Jachut

I just really cant see why you'd want to. Why have a band if you're going to loosen it off for "special occasions". Personally, I love that the emphasis for Christmas and Easter and birthdays is now not on food any longer for me. It used to be a worry, I've never been one to just let go and pig out at those events, I've always been very restrained becuase I've been afraid of gaining weight. But I'd worry inordinately about them. Now I dont even give it a thought, its only food, who cares about it kind of thing. I think our society's emphasis on food as an expression of celebration is one thing but its just gone too far. People that manage their weight effectively do have and enjoy special occasions too and eat more during those times but they dont see anything as an excuse to totally let go and pig out. That's the kind of mindset you want to have. But its very easy for me to say that becuase I'm not that tight that I cant enjoy the meal for something like that.

Fantastic! Well done! I reckon those athletic NSV's are the ones that truly show you how far you've come.

Not really, but I'm lucky to live in Australia where private health insurance covers it no questions asked. But I was required to make a one off payment of $3,000 to the surgeon which was not covered by insurance or medicare, and that means that forever, all my aftercare and fills are totally free to me, the surgeon just bulk bills. $3,000 took some consideration, its not a small amount of money but definitely not life savings, we had it, it just hurt a bit to hand it over, lol.

I love my breakfast, its my favourite meal of the day. Cereal or toast usually. And some fruit.

Didnt here boyfriend Djam or whatever he was called have a lapband and had lost a heap of weight? That's where that rumour probably started. Who knows? She was never what I'd call fat but she was much plumper and she could have been a binge eater or really struggled away from the cameras to maintain the weight she was. But I'd doubt the truth of it to be honest, it's probably just more media garbage. So many untouched up photos of her and her teeny bit of saggy belly skin and poor bony body are in all the tabloids and there's certainly no scars. I think she's unwell to be honest.

Those are entirely normal thought processes. Naturally before you're banded you think of life Before Band and After Band, thinking that you'll never eat the same way again. In fact, well for me anyway, it doesnt work quite like that. The band takes care of the hunger/volume issue and to me, eating feels the same as it did before - ie. I get hungry and I eat till I"m not hungry. It just happens more quickly. Sometimes my head takes a while to catch onto the fact that my body doesnt want anymore but my body is impossible to ignore now because I know the consuquences. As to foods that you can no longer tolerate, its amazing but you just dont want them. You go off them very quickly if you know they're going to cause you pain or sickness. And the rest - all those "bad" foods, well you can eat them in moderation. I dont live by any scary diet and I've lost weight, its up to you how you want to do it but slow and steady suits me and I dont care to live an unsustainable or unpleasant lifestyle - that said, I eat healthily most of the time. But it is terrifying to think about giving up your reliance on food, your crutch, prior to surgery. But nowhere near as bad when you actually get there.

That's normal, there's so much gas inside you that its harder and where the pain is located makes it hard to take in a deep breath too. I too was told 10 deep breaths an hour (same surgeon, makes sense, lol).

Hi, I'm from Melbourne too. I was banded 9 December 2005 and I've lost 30kg - I'm less than 10kg from goal weight now. Its been slow and steady for me. I've been running regularly to shift the weight and have gotten totally addicted to it, I can run about 10kms now, which is something I never ever thought I'd be able to do. Its actually easy!! Again, I've just built up slowly and steadily. Whereabouts in Melbourne are you? There's a few of us here.

Exercise in combination with strict diet does work wonders for most people, exercise on its own, even lots and lots and lots of exercise, doesnt do much for your weight (does loads for your health and fitness though). I notice that what it does for me is that I dont gain when I go off the rails. When I am exercising regularly I can get through periods like Christmas and Easter and enjoy myself, even pig out, without gaining a gram. Its a necessary part of the equation but its only half of it unfortunately. I am now running 7 to 10km five times a week. That's a LOT of exercise. And my weight loss has completely stalled, I havent lost a gram in 6 weeks. Despite all that calorie burning I am still going to have to go and get another fill and reduce my calorie intake.

Yeah, I certainly dont drink to get drunk. Been there, done that, absolutely not interested anymore. I just like good wine!

I have a few drinks every now and then, maybe 2 or 3 glasses of wine in a session over a meal out or something like that. In moderation, like anything, its fine. For a while, I did find I got tipsy very quickly (and unexpectedly!) but my alcohol tolerance is now what it alwasy was.

I did notice increased shedding for a while and it was annoying, but then my hair is EVERYWHERE in this house anyway. No joke, empty the vacuum cannister, what's in there? Hair! Empty the Floormate reservoire (from mopping the hard floors for pete's sake) - what's in there? Hair! Brush the sofas with the fabric brush - what comes off? Hair! I shed like crazy, I dont know how I'm not bald. Perhaps its because its long that its noticeable. But I never noticed thinning or my part widening or anything. I never took anything specifically for hair. I havent lost weight fast though, I think that makes a bit of a difference. I tend to think it must be a hormonal thing, or generalised reduction in Vitamin or mineral intake, I think the Protein theory is bollocks. People lose hair on Atkins and similar diets more so than on regular ones.

I never had a serious weight problem till after my second baby was born. I was NEVER thin though, so I did suffer a fair bit of childhood stuff, teasing and never being on of the cool, pretty girls. I never got the guys or anything like that, although I met my DH at 16 and I never needed too. I would have liked to have been hit on though, lol. I was always about the size I am now, 5ft 10, 84 kg. Its only a few kgs above my ideal weight, so only just overweight. But I"m a "big girl". God I hate those words, but if you're tall, you need to be very willowy or you just look well "big". I'd love to be 5ft tall and 42kg like my SIL! But that will never happen. So I've never been totally happy in my skin. But I should have appreciated what I had because I got much fatter after I had Ewan, the change in lifestyle and being at home all the time is what got me. You dont notice it so much after your first baby because one baby is so portable - I still went to the gym etc, but with a baby and a toddler it gets much harder. And then you put on so much weight you kind of just give up, and let it get worse. You think "oh, well, I'm getting older". But I've never been morbidly obese either, however I think thats just a matter of luck. My body started to protest enough for me to listen, before I got to that point or I would have been there within 10 years, for sure.

Organic fruit and veg home delivered. Its my super expensive luxury. Supermarket crap does not come into this household, its all grown organically, it tastes wonderful and is kind to the environment too.

Missy, I've lost slowly like that and over a year it REALLY adds up. Its healthy and lasting weight loss and you dont lose your hair and your skin doesnt end up hanging off you either. Its great progress! I havent lost for about 6 weeks at all otherwise I wouldnt be phased by being in the yellow zone in the slightest. But I obviously need way less calories now than I used to to lose weight and I cant seem to keep up the discipline to actually diet, so its time for a fill I think.

I'm definitely in the yellow zone at the moment. I have 2.5 (maybe 2.7 cant remember) mls in my 4ml band.

I think I"ve been lucky. I never got fat enough to really suffer socially, and I've had my group of friends for 25 years now, I went to school with my girlfriends. I'm not the most social butterfly in the room but I'm not socially inept either, I have a newer group of friends too that I made since I had babies, and am pretty active socially. Life was good before banding and its good now. I never really held back, I've got plenty of self confidence, lol. I'm a basketball mum and a football mum and a daycare mum and I really cant go to the shops without stopping 100 times to chat to someone I know. Thank god I dont have to date though. I've never done it, I met my DH when I was 16.

I would say the same thing. Do your utmost to dig deep and find the strength to use the band as a tool - not as a hard stop. I dont really know that I'm right but I just kind of feel that consistently eating till the band tells you to STOP RIGHT NOW and having the band tight so that that point comes sooner, is going to put you at higher risk of slippage.

Hmm, I'd be more worried about a new scar than a little bump where my port is. I hate scars! Its why I'd also put up with my little teeny bit of saggy belly too rather than have a mini tummy tuck - to me the scar would be worse than the skin. I reckon if it aint broke, dont fix it. What is his reasoning?

The couch to 5K program is a good way to start. When I began back in February, cardiovascularly, I was quite fit and when I went out to begin the program, I ran 3km without stopping anyway, so I found I didnt need to do it. But it was a slow shuffle for 3km and I was shagged at the end of it, lol. But I perservered. What I've found is that it was leg strenght that I needed to build. I would get towards the end of my run and my legs would just be sooooo tired, even though I wasnt puffing and panting and about to drop from lack of oxygen. I honestly couldnt tell you any secrets, I just went out and did it four times a week. But what really helped me was having fun runs to train for. I committed to a race in the April with my sister and that kept me focussed, I completed that and I just chose my next race, a slightly longer distance. Now I'm aiming for a 10km race on December 3. I do a variety of running - I do two long slow runs a week and my pace is very slow for those, my husband who's a really fast walker walks beside me. Those I do outside and I do three other shorter runs, one or two of those with speed intervals or hill intervals, on my treadmill. I find the treadmill has over the early monts enabled me to put in the time I needed because its a soft and forgiving surface and I've managed to avoid any injury at all - which is quite a feat for a fat runner with a bad ankle, lol. I may not be that overweight anymore, but I'm still fat for a runner. If you're a thinker, someone who loves to go into your head, if you like solitary pursuits, running is a very rewarding sport, I'm so addicted to it now and I do it for many reasons more important than losing weight.

I need more than encouragement, I need a BOOT up the behind. Its very hard isnt it? I just mentioned in another thread, I honestly have not had to diet at all to lose the weight I have. The band limiting the amount I can eat has been enough, that and healthy choices most of the time. But I'm going to Weight Watchers with my mum on Thursday, its time for some added discipline!

Life eating wise is better than I thought it would be. I havent had to make really enormous changes, but I ate OK before I was banded, just too much. So I eat a totally normal diet now, just less food. However, I will say that my weight loss has stalled. I'm no longer obese and I'm only a few kilograms over the top of my healthy weight range, but I'm still 13kg from where I'd really really like to be and its staring me in the face - it is going to be necessary to DIET to get the rest of that weight off. I never thought I'd be be able to run 10kms again in my life and I know now that in another year or so I'll be doing my first half marathon, at the ripe old age of 40. Losing weight hasnt changed me life that much though, it was good before and its just as good now, but its nice not to be burdened by the worry of getting fatter and fatter with each passing year.

Glad you're OK, nasty news about being in a day or two longer. Here's hoping all complications are behind you now, and its a smooth road ahead. You probably dont want to hear that I've been lying around in the backyard in the glorious 26 degrees celcius sunshine! I hope you're enjoying it from the window, lol!

No, for me it was as easy as giving my husband the look, and even happened unexpectedly too. I'm sorry for your difficulties with it. I had no problem even the third time at 34 and a BMI of at least 35, I didnt even mean to get pregnant that time. But where there's a will there's a way. I do know somebody who fell pregnant twice, whilst on the pill and with only one functioning ovary. If it were me, I wouldnt wait. YOu dont say how old you are but you know that it may take you a while. 70lb overweight is better than 140lb overweight by a long shot, it will make your entire pregnancy much easier. The third time I fell I was 104kg, and I was really worried about my weight, particularly since I'd had pre-eclampsia (mild) twice at more normal weights. My doc said a gestating baby needs nutrients, not calories, and that as long as I ate well there was no need to eat more than 1500 calories a day at any stage of the pregnancy. So that's what I did and I did not gain appreciable weight in that pregnancy, my scales never wavered by more than a kilo or two, when I came home from the hospital holding my new daughter, I was 12kg lighter than when I'd conceived her. I had the healthiest of my 3 pregnancies due to avoiding the weight gain, although I never gained more than 12kg (a normal amount) during pregnancy. Unfortunately, when I gained MOST of my weight was after my second baby, that's an abrupt change of lifestyle, no more socialising, no more being out and about all day, no more going to the gym etc, too hard with a bub and a toddler. And breastfeeding seems to make me gain alarmingly fast and I did a lot of that - almost 7 years in total. Good luck with it all.

I ate a fair bit of it but it was the little cans of flavoured sandwich tunu - I find flaked tuna (like you buy in the bigger cans, in springwater) rather a "sticky" food. Just the texture of it, I dont know, so I ate the little cans - they were niced mixed with chick peas and chopped tomato and cucumber (skinned at that stage) and the flavour/oil from the tuna made a dressing. I did fine on that during mushies, easy to eat, nutritious. For me, my doc said mushies didnt actually have to be mushed as long as they were soft foods, like I could eat well steamed vegetables for instance.