Jachut

It is very hard to really eat on the run (like literally shove something down in 2 seconds standing at the kitchen bench), I elect not to eat if I'm really rushed. Otherwise, if I know I'm not going to have a lot of time, I choose easy food or just eat what I can in the time allocated. But I dont have to chew stupid amounts, just carefully. And I drink with meals, it doesnt make a lot of difference to me one way or another. But if I eat something difficult (like bread) and drink with it, look out, that does cause discomfort. As for drinking when exercising, well, I can gulp like I always could. I can drink fast.

Not a belt but I hang onto clothes way longer than I should. I love them feeling so loose. But they look goddawful. Old habits die hard though, I once avoided form fitting clothes like the plague!

When I was newly banded, from memory I lost 9kg in the first six weeks which is a touch over 20lb. I'd say 20lb by Christmas is quite a realistic goal. I stuck to my post op instructions rigorously and was lucky not to have to go through Bandster Hell. I didnt get hungry till about 12 weeks out. So cut yourself some slack if that does happen, but even under normal dieting conditions, you could lose 20lb between now and Christmas. Get exercising as soon as you can. YOu have to wait to lift heavy weights or do anything VERY vigorous, but good hard walking should be possible for you within 2 weeks of surgery. Do it every day for 45 minutes and you'll get the results you want.

I eat totally normally, just less. I dont count Protein, I dont focus on protein, I eat carbs, usually Cereal and bread daily, I drink alcohol in moderation and enjoy what I want in moderation when I go out to eat. I basically eat 3 meals a day, no Snacks, that works best for me. I've never drunk a Protein shake and I've never been advised not to drink with meals. Every so often I have a really bad day or week where I eat badly - too much chocolate or Cookies in particular. I write it off and get back on the wagon, I dont wallow in it and go right off the rails. I dont fuss over what there will be to eat wherever I'm going, and I dont obsess over takeing home doggy bags of food I've not finished in a restaurant. So what if I dont eat it all? I just make a decision from what's available wherever I happen to be and yes, sometimes that's even McDonalds! I hate ice cream and sweet drinks so never had to deal with that particular issue. I run for about 45 minutes 4 or 5 times a week and do three fairly tough circuit training sessions a week as well. I've lost 85lb in 18 months which is more than 100% of my excess weight. I'd say its been easy, I really would. It's just been gradual and natural and I've lost my terrible obsession with food and dieting.

I cant imagine it - my upper chest is bordering on scrawny these days - you can see the ribs on my chest and my collarbones are very sharply defined. I have very little fat left on my upper body. If I had a port below my collarbone, I can guarantee it would stick right out! I think its much better placed on the abdomen to be honest. Less visible even at goal weight.

Yay for you! If you can do 22 minutes, there'll be no stopping you. Cardiovascularly you're already fit enough to do way more if you can do that. It just takes time for your lower body to strengthen up enough to get you through it! Well done!

Pushing a child in a jogger is fantastic exercise, it really does add to the workload of walking. Just start out with shorter distances and build up. It really is all you need to do, but you just have to bite the bullet and do it. I dont know how to make it fun, I love running personally and enjoyed walking if I could find a few hills too. But yeah, just do it. I find it easier to make myself do something than go out and run if I dont feel like it, it takes 40 minutes, rather than continually muster up willpower to avoid food, lol. Of the two things I have to do for my health, exercising is way easier than eating right all the time.

Its good to hear that you're doing so well Karen, I'm glad this has worked for you.

WAY TO GO! Good for you, that would be a VERY sweet victory! Its just such a "normal" thing to do to run. Yes, it is OK to take walking breaks - unless your a complete mental idiot like me who is so freaking stubbourn that she just wont stop, lol. I'd have to fall down first. That's all it takes, a bit of stupidity, and you'll be running 5 miles in no time!

I've done the entire inside of our house by myself twice. Its not hard at all, just tedious, boring and very messy, lol. I get paint all over me. The first time I did it, I ruined our carpet, but it was beyond help anyway and I didnt even bother dropsheeting. I've just done it again recently and we have all hard floors, so I covered them but was also able to remove the odd splash. What I loathe big time is the timberwork and trim. Oh god, that's simply an AWFUL job and I"m not good at it. I cant get the smooth glossy look that I want, there's runs and thick bits, but it beats paying someone else $15,000 to do it! I was lucky though, we built our house - no real repair work or bad paint jobs to undo, just a clean up and a few new coats.

Oooh, yes, I put it in soup too, yum. Often that's my Breakfast - a cup of coffee and a spoonful of Peanut Butter. I find it too thick to eat on toast, I can handle the bread or the peanut butter but not both together. I love it though, but I need to stop at one spoonful. Dont even get me started on Nutella, I just dont have it in the house!

:rolleyes:Dont look at me for advice, I just ate McDonalds

It will help enormously, more than that I personally believe exercise is the most important factor. I run - simply because I prefer to run than walk - but good hard walking daily is going to be fantastic for you. I always notice my weight loss picks up when I run AND walk - a shortish run of 3 miles and a lot of walking during the day such as we tend to do on holidays and I lose lots. Its just finding time to do both hey?

Wow - killer curves! You look amazing!

I dont think Protein has anything to do with it. But your skin will change over this journey, I thought early on that I was going to have a problem but it adjusted. I've almost finished losing, yes there's some flab there, and I could if I really wanted to benefit from a bit of surgery, basically its my boobs that are a complete trainwreck, - 3 pregnancies, 6 years of breastfeeding and a large weight loss, I will definitely do something about them. But the rest, well its tightened up OK - but I can see that its loosening again with more weight loss. It CAN be remedied but it cant really be prevented - not with protein, exercise, nothing. Its down to genetics and luck.

I never took any and there are very few pics around with me in them in my house. I never got beyond a BMI of about 36 but I still looked hideous. Now I'm posting photos of myself half naked, lol, and I really WISH I had a comparison. So painful as it is, they will mean a lot to you one day.

You could make ginger tea if ginger really helps you? I drank a lot of very very cold soda Water, which of course is fizzy, that really quelled my nausea all 3 pregnancies. During my last pregnancy I had much worse MS - I used seabands on my wrists and they did help. I can also remember seeing a product called Preggy Pops online from the US, lollypops that contain homeopathic remedies. You have my sympathy, morning sickness is foul.

There's no such thing in Australia. Here, you just go to uni!

I eat totally normally. Nobody would comment that I am dieting and would just think that I have a small appetite. Its up to each individual what they want to eat but personally, I eat carbs, I dont do high Protein or even protein first. I eat Cereal such as muesli or oatmeal most mornings for Breakfast and I usually have either a sandwich or something on crackers for lunch (tuna, cheese). dinner is usually meat and 3 veg but we do eat Pasta occasionally. I generally leave the rice or potatoes off my plate though since I do think I've had enough carbs during the day and I cant fit them in anyway with dinner. I've been very very lucky though, no foods I cant tolerate.

The longer I've been banded, the more I believe wholeheartedly that exercise is the KEY to good results. Without it you just wont lose 100% of your excess weight. Nuff said.

I dont really give protein much thought ever, and I really think that for the average person, wanting to tone up, not become Ms Universe, there's no need for tons of extra protein because you're weight training. A normal healthy diet will suffice.

Lol, I've just posted this photo here in 2 different posts. But I'm at about 28% body fat, and you cant see my port. YOu can feel it easily but you cant see it.

How's this for an NSV? Do it! It will be the best decision you ever made. I actually wore that bikini in public last week up in Byron and it was the BEST feeling.

Ouch, if I had a dollar for every time I've stubbed my little toe on a fricking shopping trolley..... What an idiot! Would she rather you schlepped blood all over the store?

I dont suffer, well I've hardly even had a cold since I was banded almost 2 years ago. but I've heard others say it and my unbanded DH suffers horribly when he gets a cold -the mucous gives him horrendous heartburn that lasts for weeks after the cold goes away. It can be very irritating, so I guess its just a matter of ride it out.