Jachut

Vegemite, History of Vegemite its impossible to explain what it tastes like, its basically salty, completely opaque black spread. Its delish, you can use it as stock in cooking too, it has that kind of yeasty/vegetable flavour. Trouble is when any non Aussie tastes it, they take a huge spoonful, YUCK. Its best spread very thin, and melting into the butter! Its kind of like promite, marmite if you've ever had those but still not the same. Same family though.

I dont know, I have a *little* crepey loose stomach skin, someone would do a mini tuck on me if I demanded it, but after 3 kids, I havent done too much damage to my stomach. I havent got more than 2 or 3 stretch marks and there's no way I'd need muscle tightening, my stomach is flat as a board, there's just this slightly wrinkled loose skin on top. So pregnancy does not necessarily ruin your stomach, not by a long shot. But then again I am five foot ten and had 8 or 9lb babies and was one of those annoying people who didnt need maternity clothes till third trimester, AND I never gained a lot in pregnancy, no more than 12kg. At 26, it may be ten years or even more before you have babies, why would you want to wait that long. I'd do it, and I'd fix it afterwards if needs be, but chances are after pregnancy your tucked tummy will STILL be better than it is now. At your age you've got years to show off your body, I'd go for it, and I'd be supremely careful during pregnancy not to gain fast.

Well frankly I think he's wrong. You may have to change WHAT you eat, perhaps you just cannot handle the sandwich, but the stuck feeling sounds more like something actually stuck, not a stretched out overfull pouch. You may need to work more on eating right - chewing, waiting between bites and eating slowly as any of us can get stuck at any time on anything without concentrating. When you've got that all right, you should be able to eat slowly till you're comfortable, and that MAY be 1/4 of a sandwich if you're very tight, but I can eat a whole one, without discomfort, just satiety. I also find I have lots of times when I think I need another fill but I"m eating around the band - eating easy to eat foods - when I revert to what I should eat - Protein, grains, fruit and vegetables, yep, I get full quickly and stay full. When I eat crackers, Soup, yogurt, I'm still looking for more an hour later. Its quite a detailed operation getting your band to work properly and it requires a lot of commitment and continued vigilance, you get comfortable and the weight loss slows. That doesnt actually matter, you CAN take a breather if you want or need to, enjoy a few treats, and then get back to business.

I went from 245 to 160 and I just have some crepiness on the belly, no hanging, bulging skin. No washboard abs either, but fine clothed and even showable in a bikini, just not a gorgeous flat young stomach. I have had 3 babies, one of which was a caesarean so I'm counting myself pretty lucky. My thighs are rather wobbly and loose, but they were BEFORE I gained weight and got fat. I just have flabby thighs, so does my mum, so do both my sisters. Which is why my belly has recovered well - I never got particularly fat there in the first place. Arms are fine, boobs are a disaster, again, that's more genetics than weight loss, they werent great when I was 16, now that I'm 40 and have fed 3 babies for about 6 years, they're what you'd expect but easy fixed!

Honestly? Absolutely nothing. Every stage of the journey and every mistake I made was valuable.

The data from Australia where it has been done for more than 10 years now, is mainly positive. Overall its an effective surgery with long lasting results.

the weight should help. I was 38 when I got banded, but i was beginning to feel VERY old, foot problems, back problems etc. Losing all the weight has reduced those problems markedly - but they're not cured, my back is shot from 3 pregnancies and my foot/heel is always going to be a problem to me. But I can manage it now, and I feel totally reenergised - all the sluggishness and lethargy that I felt is completely gone.

I do sometimes, not every month. But every time I've had a PB experience, I've gotten my period within a day or two. Like last night. Instead of settling down on the couch with a glass of wine to watch Biggest Loser, I spent an hour hucking up bits of my dinner. That NEVER happens to me, my band is just a very well behaved band, it restricts how much I can eat, but not what, and it doesnt give me trouble. Well guess what's arrived this morning, lol?

I'm sure it could be filled to capacity and offer only so so restriction - I believe you can go a bit past capacity and be OK but after that, I dont know. I would have to suspect if you were at capacity and had NO restriction that something was wrong!

If she's five, you'll probably manage, but you're not going to be driving for a few days. If you can have few queit days you'll be OK, and of course, you probably dont need to lift, fetch and carry for a five year old like you do a toddler. It wont be the easiest thing, but you could have to have ANY sort of surgery - maybe you'd have to get your gallbladder out or similar and you wouldnt have a choice, this is important and you will get through those few days till you're feeling better. Once the band is there, its just a lifestyle change that you can certainly do on your own. Good luck, a bit of emotional support for you would be nice, but sometimes I find my little five year old daughter just the best company! A little TV watching and spoiling wont hurt her, prepare for those days for her as much as for yourself and it'll probably be special time together.

Nope. I reckon if you could do it yourself, a lot of bandsters would end up unfilling for special occasions and vacations, filling back up and erring on the side of TIGHT to lose the weight we gained whilst unfilled, then having to unfill due to PBing, sliming and reflux and generally be mucking our bands up all over the place. They wouldnt proceed towards the sweet spot with caution but would overfill themselves, etc. There'd be no reason to visit your doc, so your aftercare and supervision would dwindle, overall you'd be at huge risk of comlications and probably not lose weight steadily and well.. When you decide to have a band you are committing to a lifetime relationship with the medical profession to supervise and oversee it. For a reason! You may be the one in a million that could handle it, but wait till you're banded and plateaued out for a month (and even though you're already tight, surely just a little MORE would get that scale moving again) or you're going on holidays (and just this once wouldnt it be nice to eat without worry). It would take superhuman willpower not to muck around with it, the band as a device loses its power markedly if the decision to adjust it rests solely on the owner.

I'd have to agree - donuts. Ick. Scones, muffins, etc I enjoy but they're very dangerous foods. But donuts dont even taste good any more - they are just instant pain. And I mean what I call a donut which in Australia is a bit different to those utterly disgusting Krispy Kreme things - I couldnt stand those even when I didnt have a band.

Near goal, you have to work smarter, not harder. Like I was already running regularly, and really, you'd have to be nuts to think that going from running five times a week for 45 mins or so to running five times a week for 2 hours is going to be sustainable, enjoyable, healthy OR effective. I stand by cardio for its weight loss benefits but you do become efficient at it, you burn less calories doing it when you're more efficient and insanely long workouts will do the opposite of building up your muscle and improving your body composition. I really believe in circuit training - combining your cardio and strength work. It is really hard work if you put in - like I have to admit, I've done sessions at home where I've not realised I was overdoing it, finished and thrown up - so perhaps dont work THAT hard, lol. I've reduced my dedicated running to 2 to 3 sessions a week - 1 or 2 short runs of 8km or less and one mega run (because I want to do a half marathon) which is currently at 14kms. I have too much trouble with my back and ankles to do more. The other days this is what I do at home: Treadmill - walk briskly (about 4 mph) at incline of about 4 for 1 km at the same time, doing bicep curls, lateral raises, upright rows and shoulder presses with 3kg dumbells - with each exercise I do a warm up set with one dumbell per hand, then I do a set with both dumbells in one hand (6kg) and then I'll do a set or two where I vary the tempo, like up for two, down for one, or pulse at end of range etc. This takes about 10 minutes and is the warm up. Hop off treadmill - do 3 sets of 15 weighted lunges (with 30kg barbell) and squats, again varying the sets by tempo, holding, pulsing etc, its never the same twice, keeps my muscles guessing). Run on treadmill for 250 metres (if you can get your heart rate back down under 300 and stand on your quivering legs, lol). Hop off treadmill, 3 sets of bent over rows and deadlifts with 30kg barbell - again varying tempo etc. Run on treadmill for 250 metres Hop off Treadmill - 2 sets 2 push ups, 2 sets 20 tricep dips with a chair Run on treadmill for 500 metres (if oldest son around, don boxing gloves and puch the crap out of him for 5 minutes - he holds the pads), otherwise, move onto abdominal work - I do medicine ball sit ups and twists, regular crunches, planks, whatever takes my fancy. Throw up. This routine WORKS. Its serious stuff, it has trimmed inches and inches off me and really improved my running. And OF COURSE you can damp this down adjust speeds, weights, inclines etc for your level of fitness and what you are able to do. You might just walk on the flat and use 1kg weights, its totally adjustable.

I suspect that if all of our bodies played by the rules and did what science says they will do - lost x pounds with x calorie deficit - then half of us wouldnt have even needed a lapband in the first place. There's the math and then there's reality. I really dont think they've even come close to solving the disease of obesity, they dont really know why it happens to some and not others. Any weight loss is good weight loss! 34 lb in a year is slow, yes, but its achievable, sustainable and healthy and will result in significant health benefits. Plus it does depend on what numbers you choose to focus on. We've all seen pictures of the Optifast "afters" where people have absolutely melted the pounds off at lightening speed, 60lb in 8 weeks kind of thing and sheesh, I wouldnt want to end up looking like that. They look gaunt, like someone deflated them. Losing weight by building muscle and changing your body composition doesnt show so dramatically on the scales, but boy it gives you a better result! I lost I think 50lb first year and about 35 the second year. My body changed much MORE in that second year as a result of consistent exercise and slow loss, to the point where now that I have gotten to a weight that I was in my early 20's, I am 2 entire dress sizes smaller and have an entirely different body.

I'd like one but dont want to spend the money, lol. I dunno, I'm afraid that I'll know more than the trainer, modest thing that I am. I dont know what its like there, but here, a personal trainer qualification is a back of a corn flakes packet type thing, anyone can get one, its not hard, it doesnt take long to qualify so there's loads of shite ones out there who will simply rote learn the same drivel about long, slow cardio sessions and push some high Protein drink or other. That would piss me off to pay for that. There is of course EXCELLENT ones out there that will push you to get the best out of yourself, especially since my main goal now is not to lose weight but to continue to change my body composition, some scientific, purpose driven training in a gym would really do me good now. But that COSTS. And I dont have money to spend on things like that with 3 kids to clothe, feed, education, pay for their basketball, tennis, footy, etc etc, groan.

Firstly, dont be embarrassed to go back, that's what your doctor is for. That's a great workout schedule but at a guess, I think you're probaby significantly overstating the amount of calories your burning - there's no way that 45 minutes of walking/jogging will burn 750 calories - you'd only cover what, 4 to 5 miles, and generally, the burn is more like 80 to 100 calories per mile. And I dont know about Curves but I'd be surprised if a half hour circuit burned that many calories too. Not that that ought to make much difference, its heaps of exercise and it will pay you rich rewards in the end. Are you sure its not just a pleateau? Have you lost well enough until now? Its unfortunate, but our bodies WILL do this from time to time and there's not a lot to be done about it. I really wouldnt eat any less than 1200 on that sort of a schedule, you just shouldnt have to.

Yeah Juli, I know that's a pretty idealistic answer and that real life isnt always like that - but you should be able to rely on a medical professional being impartial shouldnt you? You expect it from the unwashed masses but you think anyone in a position of respect and trust should be able to handle that sort of information with sensitivity whether or not they personally have any feelings at all on it. To be honest, overcoming fat phobia is such a challenge to society, if a surgeon can deal with obesity in an impartial manner without feeling shock, disgust and revulsion, I'd think a minor matter like sexual orientation would go completely under the radar. The way people react to fat is generally way stronger than the way they react to almost anything else, dont you find? Its like the ultimate sin is to be fat and/or ugly!

I went from long, straightened hair to a short, inverted bob and I absolutely LOVE it. So its nape length at back, and angled down to sort of mid length at front. I really like what you've done. I love your short hair, its much funkier, much more stylish, and really cute - good on you for being brave. I'm not a fan of long hair, I find it rather boring and feel that people hang onto it out of fear when they'd look much fresher (and younger for us over 35's) with it shorter. I'm way in favour of funky over traditional feminine.

Mr Jachut is getting banded! 6 June to be precise - got to fit round end of financial year, sigh. Doesnt everything? Anyway, I'm SO pleased. He has a BMI of 36 with highish blood pressure and I really dont like to think that I've done all this work on my health only to outlive him by 20 years! Oh, and he's going to look pretty hot, thats a bonus! Hopefully BOTH of us being on the bandwagon will be beneficial for the kids too. And I went to the doc yesterday just to check in (hadnt been for 9 months) and I"ve now lost 115% of my excess weight!

I dont believe in this personally. I think its diet mentality. I approached banded life as a lifestyle, - and to me, that means that NO food is evil, ALL foods are included and that learning to balance your choices so that most choices are healthy and the rest are "treats" and consumed minimally was important. Treat days to me just encourage stuffing your face one day a week - not a healthy habit.

A week before surgery? I would. Lol. I wouldnt worry about it. Its going to be well through your system. I wouldnt overdo it though and I'd watch it if you're on Optifast pre surgery - you'll get tipsy pretty quickly. And of course, it is breaking the Optifast diet. So I wouldnt say medically speaking I'm in the right, but nonetheless I'd go ahead and have a drink or two.

I second the refried Beans, I had a scoop with sour cream, grated tasty cheese, salsa and chopped avocado, yummy. Lentil dahl with a good dollop of thick natural yogurt and lemon juice squeezed all over. Mashed broccoli, carrot, pumpkin and potato with a bit of cheese mashed in and some gravy poured over. Ordinary chunky Soups like beef and vegetable, irish stew etc just blended a bit more. A salad of skinned cucumber, chopped skinned tomato, chopped avocado a can of flavoured tuna and a small can of chickpeas (will make more than one meal probably) - this is pretty mushy when you chew it, but maybe more towards the end of mushies. pureed berries stirred into greek yogurt. A thick fruit smoothie for breakfast - some bran, milk, yogurt and a banana and some berries. Mmmm, I loved mushies!

I've been having the same problem - its been fine today though. I thought it was my computer.

My DH stopped snoring with a small weight loss of 10kg. He's still well overweight, getting banded in fact, but just a small weight loss a year or two back was enough to stop it.

I was always a big kid, but not really fat. I was one of those "solid" kids, and I"m tall. So I always FELT huge but wasnt really, looking back in photos I was a normal healthy kid, just not stick thin and tiny like some kids are. Once puberty hit, I started getting hefty. Again, I never became obese, I skirted around overweight, but being 5ft 10, and 80kg, as a 15 year old girl, you may as well be 200kg becuase it makes you completely unattractive to the opposite sex. I couldnt wear the clothes I wanted at a size 16 (an American 14) because back in the 80's, plus sizes just didnt exist and I wanted the same stuff as the other girls anyway. I lost a lot of weight on Tenuate at 16 when I had a hip injury - I was very athletic, played softball, netball and tennis. I got down to my current size, about 70kg, of course I nearly went insane from being on amphetamines and my parents eventually realised that the doctor that had put me on them for what was really a 15lb weight problem should have been shot. So back went the weight. I lost it again at about 22 before I got married and spent my 20's at about 75kg, I had my first baby at 28 and got back down to that weight. I must say whilst its technically a fine weight for my height, I was definitely a bit fat - this time around, having lost the weight with a lot of running, I'm an entirely different shape and a good dress size smaller than I was back then. Once I settled into life with a baby, the inevitable happened and I began to gain, I was about 80kg when I became pregnant for a second time at 30. I gained a whopping 20kg (over 40lb) and lost hardly any of it with the birth. Then with breastfeeding, I began to gain more, and my entire life was turned upside down with a baby and a toddler, no more walking, no just going to the gym whenever I felt like it, long hours trapped at home whilst one or the other was asleep, it took me about five years to get up to 100kg. Then I fell pregnant for the third time. Horrified at my weight and my history of pre-eclampsia, I didnt gain ANY weight during that pregnancy, in fact I lost a little. But again, breastfeeding and life with a new baby, 3 years later I was seeing 110kg on the scale. A few attempts to lose that and soon it was 113kg at which point I went and saw the lap band doctor. so really, for most of my adult life, between 16 and 30, I skirted around the 180lb level for my 5ft 10 height, not ginormous or even obese by any stretch but definitely feeling hefty and unfeminine compared to normal weight people. I was miserable with that kid of weight. By nature, I have a tall, willowy build, I'm meant to be thin, I have quite fine bones and I looked pretty darn chubby at 180. In those years I'd developed such truly awful habits, I wasnt brought up to eat all day, eat loads of crap, sit around on my fat arse. My mother is nothing like that and was horrified by the lifestyle I was adopting. And I really feel that breastfeeding creates a hormonal environment in me where I gain weight alarmingly, and I did it for six years in total, so there was plenty of opportunity to get fat. Lack of sleep, and lack of organisation didnt help, I didnt shop properly (so hard with a baby and a toddler) etc, and all those little factors just added up.