Jachut

um, 2.9 in a 4ml band I think. Not really really tight for me, I can still eat a slice of bread, havent had to give up any foods and I dont PB, get stuck occasionally though. Can eat about a 3/4, a cup of food at a time.

Well right back atcha, lol. You're looking very svelte. I'm a little more bottom heavy than you are. I'm just still carrying a tad too much on the bottom half. 154lb is smack in the middle of the healthy weight range for 5ft 10 and is the lowest weight I can remember reaching as an adult. I really am just taking it as it comes though, I'm not really "trying" to lose very hard. I dont want to get too bony up top and I'm on the verge of that now, I can see my ribs on my chest and as I get lighter, I am starting just now to get puckered, crepey skin on my belly. So who knows? If i lose no more I'll be very happy.

I tend to agree, but then even if I'd stopped at say 85kg, still 6kg overweight for my height, I felt worlds better than I had at 113kg. I was healthier, fitter, exercising regularly and feeling terrific by 85kg, it would STILL have been very much worth it. But I set my goal weight in the healthy range and now I 'm working my way down through the healthy range, as I do have that tall, thin build without a lot of bulky muscle, so I do need to be light or I still carry too much fat even though not "overweight". I couldnt see the point of setting a goal that was overweight. The way I see it, the lost 60% of your excess wieght takes into account all the reasons why people dont lose it all - they dont exercise, they're non compliant, they're older than average, they start out as much much much more obese than I was, something happens to their band, they have diseases and conditions. None of that applied to me and I didnt see a reason to set my sights short. I've had no trouble losing more than 100% of my excess weight by doing what I should - eating right and exercising.

I wouldnt put much credence in a doctor that put this up on youtube. But still, consider this. We are ALL taking a leap of faith on this one. We do not know what the long term success rate will be and that's the honest truth. I do know I"m healthy, happy and thin and if I get ten years of that before my band explodes my innards and I balloon to 113kg again, I'll take it. Its not invasive - I mean they barely open you up and slip something around your stomach, they're not dicing and carving your organs, changing your body's functions etc etc. I really considered it a safe enough thing to take the risk on. And its worked so far and I've done my utmost to learn better habits. I could lose my band and I wont stop my daily running, I can tell you that, even if I cant tell you what will happen to my appetite.

Yep, how about we organise it when I get back. Its school holidays taht week which means I"m a bit stuck to home, but I'll PM you!

Lots of surgeons there, and I think the out of pocket is going to depend on the surgeon to be honest, its nothing to do with the hospital. My surgery cost me $3,000 My surgeon was Gary Crossthwaite, of the Bariatric Surgery Centre, there's quite a few surgeons there including Prof. O'Brien. They are great, truly, its a very well run clinic and right next to the hospital.

You'll never see or feel the band. My port is gross, lol. I can feel it just laying my hand lightly on my abdoment, I dont need to push. People can even feel it when they hug me now. IT gives my kids hours of amusement. But you cant see it.

I eat more like a cup too. I order what I want and stop eating when I am full. I really do not understand people's anxiety over this one. What's the big deal about not cleaning your plate in entirety or "wasting" your food? I just eat what I need. I would have done the same pre banding only I could fit more in, but I still often left restaurant meals half finished as they were so big. I'm never the first one finished either - it takes me longer to eat a cup of salad than most people take to eat a whole bowl of Pasta. Truly, noone notices, we're chatting, having a wine, having fun, nobody is watching what I do or dont eat or how fast or slow I eat it.

I dont eat in the car. I never have, cars get very filthy when you eat in them. I would never let the kids eat in my car either. So its not a problem I've had to face, but I can tell you, I couldnt get it into a cup or a bottle!

Yes, it was badly worded, sorry to cause offence. But Paula, consider this: Maybe its different there - but here, its a six week course. And then you have trainers and trainers. There's the trainers in the gym who like every gym assistant I've come across have done a very basic quickie course and know no more than anyone else who cares to inform themselves of various facts and figures. You go to the gym, you get the exact same workout as every other person in your particular demographic who joins. That's not really personal training. There's load and loads and LOADS of conflicting information on heart rate training, but you get the same advice from everyone, yet it is well known fact that standard MHR calculations are inaccurate and do not apply to athletes or even people of above average fitness. 220 minus my age x 70% does not even have me out of breath. Can I talk while I'm doing that - heck I can sing Bohemian Rhapsody at full volume! Its just inaccurate and generalised. And that's what a lot of personal trainers deliver. I know several people who have dropped out of uni, done the quick Ausfit course and set up as personal trainers, they're only qualifications are that they're young, fit and enthusiastic. You may be different Paula, I'm speaking in gross generalities. Like any field there's people who are dedicated and go the extra mile. But if I were to mosy down to my local gym I'd get someone who knows no more than what I do and that's the honest truth. So dont take offence, its not aimed at you. But it's not altogether wrong or untrue either. Its the hot career of the 2000's, everyone's getting into it and not everybody is well qualified or fully informed.

Oh, Im terrible with photos and like fiddling round ont he computer with them even less, nonetheless this is me a few weeks back at my 40th, I'm in black/grey stripes with the darkest hair, with my 2 sisters and mum and dad. I was "merely" (lol) severely obese, not morbidly obese so I've gotten quite a good result with not too many problems in the way of extra skin etc.

I'd have to echo Wasa there. I really place little faith in your average personal trainer. They all talk the same talk, it takes nothing to become qualified as a trainer and I truly do not believe in the cut your calories only so far and when you exercise remain in your "fat burning heart rate" clap trap. I do not believe in the fat burning heart rate, full stop (or period as you guys like to say). Work harder and eventually you will burn fat at a much higher heart rate, your body will adapt and rather than burning 200 calories of fat walkig for half an hour you can burn 600 calories of fat running! As for calorie levels - well I've never been a fan of ultra low but I truly believe its different for everyone and you cannot generalise. You will be able to tell by your results whether what you are doing is right for you, but I think its probably safe to say that slow and steady loss gives you the best fat/muscle ratio of loss. Everyone loses muscle when they lose a lot of weight, you want to minimise it but it will occur.

I dont even look at my BF scale to be honest. Like yours, mine measures consistently day to day, 33% - um, no, that cannot be right. I have BMI of less than 24, a flat stomach and I am much stronger than I was before and have muscles you can see - my legs are like Iron. Yes, I still have a tad too much body fat but I do NOT have a body fat level of 33%. I am within the healthy weight range and I exercise regularly, PLUS I had a body fat of 32% as measured at the gym when I was 30 and overweight! Its either not right or it is - and if it is well I look and feel healthy so if that's what it is so be it. But I dont need to look at it everyday and feel frustrated!

Hi Phili, I'm happy to meet up for a coffee or something, would love to in fact. I'm away 15 - 27 September, but after that? Southbank, Willie, wherever. It would be lovely if we could get a few of us together.

It can surprise you. I'm 5ft 10, got to 180 and stayed there literally for six months. Then I began to lose again. Without changing anything. Every time I get on the scales lately I've lost again. I'm in the low 160's now, shooting for 154. So it can take a long time once you get near goal but if you just stay steady, keep working, doing what you need to, you will get there.

I'm staying on plan today because I've been losing again of late, after a long long plateau. Every kilogram makes a huge difference and I am finally truly feeling thin. I'm going on holidays at the end of the week, and its going to be a healthy one, and I want to come back and see a nice surprise on the scales.

I think if you're heavy I'd echo Julie, dont run two days in a row and really space it out. But in earlier attempts to lose weight I always got frustrated with walking, I just cannot (even NOW that I"m thin and fit) walk fast enough to get my heart rate high enough for it to be effective. My gait would go weird and I'd hurt my back. So I used to run for a minute (or till I had to stop really) then walk for five mins or so, my HR would stay up that way and walking gave me a real workout. I'd suggest starting like that. My introduction to running this time around was kind of weird, since I built up good fitness on an elliptical beginning before my surgery. I hadnt realised quite what it had done for me fitness wise, so when I decided to start the couch to 5K program, I cautiously tried it out and found I just didnt need to stop at the suggested times. I ran 3kms the first time I tried it, but I was staggering by the end of it, my heart and lungs stood up fine but my legs got so tired. It takes a long long time to build up the leg strenght and pelvic stability you need to run long distances without being injured, so you really do have to take it slowly. I found running on a treadmill was really how I started, I ran outside very little at first because I was afraid of injury, and the treadmill was much kinder to my ankle. I did interval style training, I used cardio coach (Cardio Power Fitness Music | Download Workout | Cardio Music Workouts | Cardio MP3 Downloads for iPods) a lot. Always alternate it with another non impact activity if you can in the early days, 3 days per week was a strict limit I set myself. My BMI was 31 or so when I started though, physically I could not have run at a BMI of 35 which is where I started, my ankle was too bad and I would have been injured.

Yeah, they're everywhere in Australia - parents with prams spots. They're not for pregnant people though. The reason they have them here is they're much wider than normal parking spaces and you have room to safely have the car doors open while you buckle kids in and out, you have room to be buckling a toddler in with your pram right beside you (I have had my pram stolen from behind my car while I was putting Fraser in his seat, thank god I had already put Ewan in the car first!). They're about safety, not the fact that you cant walk as far. But I have been very glad not to have to kidwrangle a two toddlers through miles of carpark too - being just near the door is much safer. I think you've either not had a couple of young children or you may need to dig into your memory a bit to remember what it was like! Its a logistical nightmare getting a couple of kids through a carpark and into a car safely. Baby first and toddler runs away, toddler first and where do you leave the baby in his pram? I think the spots are a good idea.

I just feel full, same as I used to. The only difference is its way way sooner.

Yeah, I dont spend too much time dwelling on this since even celebrities dont usually look the way we perceive them. But yes, Jessica Biel would be my dream. Or Halle berry, she is so utterly gorgeous. Especially back when she had that really short hair. Stunning woman with a perfect body. Sadly I will always be me, lol.

Yes, its just a tool, but its a tool that works. It does make the difference over diet pills and the like becuase it is permanent and effective. I feel for people who havent lost with the band. I divide it up mentally into 3 categories. The first is that some people genuinely have something wrong with their bodies, diseases like PCOS can make it extraordinarily difficult to lose weight, they change your metabolism. The second is people who really do need psychological help, who have deep seated problems that need to be addressed. And the third group is those that just cannot and willnot take responsibility for their own actions. They're full of excuses, too busy, too tired, too poor, its too hard, it doesnt work because I'm not fully restricted, I cant exercise becuase its winter. You want something to change, then YOU have to change, simple as that. But I also feel sympathy for these people because its just as hard to overcome personality as it is to overcome any other obstacle.

My little ones are gone at almost 2 years out, I cant find them. the long incision is still visible, but its now faded out to pink, its not livid purple anymore. It doesnt look bad at all, If I were younger I'd probably wear a bikini and tan it up,

Its not the first time I've heard it mentioned but I find it hard to picture exactly what they'd do. It'd be the vagus nerve I assume? Which has other functions.... I dont know. But yes, I have heard of it.

I've had a little bit of both. I get hungry normally, like when its meal time and I havent eaten for quite a while, I get hungry. That's fine, thats what our bodies are supposed to do. But I never suffered from inappropriate hunger, I ate a lot but I wasnt physically hungry when I did it, in fact I get hungrier more often now that I'm not eating all the darn time. But with the band, you get hungry, you eat a little bit, the hunger goes away. You are able to respond to normal hunger appropriately. And I dont know how it does it but the band does cut your appetite, you stop thinking about food all the time, well that's how its been for me. Exactly like the Tenuate my parents put me on way back in the 80's. Aside from physical sensations of hunger, the hyperinterest in food just evaporated. Sometimes, when I have just had a fill and am very tight for a few days and can only eat half a cup or less, I do find I'm starving all day long but cant eat to satisfy it. I eat a bit, I can feel the fullness in my pouch and that I cant eat more, but my stomach is still grumbling and crying out for food kind of thing. But that never lasts, once the fill settles I'm OK.

I've been weighed before every surgery I ever had - so they can get the anaesthetic right. I'd be worried if I'd gained 10 or 20lb pre surgery, but 3lb is nothing, its a daily fluctuation. Chill!