Jachut

I'd say the reason my surgeon doesnt do the filling, unless you specifically make an appointment with him is so he concentrate on the well paying surgery and not the time consuming day to day stuff, lol.

Oh boy. The weight comments, the anorexic one particularly. We've just had huge discussions about this on another thread, quite heated ones. Lets just say more than ever I now believe a comment like this is never meant nicely or innocently. Its a bitchy remark, end of story. It means I want that, I havent been successful in attaining it so I am now going to kid myself that I am scornful of it. In short, I'm going to take it out my frustrations and insecurities on you by turning nasty. If you're truly secure in your own weight/appearance issues you'd feel no need to comment like this. Its self defence pure and simple. Still, I can forgive my friends the occasional snide remark if I can understand that they're feeling anxious or threatened by what I am doing. It takes a lot of courage to change your life totally and when you do it, it can be very anxiety inducing in others who want to be there, but havent come to a place where they can face it yet At least "I dont want you to get skinny" is honest - the way she's said it indicates she knows its about her, not about you. Much better than veiled remarks about anorexia or looking ill. I could forgive that one even if I were hurt by it.

Cant you telephone and make a visa payment? Otherwise, I'm hoping for you they wont be pedantic over $300. I've just had a similar anxiety experience over failing to return my student placement information and working with children card copy to the student experience office at uni by 22 October. All over the notice were warnings that if they didnt get it by then, then they'd be unable to place the student for teaching rounds next year. Which means I'd finish my academic units and still have just 20 days of teaching rounds to do to earn my degree so I'd be unable to graduate. Which would cost me a year's graduate teacher income $50,000!!! I didnt sleep last night but they've been most accommodating today. So I'm passing my good karma onto you. It happens. They make these deadlines becuase if they didnt it'd be all over the place but they always expect to have to accommodate a few unexpected situations.

I would. I never worry about stuff like that. You're just as likely to break an arm, lol, and you dont let that stop you. You'd never hurt the actual band, maybe there's a teeny tiny minute chance you'd dislodge the port, but you could also do that in any number of ways doing much more sedate activities. I'd imagine its a small risk. I'd take it.

You can breathe, dont panic over that. You can breathe fine. You just cant swallow your own saliva (of which you produce copious quantities) and you may bring it back up - it takes me simply ages to do that and most times I dont, it passes eventually. It hurts and its revolting but you learn pretty quickly how to avoid it. If its an everyday occurrence for you its quite likely that you're doing the wrong things - either choosing foods that dont agree with you personally, eating too fast, eating too big a bites or you are too tight and need Fluid removed. for most people, drinking does not clear the blockage and ease the discomfort, it adds to it and makes it hurt worse. I can eat and drink together for the most part (but its meant to be against the rules) but absolutely not when I am stuck on something. For a well managed band with a very compliant patient (and we ALL push the boundaries occasionally) being badly stuck or actually vomiting are not things that happen often. A brief ooh, go down would you feeling happens a bit, there's many many times you need to pause eating to let things just move on through, but nobody would ever know about it and it doesnt hurt, its just your band reminding you how to behave!

I buy it, put it in the fridge and throw it out 3 weeks later. LOL, I have good intentions but I just never get around to eating it.

We have a couple of really GREAT doctors who do the fills at my clinic that arent the surgeons. I'm perfectly happy with it, they know what they're doing, they've worked with banded patients extensively and are empathetic and experienced. If I want to see the surgeon at any point in time, I can make an appointment to do so without a problem, I simply dont see the need. My doctor knows all that is necessary to supervise me, he just doesnt operate, is all. He's actually a sports medicine specialist too and has helped me quite a lot with my ankle and been supportive of my running, referred me on to a great podiatrist in ways that my surgeon, being a dedicated bariatric surgeon really couldnt have. The act of a fill is not so complicated, the major possible complications are not so many that I feel exposed in any way. If anything unusual occurred, they'd have me straight back into the surgeon anyway, its all in the same building. So I'm fine with it. And I dont pay a cent for fills anyway, its all bulk billed.

Me too. There's loose skin there for sure, but not problematic or visible. Its just the luck of the draw. Concentrate on the weight first, you cant worry about everything. Its not in your control, so try to relax about it and worry about it later.

Interesting thoughts everyone. I want to clarify something though. I do not have a problem with what anyone wants to weigh. I dont care what you want to weigh. I can see the sense in if you've had a BMI of 50, then 35 is a fantastic achievement and may take MORE effort than it took me to lose weight I dont care what you want to weight I have no problem with what you want to weigh What you want to weigh is your own personal business. Phew. Hope that's clear? What I wanted to understand is why people choose those higher weights. Not because I deep down need to understand it, just because it was an interesting discussion and this is R&R and we can discuss anything. So do I understand it now?. Hmmm. Not really. Im a very driven person, I have really really rigid personal definitions of success. I cant see stopping short of anything but normal BMI. But that's me. So then, what have I learned? That my definitions of success make my life quite difficult and its rather hard to achieve said success, happiness and personal satisfaction when you cant give an inch either way. I've had to accept lesser goals in some areas of my life, so please dont think I cant apply this to someone else's goal weight and understand it. To me though, I've had to give on some issues because the sacrifices arent worth the goal, or they affect other people or I just plain cant do what I set out to do. But in my head, I'm on a breather, I havent given up on the goal. That's my personality and that's perhaps why I'm unable to really empathise with the goal weight thing. I've also learned that the way I view life - to be conquered, and won over in a blaze of glory is not how everyone sees it. Ok, I think my way is more joyous but some people dont so well, why would that worry me unduly? It doesnt. So what did I conclude? That I dont think the same way as some people and they dont think the same way as me and there's really no way to bridge that, other than to respect one another's decisions, we cant get into one another's heads. So then, if all is so hunky dory, why do I keep coming back here for more? Because some people keep flapping their mouths without engaging their brains! And I am nothing if not stubborn. Some people I respect highly have made great points here - Wheetsin, Kat, LosingJustMe, Alexandra, Chickie, Wasa to name a few. Points that dont necessarily coincide with what I was thinking but I respect the opinion just the same becuase its considered and moderate and has made me think. Yet others are hysterically spewing made up information at us that is just so flipping stupid that I cant resist. Phyllis, I am now never going to think of you as anything other than a defensive person who is intimidated by anyone who she thinks considers themselves superior. Show me where I said running was better than anything else - I used it as an analogy to show how I felt about things in general and made the point that it frustrated me when people dismissed it becuase I believe they dont know what they're missing. How is that saying thou SHALT run?! I didnt! I said I loved it, nothing more. Did I ever say heavier was ugly, did I say ALL thin people are healthier than fat people? No, I didnt. Did I ever say that you must lose weight on a horrid, strict very low calorie diet? Nup. In fact I have ALWAYS been an advocate on this board of moderate eating, making this a lifestyle and losing slowly. Hmm, methinks that people who go all hysterical when someone mentions things like running or that statistically speaking, having a "normal" BMI is more likely to result in health and long life than being obese are the ones who have the problem. They dont strike me as confident, self reliant people who are secure in their own beliefs. They strike me as people with inferiority complexes. Oh, and just to clarify even further. I dont care what you weigh. It's your business what you weigh. It doesnt bother me what you weigh. Just own it. Dont feed me all the bullsh*t around it OK? In no way am I arguing that you dont have the right to choose a higher goal weight. What I am arguing is that your stated reasons for doing so are for the most part flawed. You are going nutso about there being exceptions to every rule. You are right, there are. But the rule holds true for MOST and I'm fascinated to know what makes you so sure that YOU are the exception to the rule, that YOU can have a BMI of say 35 and mysteriously not be obese or at risk of any health problems. And I'd also like to know why being healthier than a sick person of lighter weight is any real reason to be happy? I'm not even going to go into the arguments for why that theory of walking burning more fat than running (or why more moderate exercise burns more fat than harder exercise if you like) is debatable. There's a wealth of information out there that shows just how flawed that one is - suffice to say dont believe everything you read on the internet. Try actually doing both and see what results you get.

Being able to eat only 1/4 cup of food and not being able to eat bread. Crap! This one is driving me crazy. I think good restriction is about eating well, not overeating and being able to manage your appetite and your intake whilst still losing weight. If that means you can eat 1 and a half cups of food at a time and have the occasional piece of toast, then that's great. Good restriction is different for everyone. You cant say that you only have good restriction when you can only fit in 1/4 cup. The point of a lap band isnt to starve yourself thin and live a life of punishment, surely? I'm so sick of blanket statements about these things making inexperienced bandsters who are doing fine panic over eating too much or thinking they need another fill because they can eat a piece of bread. Grrrr. I'm cranky lately!

Its the same here, medicare (our socialised medical system) DOES cover banding and you can get it done for nothing. If you want to wait on a waiting list for 8 years that is. Some surgeons will do it quite quickly. Of course you can go self pay which should be the same as a privately insured patient but most will not touch a self pay patient with a bargepole, for fear of them running out of money if there's complications etc. So you basically need private health insurance to get it done. Which angers me because apparently only rich people get fat, or if everyone gets fat, only rich people deserve to be able to do anything about it.

Oh dear, truth is I think that remark was a little insensitive. It wasnt the wisest thing to say. Look, you just have to enjoy your own success, you cant be responsible for everyone else. I've lost all my weight just as my baby sister has begun gaining quite alarmingly, for the first time in our lives ever she's bigger than me. Its really eating her up, although she's nice as nice to me about it, but its a type of jealousy that is NOT nasty, its miserable. So I just try not to let conversation get onto my weight around her, I try not to rub it in. And in turn, she says nice things to me about it. I wish I wasnt upsetting her just by being what I am. But I cant lose her weight for her, so as long as we're sensitive to each other about it, then our relationship is fine.

Yes, thats what confused me too. You still have the same time to get out the door in the morning, regardless of whether its dark or not. 7.30 pm is still 7.30 pm too, I just dont understand why it makes any difference? Id simply rather enjoy the daylight at the other end of the day when I have time to make use of it.

Sigh. Boy, are you being this obtuse on purpose? Did I not just make the point to Alexandra that her idea and mine of winning may be different? Was I not making the point that not trying is what I had little respect for, not the ultimate goal?. I have actually been a slow loser precisely because I didnt want to kill myself on a very low calorie diet. Its taken me nearly 2 years to lose 88lb. I do not believe fast weight loss is particularly healthy either. I dont do diet foods and I like to enjoy what I eat. So I was prepared to accept a slower loss. I run becuase I love it, I used it as an analogy but I do not think everyone has to do it. As to running and walking being different because of how your foot strikes the pavement. I am not even going to dignify that with a response. Its too ridiculous. All I see here is defensiveness and rationalising with entirely questionable misinformation. Just own your weight and your goal. Revel in your success in achieving YOUR goals. But accept it and own it in all its facets, do not try to justify it to me as not having a down side. Its when you do that that I immediately see someone NOT happy with their decision, NOT comfortable with it. Tell me to bugger off, you're happy and you dont give a fig what I think. Dont tell me that you're the one in a million who can have a BMI of 35 but somehow not be obese. That's crapola. I have been duly ticked off, I know my original opinion was arrogant and that the way I have done things is not for everyone. In my mind we werent even arguing that, but you obviously see it differently.

Yes, I find cereal quite difficult to eat (very much a go slow food) and it fills me up incredibly. Its actually a great thing for me to eat - I have it most days for Breakfast becuase it sticks with me till lunch and keeps me full. I do not at all find that I eat too much of it or it drains through but I've always found that liquids makign food go through faster thing to be completely untrue for me.

Not much causes me grief. But inexplicably Soup often makes me very stuck and the other thing I've noticed is that if I eat crackers (water crackers generally) I cannot drink for at least an hour afterwards, I get very blocked.

I'd wait the week and it woud drive me flipping crazy to know that I was missing the goal I'd set by a week. It would niggle at me and make me insane. But its life, and its only a week and I know that worrying about things like that is pointless. I was SO upset to be having a caesarean with Eliza after two normal, easy deliveries. I was really sad about missing out on the incredible experience of natural chidlbirth. But five years down the track, I dont even think about it, heck, five weeks down the track I wasnt thinking about it. It is completely and utterly irrelevent to my life now. As it will be with this. Once you're gotten the end result and are living with it, how or when you came by it is not going to matter.

I think you really have to stop and ask yourself how healthy a diet is if you cannot maintain regularity naturally? it makes no sense to me, If you cant even go regularly then the balance of your diet is all wrong, simple - your body is telling you HEY, I'M NOT GETTING WHAT I NEED TO WORK HERE! I guess I'd acquiesce and drink Protein shakes to get the protein he wants you to get (I refuse to drink em) but I'd truly add more than 20g carbs. I'd eat muesli or oatmeal and plenty of fruit and veg. Cereal by the way is one of THE most filling foods for me, best thing to eat, it sticks we me for simply ages. And I often block up on soup for some reason and it fills me up too. That theory about the funnel, it just absolutely has not proven true for me. Fibrous foods are still more filling, even if they're liquidy than non fibrous foods are to me.

I just simply cant understand why people wouldnt want an hour extra in their day. I go from having to run on the treadmill to being able to head out after dinner, my very favourite time to exercise - wind down, reflect on the day etc etc. I cant do that when its pitch dark, its dangerous. But when its light yet cooled down from the heat of the day, I love it. I dont give a fig about the mornings being dark, so what? I dont do anything in the morning except getting up and showering, eating, getting the kids ready. And if I were a morning runner I wouldnt care, I actually like running in the dark, its just that at night its dangerous, at 6.45 in the morning, its less so even if it is dark. It never affects us adjusting to it, to me you simply change the clocks, end of story. My kids have never started getting up at sparrow fart or refusing to go to bed because of daylight savings. I tell you what though, its a blessing in some areas. When we're in Byron Bay, its the eastern most point of Australia and compared to Melbourne, the sun's up at like 4.30am in the morning, in a house with no decent blinds, it drives you nuts. Darkness for another hour would be bliss!

I just have to say I think you're wrong Nina. There's no other way to put it. You're just not making sense. Obese is obese. Its perfectly acceptable to want to be that way but you cannot, absolutely cannot justify it as healthy. Statistically speaking, it isnt. I'm in Australia and you're in America but like wasa says, here, with our system, you get treated no matter who you are. And i'd have MUCH to say about my taxes paying for your denial down the track. I see it as no different than smoking or using a sunbed, you're going to have health issues, nothing surer and its going to cost taxpayers money. Alexandra, if people just dont want to push boundaries and aim high for themselves in all areas of their lives then I just have to accept that. I cannot pretend to understand that and I'm sorry but I cannot pretend to have a lot of admiration for it either, I just cannot. Whether its to do with weight or not, to me it is settling for mediocrity. I'd much rather try and fail than not try. I can accept that you dont agree with me (and I know that perception isnt reality, so what I think aint necessarily so), but I'm really confused - Are you seriously saying to me that you didnt even care about winning that battle?. Your idea and mine of winning may be different, but you took action, you fought and you came to a position that you were happy with. So what you're saying makes no sense at all to me

Oh, you saw it, lol. I deleted it again because I figured, its more personal than I need to share and anyway, what's the point in continuing to argue? You make a completely valid point, you cant convince someone else to try it, it is indeed exactly like a 2 year old claming their mouth shut. And if everyone is really as emotionally disconnected from their weight loss or other life battles as Alexandra suggests, if I'm really the only one who feels elated at winning a battle, well I'm talking to a brick wall. If that's the truth well then I really am just from an entirely different planet.

I'm obsessed with Taggart, the UK detective show. I own dozes on DVD. Love it. Love all UK detective dramas really, That and running - I'm coming to understand that most people simply cant feel my love for it.

And if I hear my mother say "it was tough for us" one more time I swear I'll deck her. It is MUCH toughter when a house in Australia costs at least four times my DH's income which by the way is in the top 5%. My parents bought their home, now worth at least a million dollars, for 7,000 - my father's annual income at the time. And my dad's stated ambition to spend every penny he has before he dies really offends me. Personally I'm working my guts out to make sure I can help my children into this impossible housing market when they start out adult life. Pity my folks didnt feel the same - yet will expect me to look after them if they need it. Grrr.

I'd take a Toblerone any day over sex. It lasts much longer. Seriously though, what are you doing awake? If sleep was that much fun for me, I'd do it all the time. Unfortunately I dream horrid dreams about being naked in public places and late for exams.

Well I totally agree with you there - I was the same. I hate calorie counting and dieting, I did not want to do it that way and I was a fairly slow loser, its taken me the better part of 2 years to lose 88lb or so. Its not about doing the impossible!