Jachut

We have this problem a lot, in this day and age, consumerism is rampant in our culture and it has bitten our kids big time. I *think* we find a reasonable balance, we have to because we jsut cannot afford to give them everything they want. Yet I find my kids are very much the poor relations amongst their friends despite the fact that we'd easily have the highest income amongst our friend's peers. I seriously do not know how people do it, I think they just done even care about paying off their houses etc. What we do is with Christmas, we've not given money yet, but they're set a budget which is pretty generous. I still said NO to a new games system last Christmas for the fact that then you need all new games for it at $90 a pop, that drives me insane. I said there's no point them getting a Playstation Portable if they had no games for it and there's no way I'm buying $90 games every month, and it would take ALL their pocket money. So I said no and they got over it. For birthdays we say right, you have $200. You can either get one big present, you can have a party or you can have a sleepover/pizza/dvd night with a few friends and spend the balance on a present. Because what also drives me nuts is that kids seem to have a huge fancy birthday party every year, I only ever had one or two! My boys are 10 and 12 now, I think they dont need big themed birthday parties! They nearly always choose to spend $200 on themselves, on stuff they want, but they know they could have the party if they wanted to. Eliza will still get a party or two as she's only four (and the boys got them at that age). But that's how it works. It was much harder when the boys believed in Santa, as Ewan wanted a laptop and asked me why I said it was too expensive, as Santa didnt have to pay for anything!

Hey, if that's what you want, go for it. This may sound hypocritical after the goal weight debate but I couldnt be bothered attaining it or maintaining it - I have great admiration for anyone who can!

I agree. I'm always horrified when people say they've received PM's taking an argument started in R&R further. What sort of person would feel the need to go on personal attack? That's really low and even though I've thought some pretty personal things about people, lol, I would never target them that way, if I have something to say I just say it. So anybody who feels they were personally targetted by me would definitely be imagining things. And I'd say that's the case 95% of the time for other people too. Being disagreed with online is a skill to learn, I had a lot of trouble with it when I first entered the world of chat forums. I got in some doozeys, not over stuff like goal weights but over politics, personal outlook etc. But you know, I've also LEARNED heaps becuase most of those people have become my real life friends and I've valued the input they've had into my view of the world. There were things I really needed to learn. Online debate is not about personal attack, its about opening your mind to other people's ways of thinking. I got that out of the goal weight debate, I now feel somewhat differently on it than I did becuase people have pointed out some very valid things to me. But unfortunately, not everyone wants to take away from it, they just want validation of their own opinions.

Lol. I agree. And you need to be mature enough to realise that whilst what happens in rants and raves generally stays there, you cant unsay what you've said and people are going to use that information to form an opinion of you. I often dont realise I'm there though. I always hit new posts and dont look at what forum the post is in. I'd go there specifically to start a thread, but I dont always realise when I'm replying that that's where I am. You can usually tell of course, but I think many people stumble in there unintentionally.

It just does, with no explanation. I have been tight as tight for the last week, really dont know why. I'm not normally, but it happens suddenly and then it goes away with no explanation. it could be as simple as something you ate causing some irritation and perhaps a really mushy diet for a few days will help. If it does continue, I'd see the doc though.

I'd say that your medication could definitely have something to do with the heartburn, its so unlikely that you would have this with an unfilled band. its good to hear your story and know you're still enjoying your success.

I've got 3 and it took me 6 or 7 fills to get there. Its as good as its going to get for me too. I'm a long way from that typical "sweet spot" description, but then I never ever want to be that tight anyway, sweet spot to me sounds like torture. I eat about a cup of food at a time, but more often these days since I went from 2.8 to 3 I can block up or have a tiny PB, especially in the morning. and I came in from a run the other night and threw down a handful of macadamia nuts and a huge glass of Water, my body let me no in no uncertain terms that I cannot eat and gulp anymore, that was ugly but thankfully instant. 3 in a 4 is perfect. I can eat and enjoy eating and even indulge a little but not much.

We dont do it in Australia anyway, so I dont have to worry about it. But I still Celebrate Christmas and Easter - I just dont stuff my face doing it. food is part of our culture, I think its sad if you feel you have to turn your back on it. Just enjoy in moderation!

Oh, I was just thinking about this. When my ninemsn page opened when I turned on the computer, there's an article about Fabio and George Clooney battling it out as heart throbs. I thought I'd pick George any day, he looks sophisticated, urbane, stylish, and attractively mature, whereas Fabio looks like a big dumb f..k. Especially because he speaks broken, halting accented English, which of course means he's an imbecile, right? Then I thought HOW unfair is that? I dont even know him. That's probably how half the blonde, attractive women out there are treated too. Everyone assumes they're dumb. That would drive anyone nuts, if they were of average or above average intelligence. I dont think having the body or the looks scores you so many brownie points - sometimes its an advantage but many times its not. Its not only fat people or ugly people who get stereotyped and its not only beautiful people who fit all our constructions of normal who do the stereotyping either. We all do it.

I'm exactly the same, very little gets me really riled or offended in the first place and I'm also quick and realistic about my own role in anything that's happened. If Doug were to cheat on me once, I could forgive that, but not forget it. But forgiveness doesnt mean to me to put something out of your mind forever, it means to move past it. But it depends how much the person matters to you in the first place, some people have to do very little to be written off in my mind as idiots. There's a few around the traps here lately that could claim that prize. When you think that its only onlike stuff and what the hell does it matter, that's bizarre - that I could forgive an infidelity but will hold a grudge about a stupid comment or an outlook I disagree with, but there it is. So I'm pretty open minded and forgiving, but can be petty at the same time. So Laurend, I agree entirely, its exactly how I look at it too.

I lost so much weight around my shoulders and back first up, I didnt even realise I had it to lose, but my back circumference has halved and I only had a BMI of 35. Consquently, as I bought new bra's to fit my back, the cup size went UP. Its a different fit, not actual bigger boobs. And most people wear too big a back size and too small a cup anyway. Now, in the last bit of my weight loss, my breasts are shrinking back to a DD and will be a D within a few more lbs I think. Which I wouldnt mind, only they could just as easily be measured EXTRA LONG! Argh. But I prefer having moderate sized bewbies, not big norgs.

That's pretty much how I look at it too. And my doc himself said re NSAID's which I was taking for my heel when I had surgery - a few doses here and there isnt going to do any harm, so if you have an injury, take them. Just not long term. But that's true for non banded people too, things like ibuprofen are dangerous over the long term.

Definitely. For a while I did Lite n Easy which is a home delivered diet we have in Australia, that didnt work too well because I couldnt eat all the darn food, lol, and too much bread and difficult things that I didnt want to eat. Costs a fortune, but I did lose tons of weight in that six weeks and really did it mainly for doug to lose some weight (which he did) so taht I didnt have to cook separate meals etc. Weight watchers is like calorie counting though, it works when you do it and the band helps you to do it better than you ever could before.

Eeek, hope its not scurvey! Not seriously, you'd be unlikely to get scurvey in this day and age but ARE you eating enough vegetables and fruit? I'm always bloody freezing, its driving me nuts. Everyone is walking round in tank tops and shorts today as its 22 degrees celcius in Melbourne, not that I've ever called that hot enough to wear so few clothes, but I'm quite comfy and was cold this morning in jeans and a 3/4 sleeve T. For the first time in my life I find myself wearing things like vests, camisoles and Tshirts under clothes, I've always been a one layer person. I've never worn anything to bed in my entire life, many nights now I go to bed wrapped in my bathrobe (dont own any pyjamas) and I'm actually considering buying an Electric blanket - but Doug would boil to death.

*giggle* Yes its coming up to summer down here. I wont be getting dressed for a few months yet!

Someone pegged me brilliantly the other day. I was in a tute at uni. We were put together to work on a group assignment. She said something about her car breaking down and I remarked I was glad to have left those days behind, driving round in a 20 year old car. She said to me, I bet you drive a Ford Territory dont you? Lol, she had me down to a T. The 3 kids, the family truckster etc. I hadnt thought it was that obvious. I was mock offended and she said you just have that look about you. Stereotypes can be very annoying but we do often fit multiple ones.

35.7 I think - its on my ticker

Yes it can but it can also sometimes be fixed by an unfill too.

I have to say it again, like I do all the time, I seriously think the Protein first thing is flawed. I dont disagree with the principle of less carbs to lose weight and I dont disagree with protein being a very important nutrient. But I think to emphasise protein and to instruct protein first to a person with very limited stomach capacity is just bound to lead to a lot of people falling dangerously low on other nutrients. A piece of chicken and two or three Beans does not make dinner. You need two different fruits and five different veg every day and most of us would need to be very creative to get that in. A banana in the Protein shake is a good way to get in some potassium!

Do they know its Christmas time at aaaaaall... Fee-eed the wo-orld, let them know its Christmas time! Oh, c'mon, doncha love it?

Oh yes, I take a carton of Velish Pumpkin soup or some homemade pumpkin soup (cut up a butternut pumpkin - you guys call it butternut squash I think - chicken stock, onion, its too easy) and add a huge dollop of peanut butter, some sour cream and a good amount of curry powder. I got that recipe here and it is sooooooo good. I make it all the time, it'd be perfect for thicker liquids.

I worked very hard not to do this and I think I was successful. I really lost weight very slowly compared to a lot of other bandsters, its taken almost 2 years to lose 40kg, many many people have lost that in one. But I refused to diet, count calories, Protein grams etc. I really believe that most of this is mental and that if you're still counting calories and worrying over everything you eat some years down the track, then you've not won a huge part of the battle. BUT - this is personality dependent. I know that's just me. That's what I most wanted to be free of. My mum lives on weight watchers and she doesnt even need to lose weight, she just loves the discipline and routine. So, what do you want? How do you want to do it?

Oh goodness, I dont argue back, I'm tidy, I'm clean, I dont piss on the toilet seat, I dont take up all the bed, fart, snore or rub for hours at the wrong spot whilst the whole time seeking reassurance of how good I am - I'd marry myself if I could, lol!

I'm always cold now. We had a long weekend here in Melbourne for Melbourne Cup Day and we camped overnight at a friend's onsite van. I absolutely FROZE, its nearly summer here for crying out loud, I wore my jeans, two long sleeved tops and a very warm coat to bed and Doug was right next to me and I FROZE.

I really believe that's MORE of a breakthrough than not eating any cookies at all! Well done.