Jachut

I've never liked birth control pills, all the ones I tried gave me headaches and pimples and very sore boobs. Pre babies I used a diaphragm for years, easy in a long term relationship. We also used condoms frequently, I'm up for it most nights of the week but oh how I loathe the mess! So that's the deal here, every now and then I get to be the one that rolls over and goes to sleep EVEN now that I've had my tubes tied, lol. Diaphragms arent common here, and I got a strange look when I asked for one. Very alternative choice of birth control. However I can say with confidence it worked becuase when I wanted to become pregnant, I got pregnant first month all three times, even at 35. Sheesh, when I think of the risks we took when we were younger it gives me the horrors - if I'd known we were that fertile I'd have stayed celibate till 27! But I really dont like the thought of altering my body's natural cycles and went for permanent birth control right after Eliza was born.

Well I got around this by never measuring or counting calories. I tend to believe that its counterproductive and only encourages more of that obsessive diet mentality we all want to escape. I know roughly what I eat, I cant help adding it up in my head. But really, I wouldnt have a CLUE how many calories are in some things I cook. I just know if I dont overeat and I keep exercising my weight will remain stable. Avoid unhealthy foods, dont fry or add too much fat, too many carbs, eat good quality fresh ingredients, use healthy recipes and its really not necessary to count calories. I also try to stick four or five nights a week to good basic meals - a Protein such as a small piece of chicken, steak, roast lamb etc, a starch like potato (which I often give to the family but skip myself) and a load of steamed veges, as many colours as you can include. That will ALWAYS be a healthy, low fat, appropriate meal. I keep to this sort of menu because otherwise I find I cook too much Pasta and that sort of thing and we dont eat enough fresh vegetables . But you can always just cook from cookbooks with nutritional information panels with the recipes - I have tons of those.

The band slows you down so much, it really hasnt ever felt to me like I'm eating less. In fact I get the guilts all the time about how much I've eaten! And when I think about it, it isnt a lot, but it feels that way. Today I had a small wholegrain roll (really a large dinner roll) with some lettuce and curried egg, and then some strawberries for lunch. It took me about 45 minutes to eat it, and I felt like SUCH a piggie for having strawberries as well as a roll! To get that nice degree of fullness my preband saturday lunch would more likely have been a meat pie, a sausage roll and a big custard tart! You really do adjust and eating more slowly and tasting your food means its more satisfying and you actually enjoy it a lot more.

You make a really excellent point, I dont know how I would have coped with a band post pregnancy. For the year after each of my 3 was born, that was when I gained most of my excess weight. No exercise, very poor organisation and eating habits, packets of chocolate biscuits eaten through the day rather than actual meals, too much takeaway food etc. Its a real danger time. But then again, people always say, oh, I'm still in my pj's at 5pm. I could never understand that. I always just had a shower, I didnt fart around worrying that I couldnt leave the baby for 5 minutes, I did my hair, I got dressed, if they cried, well they cried! It really IS possible - especially with a six month old when you're not feeding 27 hours out of every 24. Its hard, but you CAN eat properly if you're organised about it. Eating slow is so difficult around kids, but you know, I eat my Breakfast whilst I'm getting them off to school. I know that if I sit down and eat I'll either eat too fast and PB or I wont eat at all becuase I jsut dont have 20 minutes to half an hour to eat breakfast. So I pour my bowl of Cereal, cut some fruit onto it, add the milk and eat a spoonful here and there. I usually choose muesli or somethign that wont go soggy. It also gets round that problem of being a big tight in the morning, because I need to eat breakfast or I eat poorly all day. You can take the five minutes it takes to make a proper lunch or breakfast and pick at it over time. Or make all your day's food whilst the baby is asleep and have it ready to go. Really, the main problem is taking the time to eat slowly, and like I said, when I"m really busy, I pick. I try not to choose Snacks, I still have the proper meal, but I just pick at it over an hour.

See, that's where I'm a bit of a sicko, lol. I get a real kick out of being satisfied by so little food, it really is quite disturbing what people manage to put away and you KNOW that you survive quite healthily on so much less, it's just horrific what society is doing to itself in its huge overconsumption (of everything really, not just food). As you live longer with your band, you may have pangs of wishing you could scarf something down, but more often than not, that's just a wistful memory, not a true craving that you really wish you could satisfy. You learn to enjoy the smaller portions.

I cant fathom why you wouldnt just cook and mash regular food. A bit of steamed chicken pureed with mashed vegetables and some gravy? How hard is that? Buying babyfood would get expensive and yes, its gross. I wouldnt even feed my BABY that stuff out of jars - it made me sick to look at.

Yeah, I know, no offence taken, just pointed out that its not something that was said or done recently and he's not even our prime minister any more.

I had one consultation with a dietician a week after my op and that has been it - that was for very clear guidelines on my post op regime and how to transition onto regular food. The surgeon does not counsel me on nutrition or exercise, he's there to take care of the band, answer any questions, but he's not a nutritionist. He's a surgeon. He can refer me on to anyone I need if I want help though and of course he can answer most straightforward questions. I really feel you have to become self sufficient in this process anyway. You cant have someone hold your hand for the rest of your life, you have to become knowledgeable about food and nutrition and exercise (if you arent already, most overweight people KNOW what they should be doing) becuase afterall, you're the one that is going to ahve to manage this for the rest of your life.

I can - they dont block me up or cause trouble. But I hate taking big pills, I'm a real baby with them. I take chewable multi Vitamin and Iron, cant bear the taste, texture of a huge vitamin pill. I can *just* manage the fish oil capsules, but I tend to break them open and squirt the oil into some orange juice, so all I have to take is a glucosamine pill. Ergh. But its nothing to do with the band. And small things like paracetamol capsules or a birth control pill (if I took them) I'd have no trouble with at all.

*shamefaced* I had a pancake with butter and maple syrup. Lol. Well, it IS saturday morning, and I was cooking them for the kids. I made myself a teeny tiny one, no bigger than a coffee cup diameter.

Yeah, not only is John Howard no longer our prime minister (its Kevin Rudd), but this has been doing the rounds for ages, and its a load of bollocks.

This is something I have to actually work on most of the time. But I find it do it when I havent eaten enough. I mean, my lapband may have said enough and I've stopped but my body really hasnt had enough fuel. I guess I am very active and I do burn a lot of calories and 1200 a day just doesnt do it for me, I lost well and steadily on 1500 to 1800. So I need to say, let my lunch go down, then half an hour later, eat a piece of fruit, and something else small. I cant eat all that at once, but if I do that, spread it out, then my appetite stays in control. If I just stick with the small salad and Protein portion for lunch, then I will feel full but I can guarantee I'll be raiding the biscuit tin at 4pm, and I dont stop at 2. Works that way even when I've just had a fill. I have to eat enough to satisfy my basic requirements or I will be just constantly lookign for things. I dont actually feel hungry, and if asked I would say its head hunger, but its always as a result of not eating enough.

There ARE things that can go wrong in surgery but sloppy work like that? I find it hard to believe that she could "underestimate" where to cut and what she was going to find underneath when she did. She must be experienced at this sort of thing afterall. I wouldnt let her near me again personally. I'm sorry that you had to go through that and it must be painful. I'd be finding another surgeon, the wait to get through all the preliminaries again may be hard - but I'd say to her that you'd lost confidence and would prefer to be operated on by someone else and ask her to refer you to someone else - and pass over your history. I dont know how it works there, would the insurance approval and everything still stand? Here the surgeon could just refer you to a colleague.

There's no scientific reason why it wont work. In fact the lapband has reinforced to me just how simple (in most cases) weight loss really is. I eat less and move more than I used to and consequently I'm a lot thinner. But even though I only feel the lapband work in terms of gettign full, it does reduce your appetite, and it enforces it for long enough for new habits to solidify, I just dont do the things I used to do becuase I've learned not to. I could never keep it going long enough before for that to happen. Virtually nobody has the willpower to keep it going indefinitely which is why people just dont lose weight and keep it off. But ALL it is about at the end of the day is eating less, no matter whether you're a high protein devotee, a weight watches addict, a protein shake drinker, its only about taking in fewer calories.

Strangely, they told me that as long as it was cotton, I could leave my underwear on. Oh, and to not wear good ones because of all the betadine. Weird, I've NEVER been allowed into any surgery wearing anything at all (apart from the gown of course) - even for stuff like a pin in my hand! And I have had surgery whilst I had my period, and they give you a pad as big as a loaf of bread and those lovely mesh undies that you get after you've had a baby (to make sure you dont have any MORE babies too soon I suspect, they're very unattractive).

Not even close to a Csection. And I didnt even think a Csection was very bad.

I eat full fat cheddar and occasionally things like brie or camambert. I dont like low fat cheese (or yogurt) but its not a food I eat a lot of, as its high fat and high calorie. So I just eat small amounts of normal stuff.

If you are losing, then you're not eating too much. I lost ALL of my weight on 1500 calories a day or so. There's no "right" amount to eat, well I dont belive so. No need in the world to aim for greater restriction and smaller quantities if you're losing weight. Unless you're REALLY struggling to keep to the 1500.

Well I would argue that a processed product like a Protein shake is not all that good for you - there's a lot of additives and sometimes a lot of sugar. food that you can still recognise in its natural form is always going to be a better choice. Plus if you choose soy based Protein shakes, there's a lot of evidence that too much soy on too regular a basis is actually harmful. I would also argue that we dont need as much protein as so many doctors say. I mean, they dont tell us that here and we're not all dying or getting malnourished! Personally, I think if you cant eat resonable sources of protein, you night be too tight. But I'd also agree that the morning is the one time when the benefit of a shake outweighs the disadvantages - I mean if the alternative is no Breakfast at all, you're better off drinking something.

How much exercise are you doing? It really does help to do 40 minutes or so of cardio 4 or 5 times a week. A good fast walk in the initial stages will probably be plenty. If you can do an hour, so much the better! And with more fill will probably come better restriction. I think what sort of diet you eat matters too. I can never understand why everyone wants to get to this half cup portion and call that perfect restriction but if you're eating a lot of Protein heavy foods, then half a cup WOULD be filling. On the other hand, I dont avoid carbs, I eat a lot of fruit, veges and wholegrains and I can eat a lot more than half a cup. But becuase its so much less calorie dense, it hasnt seemed to matter. Now I'm not going to say ditch the high protein, low carb because I know that that's what you're told to do over there, but perhaps try to fill up a bit more on the very low calorie foods like salads and veges. Protein first is one thing but the veges really dilute the calorie content of your meal.

I enjoy food much more than before the surgery becuase I know I'm in control of it and wont overeat. I had tortellini for lunch today, went out with a friend. Its a fattening, high carb choice, I know but I'm pretty much maintaining these days and I'm very active so once in a while I can afford to have these treats. Before band, I would have pigged out on it, today I ate about 6 pieces and was done. So even though its fattening and high carb, six pieces really doesnt add up to a lot of calories, it just adds up to not optimal nutrition for one meal. However, I have to be honest and say that I have a little more anxiety about eating out and around others and although I could do with one more tiny fill to help me get off another five kgs or so, I really cant bear the thought of living with the tightness. I have to worry about what I'll choose and I have to eat so carefully and attentively (as its when I'm chatting with others that I get blocked). When we go away for a weekend with friends, I have to think about my options, etc. That gets tiresome. Sometimes I really do wish to be able to take the band out for a few hours. But I consider it a really tiny price to live with that in comparison to what I've gained. I dont think constantly about what I am and am not going to eat, when my next meal is, etc. I dont eat in secret, if I want chocolate, I dont hide in the car to eat it, I just eat it! I dont feel people are judging me for the choices in my trolley or revolted if I eat something in public, I used to feel like everyone would think "that's disgusting she shouldnt be eating that". I really do feel much freer of my issues than I ever thought possible, but as a former fat person, I really think this condition is somethign I will live with for life and its something I manage but am not cured of.

Hmmmm, I'd buy the treadmill I think. If you have to choose one or other form of exercise, then I think when you want fat loss, cardio has to be a consideration. YOu can do pushups, tricep dips, lunges and squats with very minimal equipment. I find I can get a very effective total body workout at home by using the treadmill, a barbell and various handweights. And I firmly believe that you get a better, more functional workout with handweights as opposed to machines becuase you use all the synergistic muscles for stability. I dont think machines are really the way to go for weight training. Just my 2c though.

It might come with time. I know I'm a regular runner, so yes, I do exercise but I've been very resistant to strength training. Dont like it, dont want to do it, dont have time to do it, dont want to pay for the gym. Its only now, that I'm at goal weight, that I can look in a gym mirror and *almost* see what I'd call a good figure. I can see that 6 months of hard weight training and I'd be really looking my absolute best. That will motivate me, the results will be visible and quite quick becuase my muscles arent hiding under a lot of extra fat. But before, no way. Bust my butt in the gym to see no difference, I just really couldnt make myself do it. As you get lighter you'll probably feel more energetic and will naturally do more, whether you actually officially "exercise" or not.

You are so right. When I think of the time I used to waste sitting on this computer, or doing nothing much in particular, I realise I had NO excuse for not exercising. I'm someone who is lucky to have a fair amount of time to devote to it, I'm still basically a SAHM, I am completing my degree but I have huge flexibility. Last week, my baby went to school so none of my kids are home in the daytime now, luxury! In Melbourne, it doesnt snow, it doesnt get very cold (in fact the hot weather is a lot more of a problem) so I dont have to find alternatives over winter. So I absolutely cannot say that people's excuses that they have no time are not valid ones, it is really problematic for full time workers with families to care for and I'm already worrying about how I'll cope when I'm back in the full time work force in 2 years time. ATM though, the kids are pretty full on after school and such, as a general rule, I drag myself out of bed and run three or four weekday mornings. Over the weekend, I find the time for my longer run, the one that takes well over an hour. That's it. Paramount for me was finding something that didnt take a lot of time. Running is a very intense exercise that can burn a lot of calories in even half an hour. If I'd tried to commit to the gym, I wouldnt have been successful, becuase of the time commitment involved. Even now, I want to begin some serious strength training, I will be seeing a personal trainer and having a home program worked out for me. I have to be able to do it without needing childcare, I need to be able to do it at 11.00 at night if necessary etc etc. Finding something that fits your routine, and something that can be done quickly, like running can really helps. That way you can always get up 45 minutes earlier if you have no other time in your day. I really do believe though that there's a period of a few years there when women have very small children that it really is almost impossible to devote the time you need to yourself. It was only after that time passed for me that I got banded, now I can leave my youngest in the care of my oldest and go for a swim if I please but for ages there, it was a finely tuned schedule between Doug and I as to who was going to be where minding the kids. Even now, we cannot go out and enjoy family walks due to Eliza only being 5, being too big for a stroller but too little to walk far or fast.

About eight weeks prior to surgery, I started going to the gym again and working out on the elliptical for about 40 minutes - quite intensely. I got much fitter in that 8 weeks using Cardio Coach on my MP3. After surgery, I went for a walk the day I got home and continued to walk about 4kms a day for 3 weeks or so, at which time I went back to the gym and got back on the elliptical. A month or two after that, I cautiously tried a jog, went 3km in my first session and was hooked from that point on. I run regularly, and its only just now I'm really thinking of heading back into the gym for some fine tuning. I've not really done much in the way of strength training but I can see that now, I'm almost there, I'll see real results fast and that really motivates me to get moving.