Jachut

Lol, its not easier when you have a family to cook for, its a chore, serving up something healthy and different every night for all the kids to go "yuck, what's THAT?" and refuse to eat it! To be successful in your weight loss long term, I think you need to develop a different attitude towards cooking, you need to learn to cook for yourself AND to make the vegetables. Even though I have a family to cook for I dont want to do it 9/10 of the time either but really if you dont eat food you've prepared at home, you'll spend a fortune and take in too much fat and calories. If you steam up some vegies, say broccoli, carrots and cauliflower, they do last in the fridge till the next day, you can just heat them up in the mirowave again. It takes 2 seconds to make a tossed salad with some lettuce, tomato, cucumber, mushrooms and avocado, a bit of low fat dressing and whack that beside a piece of fish or meat and you have a healthy meal. Watch Supersize me - that may be about McDonalds but it could easily apply to living on a diet of foods that only come in boxes or packets, they are equally as bad in too large quantities. YOu only have to watch the school lunch section to see that, truly horrifying. Its also a matter of developing good shopping habits, which I find hard too since I hate grocery shopping. I find I eat badly when there is not appropriate food in the house though, so I have to MAKE myself do it, its more important to my success than any amount of willpower. You can do it! Make it a part of your daily routine. Also, if you make a big meal many things freeze beatifully. We freeze leftover corned silverside, left over roast lamb etc, or make it up into big dishes like Moroccan lamb, and you could freeze individual portions. If you really cant bear to face the kitchen every night, then get out some recipe books and cook yourself some freezable meals, portion them appropriately and microwave some frozen peas and carrots every night to go with them.

Well, it depends how dedicated you are and what you're prepared to do. I've probably only lost 10 to 15lb in the last 5 months because I'm pretty much at a healthy weight and I cant make myself care enough to keep going really hard at it. I lost fast in the first place though because I was prepared to exercise like a fiend. I ran that weight off. I'm not prepared to cut down too low on caloires or to give up all pleasure in food because I like it too much. I could lose faster now if I would do that. But I consider 33kg in 15 months pretty serious weight loss! Its certainly all I needed to lose.

I can tell you your body needs a lot more than 500 calories to keep it going, probably more like 1200 to 1500 just to sit around breathing all day. But I cant imagine why that would make you not sleep? But I do know if I ate only 800 calories in a day I'd be running out of steam well before lunchtime. Exercising in the evening used to make me wired all night, like having five cups of coffee before bed. I can do it now, in fact I can go out, run 10km and fall straight into bed and sleep like the dead all night. But I can certainly remember times where if I did anything within 3-4 hours of bed I'd be awake all night.

My average is 1800 to 2000. I'm only losing a pound or so a month on that now though, so if I want to lose the rest of this weight (I'm a healthy weight now, would just like to be nearer the bottom of my healthy weight range) I need to cut down a bit. I'm very active and I'm five ft 10 too so I can get away with eating a lot. I've lost all my weight so far on about this calorie level. The good thing is I dont need very tight restriction to achieve this so it hasnt been too limiting in terms of lifestyle and eating out etc. I dont agree with cutting calories too low either. I dont want to lose weight fast if I"m just going to pack it back on again, lose muscle and lean body tissue so that my metabolism is slowed down and if I ever return to reasonable calorie levels I"ll gain weight. I also think its near impossible to get adequate nutrition on that sort of level of calories. I'd rather make up the deficit by exercise, not eating less. For some people that's what it comes down to though, for some reason they need very little energy to maintain their weight.

So happy. I am a healthy weight, I am super fit, I love my running and I do it now for the love of it, not to lose weight. I can shop anywhere, and although I'd like to lose a tad more, I think I look pretty darn good for a mother of 3. I certainly dont feel out of place as a 40 year old student amongst a bunch of 20 year olds at uni, I can dress young, and I look and feel young. I havent had to give up any food, I can eat out without any worries at all, the worst thing that happens to me is eating too fast or occasionally feeling compelled to clear my plate, when even one mouthfull too much can REALLY be too much. I have only vomited once in 15 months of being banded and really, it was the BEST thing I have ever done for myself! The band that is, not the vomiting, lol.

Several of those apply to me. I dont really care any more if I lose weight. I'm a healthy weight now and look and feel much better than I did. I'd look even better if I lost another 8kg but I truly dont care that much about it. I still eat from head hunger at times. I'd rather enjoy my life and eat what I want than diet at the moment. What I want to eat isnt unhealthy, isnt excessive and doesnt cause me any concern, I just dont want to have to think about food, measure and weigh food, count calories, blah blah blah. Soooooo boring and I dont want to do it. So.... basically I guess it just doesnt really matter that much to me whether I lose anymore or not as if it did, I would do what I needed to do. I'm maintaining very very easily, dont have to even think about it. In fact I'm actually losing very very very slowly, like 1 or 2lb per month.

Wow, its so amazing what they can achieve. You're very brave posting those but its a great thing to do becuase it really does help people, so thanks.

I had a lot of times in the week or two after surgery where I felt like something was stuck in the back of my throat. A very disconcerting feeling as I just couldnt dislodge it but its not something you can just ignore either. It just felt like a little piece of something was sitting in my throat. All these odd feelings are quite normal and will subside, it doesnt mean the custard wasnt runny enough, its just weird stuff that happens. If you eat something too thick, too solid, you'll have no doubt about it, dont worry, lol!

I still do it after 15 months. I notice overall I eat much more slowly but the first few bites of every meal, I really have to stop and remind myself. Even when I'm eating out and I'm triple aware of it, so that I dont have an embarrassing public incident, I still gulp the first few bites. Its really really hard not to do.

Not in response to eating I havent - other than obvious something is stuck pain. But three or four times since I've been banded I've slept badly, and then woken with a stomach ache that's lasted a day or two. Like the pain in your stomach as it clenches hard just before you vomit, but without nausea. Its been annoying, I feel crap today but get on with things kind of pain except for one afternoon, I really had to go and have a lie down. Then it goes away and I'm fine.

You feel full because of the swelling, for me that lasted about 8 weeks before I needed a fill. I lost heaps in that time, you cant really avoid losing weight fast at first if that's the way your body wants to go. I'm sorry you're having such a hard time, I was home the day after and headed out for a 3km walk, I had no pain afterwards whatsoever, never even needed Panadol. I'm one of those infuriating people that could drop a baby in the rice paddy and keep working, as if nothing had happened, lol. Two weeks is reasonable I think to feel lousy, tired and not yourself. If it lingers too long after that you'd need to speak to your doc but everyone has different recovery times, pain thresholds etc and it is pretty major surgery, so its not odd to be feeling like you do. Hang in there!

Philosophically, whilst I can appreciate the possible complications, I am pro surrogacy. But in this situation, hmmm, I probably wouldnt risk it. I think not only is there the risk of your child being bipolar since biologically it would be her child, I would worry that there's a huge risk she is going to do an about face on it. What about egg donation - is your problem conceiving, is it not possible for you to carry a child from a donated egg. Or could you use a donor egg to impregnate her? My sis is running out of time at 37 with a history of endometriosis and she didnt start trying for a family until just recently. I've given it though privately, I could carry a baby for my sister, a child that was going to be part of my life, but not actually mine. But I just dont think I'd want the complication of that child being biologically mine. I think that opens up a whole host of potential problems.

I have a chronic ankle bursitis problem which is only managed, not cured, by having lost so much weight. I saw a podiatrist and have orthotics as I have a collapsed arch on one side (the side of the bad ankle) due to the weight I put through that leg - which I am trying to address thorugh chiropractic as it is coming from my lower back. I'm pretty convinced if you want to remain biomechanically intact then just NEVER get pregnant :phanvan So I have my orthotics and I also require a good rigid pronation control shoe as I overpronate as a result. Brooks Adrenaline suit me really well. With all those factors in place and building up slowly, I have been able to develop my running to the point where I can now run 15kms. The only thing is I cant go stupid over it. I can run 15kms yes, but if I went out and did that every day I'd feel the downside of it. So I do vary the distances, and I do take two rest days in a row each week, although I may do a spin class or something different on those days.

I will never get over watching Supersize Me - we own it on DVD but it was on here on television last night. Its the segment about school lunches. Every single person involved in those companies that provide those school lunches should be in prison. That is criminal, feeding that poison to young people. They dont have the option to go elsewhere, and that stupid woman arguing that they bought bagged lunches and werent just eating crap. All they care about is making money out of people. I think goodness we dont have school lunch schemes in Australia and that our kids bring lunches from home. Of course some bring crap, but at least I get to ensure that my kids eat fresh healthy sandwiches and fruit. Soft drinks are banned in school canteens and soon lollies and candy will be to. Adults can make their own choices but the thought that we're feeding kids this sort of poison and making them helplessly addicted and obese by the time they get to adulthood, we need to take a long hard look at ourselves I think.

Couldnt agree more with ALL of this. This has been exactly my experience. Here I am 15 months out contemplating another fill to FINALLY get some decent restriction and yet I've almost lost all my weight. I only need that real restriction for the last 8kg. People often seen to get very offended when you say this. The old "if it were that easy I wouldnt have needed a band" line. But you CAN do it, and the band does help you to do it, it just doesnt do all of the work. And exercise is probably 75% of it, I think. Honestly, if I werent regularly running I'd be gaining now, I have that little restriction. As it is I'm maintaining easily, just not losing.

Agree with you entirely Bubblebutt. That's a great way of putting it. I dont think surgery is the easy way out but I've sure found it a lot easier than trying to lose weight without a band. If somebody had lost 32kg without a band for sure I'd think they had more grit, determination and drive than I have because I was never able to do that. But that doesnt mean this has been a walk in the park.

I've just slammed down 3 huge glasses of water, got back from a very big walk. I can gulp fast, but I'm not very tight.

I can eat it but its one of the harder foods for me. We went out for lunch yesterday, Doug had bruschetta, it came on two enormous slices of french bread, I look at that and just see hard work, lol. It would take so long and be so difficult to eat its just too darn hard. I was happy with my cheese platter - only Doug at 2/3 of that too.

I've felt for a long time that my weight loss is almost entirely due to my running, and in reality, it probably is. My band just does not provide me with that great restriction and I *think* I have 3ml in a 4ml band! I'm going on the 26th. I'm really afraid of being tight, dont want to live that way but I only have about 8kg left to lose, if this fill is the one that does it, then I dont have to stay that way for very long, lol. I can always get a bit out. I needed to read this to spur me on, thanks!

Oh yes, I love a good caesar salad, yummy. But I'm quite aware I'm taking in huge fats and calories when I order one in a restaurant. Like anything else, in moderation, only once in a while it's OK but if you eat them daily thinking you're eating healthy, low fat foods, you're not going to see quite what you expect on the scales!

Oh yes, I love a good caesar salad, yummy. But I'm quite aware I'm taking in huge fats and calories when I order one in a restaurant. Like anything else, in moderation, only once in a while it's OK but if you eat them daily thinking you're eating healthy, low fat foods, you're not going to see quite what you expect on the scales!

we spell it judgement in Australia too. Actually American spelling annoys me, lol. You cant run a freaking spell check because its all wrong - color, neighbor, gray etc, not colour, neighbour, grey. We have to add so many words to the spell check dictionaries over here!

I've lost almost all my weight without setting foot in a gym. Its too time consuming for me and I cant go at the times I want to because of my kids etc etc. So I run regularly and I own a barbell and some dumbells and I can do things like pushups, tricep dips etc, but I do have a pretty good anatomical knowledge in my head, I know what I'm trying to achieve. But really, my focus has been on cardio, I run either outside or on my treadmill five or six times a week, if I'm on the treadmill I spend a few kilometres these days walking up a steep incline doing various light hand weight exercises at the same time - muscle toning AND cardio combined. That way I can do it to my own schedule, around the kids, around the weather. I'm pretty self motivated though, I dont feel I need the "discipline" of the gym. I find when its at home you cant use lack of time as an excuse as you can always get up early or do something later on.

Fifteen months post op I am happy and dont have a single regret. I run regularly, I"m of normal weight and I look and feel better than I have in years. However, I'm not quite a goal weight and I am really struggling with the last 15lb or so. I havent really lost anythign significant in four or five months. I think I need another fill since I can still eat way too much for a bandster, yet I still lost the bulk of my weight this way. I'm really reluctant this far down the track to start with the tightness and PBing and not being able to eat this or that sort of lifestyle. So I really have to evaluate whether its even worth trying to lose anymore. I think it probably is, but I was actually considering going on Lite n Easy (a home delivered diet program) and getting the calories under control rather than getting another fill - since I have not counted a single calorie, fat gram or Protein gram until now.

Same here. Can eat way too much during the day but often very tight at dinner time and I'm concerned another fill will mean I can still eat too much in the day but not eat at all at dinner time, lol. It just never seems to work as neatly as you want it to. My plan is to just try it and see, if it turns out I"m not eating dinner five nights out of seven, I'll go back and have some removed.