Jachut

Yes, I do, but not in the way you've described. Do I ever feel deprived? No, definitely not. I have not given up anything, I eat a basically healthy diet but I've labelled no food good or bad, I eat anything, in moderation. I still eat my worst foods - cakes, donuts, muffins, very very occasionally. I go out for dinner and may choose more fattening indulgent foods than I do for everday meals. But 90% of the time I eat healthy. I was basically a healthy eater before perhaps 65% of the time, so its not been a very difficult transition. If I have that really bad head hunger, really want to eat something for inappropriate reasons (boredom, anger, frustration) I just do it. Normal weight people are not perfect eaters, they do stuff like that too, its how often you do it that determines whether you have a weight problem or not. But being normal weight and full of energy, those moods just dont hit me that often anymore. I'm a much more active, focussed and positive person. Where I get frustrated with my band is the thought of eating with others for meal after meal. Like going away to stay at a friends' beachhouse for Easter this year. They eat crap, every meal, its junk food, take away etc. I was nervous, I knew I was going to be a pain to them, not wanting to eat this or that. And I was, lol. I took a lot of food with me, but everybody oohed and aahed over what a health freak I was when really, I'm not, they're just particularly poor eaters. But sitting at the dinner table and getting blocked after a few bites - gosh I absolutely HATE that. You cant eat, you cant swallow another thing, you just have to wait till it passes, or get up and walk around, and that's really embarrassing, I fear it and I get frustrated by it. And very occasionally, I simply cant eat dinner. My band tends to tighten up when I'm stressed or tired and I may be hungry but I sit down and take one bite and know dinner is not happening that night. I find that frustrating - not because I want to eat so badly but again because I worry that it might happen when I've jsut paid for a meal in a restaurant or am sitting at someone else's dinner table. But it never has - company and a glass of wine tend to relax me. But do I miss stuffing my face, eating inappropriately, eating unhealthy foods in large quantities, using food to soothe unpleasant emotions - absolutely not in the slightest.

Mine doesnt do it when I'm upright and moving around, but the minute I lie down in bed at night it starts up, really loud and really funny. DH and I often lie there having hysterics.

My original fat clothes I had great pleasure in discarding, I hated everything I owned and only bought it becuase it fit me. Lately though, its been hard. I have quite a few things that really mean something to me, that I bought becuase I loved and for the first time, in years I could buy it and wear it and feel good in it. Lately, I've lost lots of inches if not much on the scale and I've just been going through my wardrobe and feeling really sad parting with things, that I've barely even worn. We're going away to warmer climes in four weeks, which is why I'm sorting through my wardrobe. All the summer clothes are out here (its winter and August, insane) but I'm not buying, I want to wait until summer is actually here becuase now every lb makes a noticeable difference. I'd only have to lose another 10 and everything would be too big. So my holiday wardrobe is going to be a mish mash of baggy items, lol, but Byron Bay is a hippy community where there's tons of birkenstocks and dreadlocks, so its all good. I kept one pair of fat jeans, they are hilarious now. I pull them up and let go and they just fall to the floor, I cannot believe I was that big.

Same here Wasa, I'm much nicer in real life than I think I sound. I'm nowhere near as opinionated and my first year or so online was just fight after fight after fight until I learned that I'm not always right and my opinion is just an opinion and that everbody is entitled to one - even if its different to mine. I have eye phobia too. I have a condition called Map Dot Fingerprint Dystrophy - my cornea's are very dry and delicate and they rip very easily. Onset is usually in the mid 30's, it hit me at 37 and I had a year of awful periods of being unable to see and having to stay at home with my eyes shut for days on end till the rips healed. I could rip my cornea just by opening my eyes in the morning. I've had laser surgery on both eyes but now I freak when I see people rubbing their eyes, because I've learned not to do it.

Whatever I feel like - depends what type of cuisine it is. Chinese, Japanese (I always have sashimi), Italian, Greek, Malaysian or more stock standard bistro/pub style food - I often have a caesar salad, fattening but delicious. I only eat a little bit. Children's menus in Australia are awful - chicken nuggets and chips, fish and chips, hot dogs and chips, nothing you'd pay to eat in a restaurant.

I think from memory people really started to stop me and say "WOW, you look great" when I'd lost about 25 . It took longer than I expected as I had a BMI of 35 and thought it'd start to be noticeable pretty quickly. But it did take a good 25 lb to be noticeable and it took that much before I went down a clothing size too. Now of course, I've only lost about 10lb this year. But some friends came for a barbeque yesterday and she hadnt seen me since Christmas and was raving about how much more I had lost. Its very noticeable when I lose a little now. Which I try to remind myself when I stare in despair at my thighs in the mirror - I can believe that 15 more will really fix them. Probably it wont, lol, we all have our trouble spots.

No, I dont stop eating at a particular time of day. I run for 40 minutes to an hour five or six days a week and do two or three strength training sessions. Yes, I drink alcohol moderately - perhaps a glass of wine four nights a week. I cut white, processed carbs but I eat bread, Pasta and rice on a daily basis. I've had six fills to take me to 2.9ml in 4ml band. I lost 75lb in the first year and have lost about 15 since. I had a BMI of 35 when I started. I dont follow ANY of the bandster rules that are prescribed for American bandsters - no Protein first, I drink with meals and I eat carbs. I just dont overeat, I dont push it, I exercise regularly and I follow a policy of moderation in all things, including treats. Its served me well but I'm now trying to lose the last 14lb and I am having to diet quite strictly to move anything now.

Bad carbs is highly processed white carbs - sugar in other words. Donuts, white breads, white Pasta, too much starchy foods like potatoes and white rice. Basically low GI foods (glycaemic index) meaning they give you that sugar rush, are digested quickly and lead to an insulin rush. Good carbs are low glycaemic index ones, brown foods - wholegrains, certain fruits, vegetables, etc. There's no real consensus, proponents of the GI diet believe that eating only low GI foods has a similar effect to a high Protein diet in terms of fat loss and balancing blood sugar levels. I tend to believe it too - and it does have the major effect of weight loss, blood chemistry improvements AND its good for your bowels becuase its high fibre. Anyway, I eat plenty of carbs and I"ve still lost weight, I just avoid high GI ones. I tend to try to stay moderate on fat but I dont hold back on good fats like fish oils and avocado. I dont purposely buy low fat products becuase with things like yogurt and cheese, your body doesnt absorb the Calcium, Vitamin A and D as well without the fat, your body does need small amoutns of it. I drink skim milk because i prefer it but eat full fat yogurt and cheese (in small amounts).

I pretty much picked a weight that was in my healthy range that I remember being and maintaining - 79kg. Its the very highest point of my healthy weight range. I got there and maintained it for about 6 months but have started losing again now, I'm down to 76 and its given me a chance to recommit and decide to diet the rest of it off. I just have a build that I should be more at the low end of my healthy weight range, of course I'm not overly fat anymore, but I still am flabby, carry too much weight on my lower half and wouldnt dream of wearing a bikini. I"m shooting for about 65kg, which I've never weighed in my adult life but now that my body is relatively normal, I can kind of just tell that I need to lose about another 10kg. Whether or not I do I'm not sure, I'm sure trying, but I may just plateau out again for a long time, its very hard when you're not overweight anymore to keep losing reasonably. I certainly didnt have surgery to still be overweight, I've never even considered setting a goal that's officially still overweight. It depends a lot on your build, some people do look good heavier because they're curvier and have more muscle on them than I do. I do have the type of body that is either bony or its overfat - I dont get more curves as I get heavier, I get flab. Tall and skinny is how I'm meant to be, 5ft 10 and in the 140's will be just right.

I think you can do it with anything - any foods that are easy for you to eat, even if they're healthy. My DH and I are doing Lite n Easy at the moment, which is a home delivered diet. I wouldnt have said I ate around the band but give me the more solid foods - including bread rolls, etc and my intake has dropped dramatically. I really didnt realise how often I was eating, and how many things like soup, yogurt, cookies, cheese, stuff that packs calories but goes down easily. I thought I'd reached the end of my weight loss journey, now that I'm within the healthy weight range, but no, suddenly this week since I've started I"m losing like you do in the first week of ANY diet. I really believe now that I can get down to 60 something kilos, a weight I've never ever been in my adult life. I've always said that bread was a good diet food for me - wholegrain, low GI bread because it fills me up SO much and whenever I have a period of eating sandwiches or rolls for lunch I lose weight. But I dont bother because who wants to make half a sandwich? Well its all made for me and the more difficult foods are working. So yeah, I guess I was indeed eating around my band.

That is so true, I"m realising that. The band took me to a normal healthy weight with portion control and exercise. But I'm of a build that I really need to be low in my healthy weight range, not at the top. I'm 5ft 10 and about 167 lb now, but I've still got a tad over 30% body fat, despite running an hour five times a week and doing weight training. I'm still just a bit pudgy for my frame, pure and simple - I need to weigh around 150lb. But I dont lose anymore unless I really make an effort to do so and that means dieting. Which I have absolutely refused to do all along. But I've started now and its so much easier, it doesnt feel like dieting anymore, its just cutting out the extras. I dont starve and I dont feel deprived.

Its more the act of lifting than actually carrying that could do damage, you tense and increase intra-abdominal pressure when you lift. I had a 2 year old when I was banded, we had plenty of cuddles and lap time, I just allowed her to crawl up onto me rather than lift her. If she was screaming or throwing a tantrum, which happened a lot, lol, I would have to get down on the floor to comfort her rather than lift her up to me. Nappy changing was done on the floor, I could get up and down allright and it was quite easy to avoid lifting to a large degree. Getting babies in and out of the car though, that might take a bit of planning. Its no doubt going to be quite hard, a 2 year old isnt the same as a 9 month old, so you will need to ask for help when you can. I didnt feel awful or anythign, I recovered very quickly, but the logistics of not lifting for several weeks when you have not just one but two babies is a bit mind boggling. Still, if your wife is the one doing most of the caring, you will manage.

Yes, you cant underestimate the burden the extra weight places on you. When I began jogging, I was cardiovascularly quite fit, certainly fit enough for jogging, but the fatigue in my legs after a couple of k's was unbelievable, I was staggering by the end of 3ks lest I make it sound too easy above. And I'm trying to encourage my DH now and head out for a 3k run with him and seeing how hard he is finding it, when I know he can walk for 20kms or play 18 holes of golf on a hilly course, so he is not unfit, is a good reminder. It would be like if I went out now to run 3km carrying my 9 year old son on my back! I've lost his bodyweight. That would just about kill me and I'd fully expect to injury myself. So yes, take it slowly and carefully and it is a good idea to lose some significant weight first.

I've never had to eat less than about 3/4 of a cup of food per meal, plus maybe a tiny snack, to lose weight. shot glass? Sheesh. I'd starve. You can do this aggressively if you wish. Or not, its your choice. I'd rather exercise and eat more.

I always so no, but that's not completely honest - early on it was. It was easier than any diet I've ever done, but I had high motivation and I stayed well away from all the foods I shouldnt eat - Cookies, cakes, donuts, chips etc. I lost weight fast, steadily and easily. Once I hit a normal weight I kind of stopped and began to eat for maintenance. I eat better than I did before banding, but I wasnt a terribly bad eater before hand, but now, I'll have a little of anything, I just eat what I want, when I want and most of the time that's good. I dont want to obsess over having to have takeaway for dinner, or eating a piece of cake. So... I've maintained, easily. I'm well nourished. But I'd like to get a little bit more off, I want to be at the lower end of my healthy weight range and so my DH and I are doing a home delivered fresh meals kind of thing called Lite N Easy that we have here in Australia. I struggle to eat the day's food, lol, I cant eat a whole dinner. But surprise surprise, reduce the calories, cut out the extras and I'm losing again. But it doesnt feel like a diet AT ALL. It feels like a mountain of really yummy, fresh, healthy food, it feels like I am really TREATING myself. Whereas before banding Lite n Easy felt liek deprivation, pure and simple. For me, it hasnt had to be too difficult because I exercise a lot, which makes up for all sorts of dietary indiscretions.

I did, I had a BMI of 35. Its been spectacularly successful for me!

Yes, i've found its become more noticeable. I thought sag wise my breasts were beyond help (i've breastfed 3 kids for over 6 years in total) but the smaller one (the left is about 1/2 cup size smaller than the right) has shrunk to the point where my nipple now points upwards like its meant to instead of hanging down). its still only a half a cup size (if that) difference between the two but now they look seriously weird as the nipples point in markedly different directions. I will have this fixed, just because but not till I'm working again in a year or two. When I'm clothed you cant tell unless you look very hard but I'm paranoid about things like walking from the heat outside into a freezing shopping centre lol. Men might think headlights on is sexy look but for it to work it really is probably best to have both nipples pointing the same way

No, but I have some fairly graphic pictures of most of my guts from when Eliza was born by caesarean! So much yellow blobby fat, ugh.

I love swimming, unfortunately it doesnt love me that much, it completely RUINS my hair. My hair just cant take the chlorine, within a few swims it will be dull, dry and breaking. I also get eczema from the chlorine. So I just go for a swim every now and then.

My absolute favourite lunch is a few crackers, a few pieces of a good brie, some chilli jam, and a sliced apple. Yummmmm. cheese and crackers as a combo for me is a "careful" food, it can block up quickly. But cheese on its own, I avoid or I'd eat a whole wheel of it! Its easy for me to eat.

Generally I'll get normal hunger signals - an empty rumbling tummy, which if I ignore and get REALLY starving, then I can get pretty severe pain. My stomach kind of clenches like it were having a muscle spasm and the ache travels up my eosphagus and can feel it in the roof of my mouth and in my jaw as well as a tight stomach cramp. It really hurts! Its not I'm a big hungry, I can ignore it pain, its very intense. Doesnt happen every time or even all that often, but its definitely hunger that brings it on.

I think exercise is really key here too. By the time you're coming to the end of your journey, you'll probably be working pretty darn hard to keep that weight coming off but if you do it, you'll get there! Anyway, think of the statistics for people who just diet! They tend to GAIN weight.

I'm so glad! This is a whole new life, not some horrible penance we have to do for getting fat in the first place. There's a whole new world out there to be enjoyed.

I noticed an increase but not as much as I expected because I am a shedder, my hair is ALWAYS everywhere in the house, all over the bathroom floor, in the drains. I have quite fine but frizzy, fragile hair that takes a lot of styling to make it presentable, I have to straighten it everyday. My hairdresser and I worked out my hair was breaking off, not falling out. The condition just went to pot after about 10 months. I was very low on Iron and that seems to have worked somewhat, but the schedule I now keep of Protein and conditioning treatments is utterly ridiculous, I virtually wrap my head in cling wrap with a conditioning treatment for 20 minutes every shampoo. I use Redken CAT by the bucketload too. This is what truly made the difference to my hair and fixed the breakage problem. It costs me a fortune. Surprisingly, it never looked thinner, I didnt notice any difference in my part, I just noticed the increase in hair all over the house! Its very stressful!

That's exactly how you can think of it, dont suddenly move away from healthy whole foods just because you're banded! Yes, I ate all that stuff on liquids - BUT it was well blended, dont forget that. Make sure its nice and liquidy at first, you may need to use a lot of extra liquid. Some things may taste terrible too, lol. It just depends. I'd blend Indian food with a can of tomatoes I think! And when I say blend, I dont think I'd be trying to blend rice to liquid, you have to choose sensibly, some things wont blend down. I ate the bolognaise sauce, not the spaghetti, kind of thing. You most definitely do not have to eat fake stuff! Its better if you dont. The more foods that look like nature intended, the healthier and better your diet will be. You may have to make adjustments - I have to peel apples now for example, but I tend to place more emphasis on my fruit and vegetable intake than my Protein intake, which would appear to go completely against what is recommended in the US and I'm still here, I'm normal weight, I have all my hair, and I feel fantastic. I think you have to continue to eat from all the food groups, not go nuts on protein, but perhaps that's an Australian thing, I dont know. I eat better than I ever did, I enjoy food better than I ever did and I've never counted a calorie or a protein gram, just kept portion sizes small, stayed away from crap foods and exercised a lot.