Jachut

Yes I am. I'm really pleased that I can still eat bread particularly. I can fall into the trap of eating around my band which means avoiding hard foods like bread and eating yogurt or Soup or whatever instead for lunch, skipping breakfast rather than trying to get through a bowl of oatmeal or a piece of toast. What I find happens to me when I do that is my calorie intake actually increases (I eat more crap because I'm not satisfied) and my energy levels plummet (sugar doesnt give you energy for very long). I go for a run and feel like I'm running through Water. I've just had a month of eating very poorly for a variety of reasons. I'm doing a 14km run on Sunday and I knew I had to eat well this week to fuel myself, and most long distance runners to appreciate the benefits of carbo loading. So I have been making a real effort to get my carbs in (oh, the horror!) - this morning I had wholegrain raisin toast for breakfast, and am about to tackle a tuna sandwich on wholegrain bread for lunch. Seriously, when I eat like that, it seems like MOUNTAINS of food but it really isnt, and it keeps me absolutely satisfied, NO cravings, NO temptation for a bit of a nibble on something, NO desire for sugary carbs. What's happened this week is suddenly I feel fantastic again, I have energy to burn and I've lost weight. I need to keep my band loose enough to eat this way and thankfully I have not been "sensitive" to the band, have not struggled with over restriction and under restriction, for me as long as I include plenty of wholegrain carbs, those really bulk out my meals, fill me up, keep me satisfied but I also have room when I do go out to enjoy myself a little. Perfect for me. That's the beauty of the band though, you can adopt whatever eating style/nutritional theory that you find works for you, and as long as you're not someone who cant tolerate fills well or has other mechanical and physical band problems, you can pretty much have your band as tight as YOU need it. Other people do brilliantly on small servings, high Protein, low carb. I feel like I've had my entire innards sucked out of my navel when I do that, like a limp dish rag, I have no energy and cant do anything.

Yes, stay on a liquid diet for a few days, move to mushies and graduate back to solids. You're no doubt sore, swollen and irritated and trying to eat might lead to PBing and prolong the recovery. Even when you dont have a band you sometimes have to baby your stomach back to normal food after a tummy bug.

Nuts are a staple for me. lunch is often macadamias (not salted!) and fruit. I try not to eat a lot of cheese because of the saturated fat, I try to eat mainly good fats like avocado, nuts, fish, olive oil and avoid animal fat other than what's in lean meats and chicken. I used cheese as a condiment more so than an actual staple food, although I will have some brie on crackers for lunch sometimes.

Banded December 05, truly cant remember when I reached goal - which was 75 kg - it was about June 07 I think. That was a first goal only, I knew I wouldnt be happy to stop there as I'd weighed that much for long periods of time before and still felt a bit fat. Since then I've dwindled down to about 70 to 71kg over the past eight or nine months and I think its probably still going VERY slowly. I'd love to get under 70kg although I have no real need to, just because I could never ever manage it before, it would be at triumph of sorts. But what I'm really doing now is not trying to lose weight - I have 26% body fat which I'd like to trim a little - so I've taken up some more serious strength training as well as running now. Oh, I've lost about 90lb now all up. I was a slower loser because I dont believe in dieting and I really dont believe in low carbing.

Oh man, that is downright disgusting. I can put my hand on my heart and say absolutely without guile that I would rather be fat than stink like that. Seriously. perhaps its just that I only ever got to a BMI of 35? And maybe its just me, also, but I actually derive PLEASURE from the hard work that I have put in to this. It has enhanced my self esteem and self respect. I once got cained on this board for saying that had I had a gastric bypass (which I know we're not talking about here) I would have been saddened by the fact that it had come to that. I meant no disrespect to GBPers at the time, simply that I was so empowered by the strength I had discovered within me, strength that success with a lapband demands. I saw other forms of surgery as really having gone past the stage of being able to call up that strength. I worry when I have to use a public toilet as it is lol. As soon as it hits the Water I flush THEN i wipe and flush again (yes, even in drought!!) - so that nobody else gets to enjoy last night's dinner with me!

What IS it about "snort"? Its often all I want to say but you have to post longer messages!

I dont actually have anything to do with the surgeon now, he has doctors working for him to do the fills. I went with the best clinic set up all round. I liked the surgeon, I wouldnt have let him do the op if I didnt, but it wasnt the only factor. The clinic is convenient to me which was a big plus.

I dont know how low carbers do it, my diet is carb based and always has been. I couldnt run without carbs in my diet. But I'm 3 days from a 15km race, and am trying to now carbo and Water load to be well hydrated and have my muscles full of glycogen. oatmeal for Breakfast, a sandwich for lunch, Pasta or rice for dinner from now till Saturday. It sounds so easy doesnt it? Its honestly like staring at a pile of house bricks, contemplating eating all that. Trouble is, I know from experience that carbo loading and 3 days complete rest will ensure me a GREAT run on Sunday. But it sure is very hard work!

Lol, deep breath, head back into cereal bowl!

running, walking and circuit training. My body has most definitely gotten used to my routine, but you cant keep getting fitter and fitter for ever I guess. I'm pretty happy with it, it fits into my lifestyle so I'm not really planning on changing much any more.

Actually my husband drives me crazy, he's always keeping the lingerie catalogues that come in the mail and hinting at me to buy stuff. But its shocking, cheap, slutty stuff that he wants me to buy. I didnt lose weight and suddenly become 20 again either, I have bosoms, not tits and they dont fit into those tiny little bits of nothing with one hook at the back and sides 1 inch thick. Any excess skin I do have seems to be in my armpits, lol, I need a solid bra to hold it in. I also need a good bra with nice foam lining and a bit of padding to give me a nice rounded shape after breastfeeding 3 children. I dont wnat a $19 crap bra thanks, no matter what he thinks of it, that looks like it came from a bad 80's porn film. Nor do DD breasts fit into most of that stuff, a fact which he doesnt seem to appreciate. Not to mention that if I actually spent MONEY on that he'd have a fit. GRRRRRR. And the other thing I'm particularly sensitive too happens here. The old, I dont want to get too thin, bones are ugly comments. I hate it. We all have bones, you are SUPPOSED to be able to see some of them. Seeing your collarbones does not mean you're anorexic dammit. Its a freaking stupid thing to say.

The theory behind them is that they boost the result of your workout becuase the vibrations mean that your body must work hard to stabilise itself as well as to actually work out. I'd like to give it a try too but the places round here with them charge an arm and a leg to use them. Its one of those things too, I dont know that I'd trust the $300 machine could do the job of the $3000 machine.

I'd love to do it in a class environment, with the music really LOUD and lots of other people. It kind of gets lost on DVD to me. But its a tough workout!

Ok, just "for me" people who dont want to get to a healthy weight are stuffed in the head. "For me" a BMI of 29 is fat. "For me" people who dont exercise are lazy. Now nobody could POSSIBLY take offence to that, huh? Because I"m only talking about myself right?

That's because the basic rules of weight loss are very simple. Eat less, move more. There's only so much you can pad that out with words. Personally, I dont think nutritionists are worth the money unless you really do not know what makes a healthy diet (and some people really dont). For most of us lifetime dieters, that isnt the case.

I have 3ml in a 4ml band and it has been great for me. Its maybe a little tight now that I dont need to lose anymore- I never PB but can have excessive tightness sometimes, and it can be difficult sometimes eating in a social setting when I forget to go very slowly. Its hard to tell I mean, I'm having trouble fuelling my running now that I'm training for a half marathon. I need carbs and carb foods like bread, oatmeal, fruit are quite difficult ones for me to eat in quantity. But at 3ml I'm not "tight" either and still have to use reasonable willpower to avoid bad foods at times. It doesnt give me the appetite dampening effect that it used to when I first got filled to this level, that's for sure. But I need to stay here so I can eat a sandwich at lunchtime or I wont be able to keep up my exercise schedule. But I'm not gaining and I can lose when I want to which to me is sweet enough.

Normal? What rot. That is definitely not normal. Maybe when I've lost another 5 kg my ribs will pop out? That doctor is lying his head off. I hope she gets fixed up, and that no infection gets in there.

When I lie on my back now, you could rest a cup of coffee on my chest (you'd have to balance it from rib bone to rib bone though, lol). These two sad little empty sacks disappear under my arms. Sigh. I like em a whole lot more now though. Its ironic but now I boost them slightly because I'm cursed with very bad stretch marks from puberty and the skin is rather empty and destroyed. Its only by pushing them together that I can create a firm looking breast. So I wear swim suit shapers (which gives me a VERY nice looking pair) and buy bras with that side and underneath padding, I get a lovely rounded look which on a D is quite nice. I absolutely HATED my E cup boobs. They didnt look sexy or shapely at all, they looked matronly, a big shelf jutting out in front. They were enormously aging.

Do they remove their dignity as well as half their innards?

Its like talking to a brick wall in these threads! Nobody has an issue with what ANYBODY wants to weigh. The issue is with the seeming social acceptance of calling thinner people ugly and unattractive.

I'm staying on plan today because I'm carbo loading for a big 15km run on Sunday! Its actually quite hard work to get in some oatmeal, a couple of pieces of fruit and a few slices of wholegrain bread in in a day - pasta for dinner would be ideal too. Because I can eat only a modest amount, I have to start loading 3 days before a race, lol. But its a better type of hardwork than trying not to eat cookies, muffins and chocolate (oh, the chocolate in this house since Easter!).

The only time I saw one was just after surgery for instructions on the post op diet, she had lots of suggestions for mushies and liquids and first solids, and the timing etc. After that, I have just eaten healthily which is what she told me to do - eat according to the healthy food pyramic. Protein first is generally not the advice given here, just healthy eating, and so I've just eaten a diet based mainly on fruit, veg, healthy carbs (oatmeal, wholegrain bread, rice and pasta) with moderate protein and lowered fat - more good fats than saturated fats, so avodados, nuts, olive oil etc. I think most of us have done enough dieting to know what a healthy diet for weight loss is.

Shortgal, Grace did say "less than size 6 is, well, not attractive". If that's not a generalisation and a downright insult to many, I dont know what is. Its not the issue of not wanting to lose any more at all. Its the way people feel its OK to say that thin is not attractive. I just happen to be a person who is a) tall and :thumbup: doesnt naturally carry much muscle even though I work out. That equals long and skinny. I prefer to think graceful and elegant, athletic too, personally but I'm a big girl, I can take being called unnattractive by someone I may very well consider short and dumpy. The difference is if I said so here it would cause a riot. Things do come across badly in writing and we all have the right to our opinions and need to realise that its not always meant in the spirt its said. But its better not to say it! Just say that you're worried about losing too much weight, not that thin is unattractive. I cant stand a full face of make up on anyone, I think it makes them look like a slut and on women over 40 I think its a pathetic attempt to look young that actually looks revolting. Blonde hair looks tarty to me if its not natural. I hate fake plastic tits. I hate long red fingernails. I've probably just insulted 2/3 of our readers right there. Those are all my opinions, and its best not to voice them I find. Because there's no way I can say "oh, but I'm only talking about me"!!! Its not about the issue of what anyone wants to weigh. Its about how its always framed in terms of "skinny is ugly". I hate that Americanised glossy look with a passion (god, why did Nicole Kidman transform herself from gorgeous Aussie girl with red hair and freckles into a superfreak?, which I probably just made abundantly clear in the paragraph above. But bones showing is quite normal, healthy and not some fearful anorexic obsession. If you dont want to go that far, then dont, but dont feel free to insult those that do. When I'm underweight, I'll take the criticism, as it is now, I'm a normal, healthy weight and I find having that called obsessive, addiction transfer or not attractive is bloody rude.

I havent found I"ve had to add food back to stop losing, my weight loss just kind of petered out and whilst I can lose with effort, nowadays if I just eat what I want, when I want it, I maintain. I just sort of let my body stop where it wanted to, which was well under the top of my healthy weight range. I think I am actually losing VERY slowly, like 2lb in 3 months, but that no doubt will fade away too. I havent changed my exercise routine or anything. I think viewing goal weight as the end is a BIG mistake. Its just time to continue doing what you've done all along without the big reward of seeing exciting drops on the scales every week.

It was more an A-ha couple of months for me, where I realised I really had to do something. It kind of hit me that I was 38, not 28, I was getting old, I felt like shite, my ankle hurt all the time and was NOT going to get better if I kept ignoring it and I was getting less and less active to boot. A couple of photos of me that I really truly looked at shocked me too. I knew that I'd hit a BMI of 35, 40 was only round the corner, and I was going to be one of those dowdy, dumpy middle aged women that I so feared becoming. I feel about 18 now