's faces. How do you expect people to react?

Yes, I really think humour can lighten up some of those serious messages.

And just in case we get away from the main issue - Jillypoo you said it right. Of course, this is generalising. All fat people arent lazy and all thin people arent dynamoes. All this started coz I said *I* was a greedy lazy slob. Apparently that means I think EVERYONE is. But really, how many of us lived on 1200 calories an hour long run every day? Not many, I'd wager. We are generalising, yes, but generalities fit a lot of people dont they? At the same time, I'm no saint. I need to sort out other areas of my life in exactly the same way and with the same decisiveness I've applied to my weight. I'm not above deluding myself by continuing with destructive behaviours and refusing to see the consequences. If I want that huge impressive monstrously expnesive house I really HAVE to stop bleeding money on clothes, make up, beauty products, entertainment dont I? I'm married to an accountant who likes to be in control of every single cent and to be honest, I"m very lucky he's the man he is and he hasnt kicked me out because we're POLAR opposities. I drive him nuts and I cant keep pretending he's just obsessive and I bear no responsibility. When he takes me to task for the visa card being so over budget this month, I make excuses, I try to pass the buck. It gets me nowhere, the fact is the money's still spent and not saved. If I dont change the behaviour, the exact same thing will happen next month. That's exactly why I can recognised that same behaviour in other people - and we all can if we're honest. I need a lapband for my wallet! That's my current project. That and realising nobody in this house will fold the fecking socks and undies but me. I cant sit around at the end of a day spent on this darn computer and wonder why the house is a bombsite. Those are my current self projects. And in some ways they're harder than the weight issue. But Ill bloody do it in the end if I want the outcome more than the comfort of the behaviours. And if I dont then I've nobody to blame but myself.

Pah,BJ, she's just the final straw, its not all about HER. This board is supposed to be about support. I need that too. The flavour of it has changed an awful lot lately, its populated by a bunch of whiny good for nothing marshmallows. Its all whine whine whine and the minute anyone pipes up with anything resembling reality, its on for young and old. I've decided I dont give a feck about those that just WANT to be miserable. I was never about boasting, I wanted to help. But really, well, I cant be stuffed anymore. Sort out your own psychoses. Whan a "perfectly nice person" twists my words to fuel her own completely insane rant and make herself feel better, I'm not gonna waste a whole lot of time on her feelings. When she's backed up by someone insisting that its all fine to delude yourself right out of your weightloss, I'm done paying that respect too. I'm perfectly nice in real life. I dont fight with people. I have lots of friends. I have a great family. I dont need to hang with twits who'd rather wallow in their own misery than make something of their lives. So I'm here in my very own thread talking to people who share some of my views. I'm not really going back to the other part of the board. Its not what it was, the population has changed and to be honest, there's not a lot there for someone who doesnt have a weight problem anymore. So...... you can have your own I dont want to face any issues just pretend it's all OK and I'm not responsible for any of it thread and I came in and disrupted that by disagreeing so I guess its fine for you to come into my I'm done with being a baby and am sorting out my life thread and argue too. But I'm not going away, so get over it.

Yep, I think that 100%. Nuff said coz they'll only argue about it again and deny it and complain that its not their fault. Apart from the very few who actually do have medical/physical reasons for not losing weight, some of whom are people who for unknown reasons just CANT get their band to work right. Some people's bodies just dont seem to like lapbands. They're too tight, then they're too loose etc. Its realy hard for some.

I didnt really hate it before and I was so lucky to be banded at a BMI of 35 so it wasnt as totally beyond me as it was for others. But it was MUCH harder and I was in a lot of pain from my feet and ankles and couldnt walk for exercise. I had to start with what I could do which was the elliptical at the gym. After about 3 months, I decided that the time commitment of driving somewhere to do my exercise wasnt going to work long term for me so I had to try walking and to my surprise, I actually RAN - 3kms. After that I just stuck at it. The weight I'd lost to that point made it much easier on my body and then as my bad ankle strengthened, my problems abated a lot. As I bounded round a 10km course in a race on Sunday I was reflecting on that. I stuck at it, I've been really slow to improve, I mean people start running and run half marathons six months later, but I've gotten there over 2 years or so. Start with what you can do, just make it doable and not ridiculously time consuming (that's why I chose running, you can get a good workout in half an hour if that's all you have) and stick with it. Have some rest days, make it OK for your body in the state its in now and really, just do it. Good luck!

I hate taking pills. I gag and carry on like a baby. But at 3 ml in a 4ml band, I *can* take a large Vitamin and 2 fish oil capsules one after another. It doesnt block me up or anything. If I can swallow the darn things in the first place that is.

The info in the surgeon's notes says that we should eat what we need to be satisfied but to avoid eating to induce a feeling of extreme fullness or nausea. That may be anwhere from half a cup to up to two cups. For me, at that stage about a cup did it for me. For DH who is two weeks out, two cups is more like it. Just keep it soft and mushy. Dont eat till you feel stretched full, stop before that. If you do that you will be OK. You may not lose much though, DH certainly isnt because he's plain hungry and eating to satisfy that. You can however choose to ignore hunger if you want to lose lots in t his period. Just realise that it was hard before you had a band and until you're properly filled it will be hard with a band also. You've not failed if you give in and eat or dont lose much weight at this point. Just soft foods, eat till satisfied is what really matters now.l

Hmmmm, not sure. I belong to another lap band board, ironically set up by people who were banned from here when they were finally pushed too far by the resident lap band haters of the time. Funnily enough, that place is happy, positive and supportive. People have questions, sometimes of the kind that you get tired of reading over and over again, but they are newbies so they're answered with patience. Even funnier, there just is never those I just ate 400 oreos types of posts. There are a few people whom you read to be a bit plagued by the victim mentality, but they try hard to face their lives positively. There are NEVER arguments. When people are not having the results that they want they post questions, they try to analyse the replies, they weigh up pros and cons and ask more questions etc. I've never seen anyone actually blame their band. They've never failed to continue trying to do their bit so the band can work for them. Some people have lost 20lb in 2 years! Its just so darned different. What is it about here? Just more people I guess. Or maybe they find the other board and dont like it becuase they dont see an environment that will indulge their negativity. Yeah, I could nick off and hang there all the time. Sometimes I do. But its a serious question, what makes it different here? Is it coz its larger, more public yet more anonymous? But yeah, nobody ever blames the band.

I think it probably depends on what you have now. I always had "generous" breasts, not huge, just a DD to E on a 5ft 10 frame, and I thought they'd hot shrink with weight loss. I mean I was 75lb down and still a DD. But the last 20lb, whoa. They've just GONE. You really do need to see how they reshape I think. But then again, if you're breasts are small enough now that you're considering augmentation, perhaps they're not going to change like mine did. Truly, you can only go by professional advice. Go and see one or two people and see what their advice is.

Kat, Tommaney, bear with me today. I'm not offended. I'm in a mood. I've gone a bit mad with the power of my very own thread. I'll probably be banned by the end of the day. Now onto what you're saying. Yes, I do need to be more tolerant of that. I know it. I'm firmly in the "go home and have a good hard sniff of yourself " camp. Call a spade a spade. Act decisively or not at all. I'm kind of a pain in the arse actually. My poor DH, a bit prone to anxiety, or as I most fondly refer to it, raving hyponchondria, lol. I refuse to indulge him in the slightest. He used to be medicated for it, lol, I've fixed him. He wouldnt dare even say he had a headache these days. Obviously I'm joking (a bit) and its lucky he's not seriously afflicted because truly, I dont think I'd be any good at supporting someone suffering from any degree of affliction from self doubt right through to full on depression. I just dont have that in me. I'm a no nonsense sorta person. I couldnt be a nurse either becuase I'd make everyone get out of bed and go for a walk round the block. It works well in teaching though. I'm good at getting the most out of students! Its not the best approach for everyone, not by a long shot. I get what you're saying. Dont take me too seriously today, please. I promise I will be sensible again soon. I'm just having a very public episode of washing BrandyII right outta my hair. And also, I did go out for lunch and have 2 chardonnays.

Pah, I'm lovin it. Good for the goose'n'all. Just thought I wouldnt bother dressing it up with words to disguise it. I'm all full of negativity today. I'm bounding from thread to thread being a complete bitch. I've never had such an orgy of being rude, disagreeable and nasty. Its actually cathartic. The joke'll be on me when I get banned.

*pfffffft* wipes spit off screen.

Ack, its awful. I remember it well. Play princess for a while sweetheart. Put your feet up and see if you can get your DH and DD to wait on you a bit. Go to bed early when you can. Dont worry about running or exercising if you dont feel like it. But is like so many things to do with pregnancy and parenting. Its bloody awful, it feels terminal, you think its going to last for ever, but this is where the mantra comes in *this too shall pass* Hope you're not even reading this coz you're snoring.

I'm having problems too. People who are subscribed to threads are going to have all these versions of the same reply from me in their inboxes, and will open the threads to find they're not there, lol, coz I keep reposting thinking it hasnt worked, only to then see two replies and having to delete one. Which apparently is a hanging offence on this board :grouphug: because when someone rants at you for something you've said and nobody else can read what you've said it apparently makes them look stoopid. Oh well. I try.

Oh, you're not agreeing with me? That's it, I"m leaving :grouphug: hangs around waiting for the *please dont go's" ..... well...... I'm waiting ....... Well, yes, it IS different for everyone I guess. I was never that hungry, just ate lots becuase I liked it. Heck, I didnt have a chance to GET hungry, I was such a piglet.

I enjoyed it all along the way, felt great at each weight.

I think we could agree to stop with the tough love, its not doing any good. Works sometimes, others not. I actually had nothing else to add on the actual topic. But really BJ, your verbal version of blowing a raspberry and saying ner ner ner ner ner was really too immature to go uncalled.

Hmmm,really? Then I may just change the title of this thread to THE WORLD ACCORDING TO SHE WHO MUST BE OBEYED AND IS ALWAYS RIGHT. Everyone here must agree with me and validate my feelings or I may get sulky. I might even say I'm leaving, hang around to read all the "no, please dont go's" and then just start more threads looking for people to agree with me. The ironic thing is I hate advice too. Cant stand self help books. Dont listen to nutritionists. Would probably kick Dr Phil in the nuts where I to meet the sanctimonious creep. Although Dr Phil often says "forget the excuses, you have a choice and you're making the wrong one" to people, doesnt he? Hmm, maybe I like him afterall. But basically I cant stand psychobabble. I dont believe there's always reasons for being fat. I ate lots of food coz I darn well liked it and it felt good. I really think that's why most people do it. But they cant admit they're greedy so they have to blame it on something else. Thinking "hey, I'm a greedy guts and I sit on my ass all day long" can be a lot more constructive than trying to psychoanalyse everything. You may indeed feel compelled to overeat becuase your brother ate all of your birthday cake when you were eleven. But at the end of the day your birthday cake will still be all gone wont it? Do you REALLY need to treat the reason or just change the behaviour? I dunno, I just think if you've gone so far as to get banded, you've decided to change the behaviour. If you're not ready to tackle the behaviour because you have a burning desire to work out the WHY of it, then perhaps banding is not a great idea - yet. I *still* have no idea why I did/do overeat. Dont need to. I just need to know as long as I dont do it I wont get fat again.

Its not fair is it? Its the biggest thing I have to fight and I really struggle with it. Not overeating to the point of regaining weight, as I dont eat much at all. But keeping those healthy foods up. I seem to have gotten inexplicably tighter in the past three weeks, I dont know why, but for the first time ever I'm considering a teeny unfill. I just keep having days where I eat nothing really good, just easy stuff. Its not a problem, calorie wise, but it is health wise. Its not as if I even LIKE Cookies more than salad, but when eating is slow, tedious and often slightly uncomfortable, you try to avoid that. At goal weight, I dont have to live with that, but when you're trying to lose, an unfill isnt necessarily what you want. But do really analyse it, because its not to your advantage to live on cookies.

I'm firmly of the belief that if you eat a varied diet you will get what you need. You may only get 40g of Protein one day, but 90 the next. Over time it evens out. I really do not believe it is necessary or advantageous to try to cram lots of protein in. Yes, we need protein, but we also need a whole host of other things and it is impossible to eat all of them in one day. Whilst you're focussing on protein, you're often missing fibre or Vitamin C (or whatever) for example. A very varied diet of healthy foods will see you right. Just dont eat the same thing day in day out. Mix it up, eat lots of different colours - 2 fruit, 5 veg per day, avoid white carbs. When you do that with a band, you may even find the calories take care of themselves. But I'd sooner count calories than protein.

Oh Golly, are you MAD? Lol, I wouldnt even feed my babies that stuff. Make your own, it will taste sooooo much better.