Jachut

I really KNOW its necessary, but I just cant make myself get a program and stick to it. I spend all my time running.

Whether or not PBing involves stomach acid, I think the fact is that if you're PBing all the time, you're either abusing your band (overeating and eating foods that get stuck) thereby causing mechanical stress or there's something not right with your band in the first place. Although it may not have much to do with stomach acid and thereby esophagus problems, its still not good! The OP has disappeared for me, I cant read it so dont know what happened to your poor friends, but it does seem as if some people's bodies are just plain more tolerant of the band than others.

Vanity was high on my list, I had a BMI of 36 and I was just starting to experience some musculoskeletal problems not caused by my weight but exacerbated by it. I wanted very much to avoid future health problems, now almost 40, I just wasnt feeling as "good" as I did 10 years ago. Since I"ve lost the bulk of my excess weight I can now appreciate how bad and lacking in energy I really WAS feeling. But mostly, I just didnt want to become a fat frumpy middle aged woman. I've got years of life in me yet, I"m not ready for the dowdy clothes, sensible haircut and flat shoes I felt like I was heading for.

I could always cross my legs but now I can do it really elegantly at a size 14. I did have to work "harder" at a size 20 to do it but it wasnt uncomfortable.

Surely that's unfill/fill by remote that only the doctor has? Because can you imagine the consequences of people unfilling themselves to pig out, the band just wouldnt work at all for so many people if they had the option to let something out so that they could eat.

Oh gosh this must be so terribly frustrating for you. Its amazing how you think you've overcome things when the band is working. Are you getting loads of exercise? I find it very hard to gain weight (prebanding) even over Christmas or on holidays, when I'm truly getting five or six hours of hard aerobic exercise per week. It really does work for weight maintenance.

Nup, not at all. I had a good relationship with my DH and still do, its the same as always, though naturally he thinks I"m looking pretty good, lol. I've always had plenty of friends and been very social and I still do. I anticipated maybe a bit of awkwardness with my bestest buddy who is very obese, but she's been nothing but supportive. I just thought she might find it hard to watch me shrink and I think she has to a degree, but she's just been fantastic about it.

The only time I've noticed breastfeeding really drained me and I needed to eat more was after about 10 months or so, before they were really eating solid foods in large quanities but needing over a litre of milk a day. That was a hard period, I really had to eat to keep it up, and after about 12 months, once they were eating well 3 meals a day, their milk consumption dropped right down and it was easy for the 9 months or so after that that I continued with each of my 3.

I'd eat the lite!

I agree, plenty of water and foods that you can eat easily. And if you need to, I'm not generally an advocate of protein shakes but you can always add a shake or two per day to keep your calorie levels and nutrition levels adequate. And your vitamins of course, keep those up.

I've been doing the same thing a fair bit recently - but then I've not gained and even continued to lose so I cant be doing as badly as I think. Ive lost all this weight so far without dieting but I truly feel I'm in need of a "program" for this last 10kg or so. Starting out on a new "diet" will get me in the mood again I think. One thing though - exercise for me is no longer linked to what I eat so I dont only do it when I'm being "good". I've kept running regardless and I think that makes a difference.

Mine was 36/37ish but I had no trouble getting banded because I live in Australia and you dont have to "prove" anything to insurance companies over here, they just cover it regardless.

Yep, and I do.

Um, I know the Protein is pushed at you as very important in the states and that I probably annoy the heck out of everyone with my vehement disapproval of it (which is afterall just my opionion) but I cant keep my mouth shut - where on earth are your fresh fruits and vegetables? It may not be a high calorie diet but nutrient wise its really really lacking. Its all processed and packaged and not fresh and you're going to feel and look like crap after a while of eating like that - its no recipe for long term health at all. All those foods are calorie dense too, if not particularly calorie high. With no fill you may still find you need filling up and if you do it on Protein shakes or protein foods you are going to be taking in many many more calories than if you simply ate an apple (cooked and pureed if necessary at this stage). Omelettes are great but one thing I enjoyed during mushies was a salad of flavoured tuna, peeled chopped tomato and cucumber, chick peas, and avocado sort of fork mashed together. Or homemade lentil and vegetable Soup. OR steamed veges and pumpkin mashed with some gravy. Lots of colours and flavours and Vitamins and way less energy dense than a plate full of eggs on their own. I'm no advocate of highly processed carbs having a high priority in our diets but I also think the avoid fruits, vegetables and wholegrains is not necessary and actually bad for you.

Crackers like that are deadly for me. They're probably the worst food of all for me, I ALWAYS get pain if I eat them, probably because you cant help eating them fast.

Its the one thing that hasnt improved much. Not that I have a bad back but I do suffer a touch of piriformis syndrome - my sciatic nerve runs right through the piriformis muscle and if I allow my lower back and buttocks to become tight then it squeezes the nerve and I get sciatic pain. I almost never take a run without some form of sciatic aggravation which generally goes away once the endorphin rush kicks in at about 2kms in, lol. But overall that is better than it used to be, it was very easy to set off before, now not so much. Every other physical ailment i had has improved markedly. I sleep so much better, that's what amazes me. I used to get back discomfort at night and I likened it to when I was heavily pregnant, I'd lay on my side and my hips would just ache (and wake me) due to the huge weight through my pelvis. I'd started getting that through both my pelvis AND my shoulder girdle due to the weight of my boobs and my belly (which werent that huge). So I'd sleep poorly every night just due to this moderate discomfort. All that's gone. My body's biomechanics are definitely better too - posture and gait have both measurably improved (says the podiatrist) due to weight loss. And I was only a relatively modest BMI of 36 so it really does make you wonder just how hard it is on the body to support morbid obesity levels of 40 and higher. You cant fail to feel better in lots of respects from losing weight like that.

Its slow going at first but what the others have said is right, it totally depends on what proportion of your weight that 23lb was. When you have a lot to lose it doesnt make a lot of difference, when you get closer to goal it starts to get expensive because every 10lb means you've gone down a size or so. It does also depend how you carry your weight.

Halloween isnt celebrated in Australia except for a few pesky kids that come knocking on the door looking for lollies. But because it isnt celebrated, I dont have any and tell them to go away. Because I dont have them, I dont eat them, but lollies and candy are not my thing anyway.

Its most important to do what you enjoy!

One foot in front of another gets you there eventually! We all start at different points of course, and for some of us its easier than for others but what others can or do do is irrelevant. If you do what YOU can do and you work as hard as YOU can work, you will get better and better. Dont underestimate just how hard your body has to work with that extra weight either, you're doing it with at least another person on your back, and that's HARD. Just push a little more, inch by inch week after week and one day you could even be running easily.

I have a funny underwear story today, lol. Yesterday we went out for a casual lunch with SIL and BIL to let the kids all have a run on the beach. So we plonked down on the outdoor table, pulled a few together to fit us all on. Jon just dumped his sweater on the table in case it got cold. When the waitress brought out our lunch, she said "can you just move that jumper for me" so Jon picked it up and out of it fell his dirty undies from yesterday! He'd just grabbed it off the bedroom floor when he left the house. Perhaps you had to be there, but it was a very funny moment, made funnier by the fact that he was not at all embarrassed but asked the waitress if she'd like him to wipe the table for her.

Treadmill wins hands down in all sorts of studies as the machine that is consistently used the most and burns the most calories. As high tech as exercise has gotten these days, jogging is still the number one fat and calorie burner. And the calorie output on ellipticals is well known to be completely inaccurate. YOu can tell by feel anyway - there is no way you work as hard on an elliptical to burn as many calories as it says you do. Most of the airwalker things and other stuff that comes on the infomercials in the middle of the night dont do much at all.

So what? Would you wear ragged filthy underwear just because nobody was going to see it? I wouldnt, it would make me feel manky and yuck. Plus people do get a glimpse of your bra - specially the straps under tank tops and the like. I love having an all over tan too. It drives me nuts to have tan lines, so when I fake it, I do it ALL over. Makes me feel great yet nobody sees that either.

I have no advice except to say it is just so unfair how easily and well the band works for some people and not for others. I'm sorry its been so hard for you.

Nup. I dont like them and I dont find them necessary, I eat a smaller version of the healthy breakfasts I always ate - Cereal, fruit and yogurt usually. Maybe an egg on toast. Very occasionally just a piece of toast. liquid calories dont fill me up anyway. I'd be looking for something else to eat an hour or two later and I dont believe in Protein at the expense of carbs either.