Jachut

I never found I had to do anything with my band when I hit goal - my weight loss just got slower and slower till eventually I realised it had stopped, and thankfully that was at 150lb for me which was slightly below my goal. Since being at goal I have had one top up fill about a year after reaching it, as I felt myself being able to eat more and being hungrier - my restriction had lessened over that time but I saw no need to fix it as I wasnt gaining. I was up to about 1800 calories a day which for me is great for maintenance. When I started going over that I had a 0.1cc fill. That was 18 months ago and I have not felt my restriction lessen at all since then. I have never let up on my exercise schedule, I still do a lot of intense exercise. Havent had any PS dont plan on it, so cant advise there. A huge congratulations to you for reaching your goal!

Probably. but its vegies and unless you add tons of fat or salt the more of them you eat the better. So I wouldnt worry about why or how you can eat a lot of that, I'd just be happy that you can. I personally cant eat fruit, I can barely choke it down and it really worries me. I eat a lot of vegies to compensate.

Uh huh! Its not that she was tall, just that a size 16 back then would be like a 10 today. Australian sizes are different, I know. We run about 2 sizes behind you guys so your 14 is our 10. But in Australian sizes, last time I was this weight I was about 14 years old. I was a size 16 and now I'm a size 12. I've had 3 babies and the hips have spread a bit so sizes have sure gotten larger! I just googled her measurements 37-23-36 - weight 115-120, height 5ft 5 and a half. That's pretty small. Definitely not today's 16.

My surgeon didnt require me to do a pre op diet as my BMI was 35. I asked him why surgeons differ so much and he said that its a good precaution and he DOES require it of most patients, but that the actual chances of having a liver too large to proceed are very minimal, it barely ever happens. of course, it does happen, but its not common.

I think in metric, but felt the same way about 100kg. Every now and then I could get below it for like 20 seconds. With the band, it was my first major goal, to get below 100kgs and I did stall at 101 for what seemed like ages. then suddenly I was 99.5, it was a joyous occasion! I felt like I held my breath for weeks, waiting for it to bounce back over but it never did. But I never felt "safe" till I saw the back end of 90kgs! Its like now, I have this psychological thing about weighing more than 70kgs. I usually bounce around the 68 to 69 level, but occasionally will see 70.2 or something. I dont need to lose weight but I really want to be on the other side of 65 (I would be REALLY skinny though) just so I have no chance of seeing a 70 pop up on my scale! Unlike you though, I dont need to ask if I'm nuts. I know I am, lol.

Not at all, I really dont keep tight restriction. I can drink fairly normally, I cant REALLY gulp but I can drink fine.

I get a stitch in my left side after a particularly big meal.

And this is the only reason why I would even insert my opinion, just to say there are successful bandsters out there that dont do shakes or even protein first. Otherwise, I have no business having ANY opinion on what someone does or doesnt eat. Its an entirely personal decision. I may not particularly believe in the protein focus but that's absolutely no indication that I'm either right or that my beliefs have any relevance to someone else.

There was a lot of talk about this on lapbandtalk too over the years. I dont like the idea of feeling like a child, eating of childrens crockery and using childrens cutlery. But I have white dinnerware that you can buy piece by piece, which we have because we chip so many bowls and mugs in this house! We've always eaten off salad plates, as I dont want to encourage my kids to see enormous huge plates of food as normal. Truth is, today's salad plate is the size of what was a normal dinner plate when I was a child. Anyway, so I've got this dinnerware and you can buy ANYthing, square plates, bowls, big plates, small plates, gravy boats, salt and pepper shakers, bug mugs, little mugs, you name it. So I have plenty of small bowls and plates and the whole family just uses them, so like I mentioned, i'm hopefully encouraging the kids not to be overeaters. Eating IS visual, I feel ridiculous with like half a cup of food on a whole huge plate and I often feel self conscious when eating out, when it seems like I've eaten NONE of my huge portion.

Where do you stay when you travel? Could you switch from hotels to serviced apartments where you could cook for yourself? I'm no fan of Protein shakes as a staple food, but maybe you could consider some sort of formula diet with shakes and bars - easy to pack and transport and then just go out for dinner every night? For the losing phase, this might work and then you would probably be able to at least maintain eating out so often if you choose right. And invest in some running shoes and run/walk daily or use a gym if its available? Where there's a will, there's a way but it would sure be hard in those circumstances.

No, never. I was well and truly strongly int he green zone once and I didnt like that either - had a slight unfill although i went back to that restriction later. It wasnt as tight the second time around, go figure. I didnt like how my diet deteriorated, I literally couldnt be bothered eating well because it was so much effort and I just started eating crap that went down easily. Lost weight, but it wasnt worth it.

I love the mystic tan! But I wouldnt want to have to do it all the time to maintain permanent colour. I dont know about tanning. Its so bad for you, we know that, but I love how people can get so moralistic about it, yet they smoke or are overweight etc. I'm going to Thailand in September and I am not taking my wintry pasty white Melbourne complexion into the tropical sun with no preparation. I agree, a couple of weeks building a base tan in a bed has got to be better for you than burning to a blistering mess on a holiday. You'd NEVER find a doctor in Australia to condone that though, we have such high rates of skin cancer here.

Yeah, that's exactly what I mean. Its like they think I'm going to steal their husbands or something. And like I said, I now find people assume I'm vain and obsessed with my looks. Anyone that knows me knows I'm not the least bit precious like that.

The theory behind drinking with meals is that it will wash food through and you'll get hungry sooner. its unlikely to actually physically harm you, just make the band less efficient. I found this to be complete bollocks for a good 2 years, then once I reached the higher levels of restriction, I could no longer do it. It is a sure fire way to make myself pb. Apart from tiny sips of wine. My surgeon had no problem with this - he said if it doesnt worry you it wont hurt you, and he believes the same about carbonation - its very uncomfortable to me so I avoid it, but he doesnt actually believe its harmful. Moral: every doctor is different and you need to figure out some of these things for yourself.

Great advice above, you just dont need that fill.

Actually, from reading on this forum for so many years, it can happen the other way too infection at the port often spreads up the tubing and leads to infection around the band site and then erosion. Infection at the port is VERY serious and must always be treated as soon as possible. From memory, other people that this has happened to have been able to be rebanded but generaly have to take the band out, wait for total healing and then have the band replaced in a second op some months later.

Gosh, Headhunter, ah, sorry, Spartan, nice comment! A few wrinkles and a dose of skin cancer is probably easier to live with than a permanent case of sh*t on the liver. If you make the grown up informed decision to tan after weighing up the pros and cons, I'd just wait till your scars are well closed and fairly healed.

I find it a negative change, I was more "accepted" as a heavier person than I am as a thin one. I get a lot of kind of pretend but not really judgement and bias now. People make snide remarks about my running for example, they indicate I'm vain and self absorbed becuase I like to stay in shape. I get eye rolls and ribbing about not stuffing myself stupid when I go out for lunch with work colleagues, I am not allowed to contribute to those general moaning about your body conversations that women have becuase its assumed I'm lording it over people because apparently I have no body issues. I was never above a BMI of 35 so I havent really experienced exclusion on the basis of being fat, in the sense that I was never a threat to anyone and just blended in - not noticeably fatter than the majority and not thin either. I do get more male attention but I dont see that as a negative - I mean lets be realistic. Thin is seen as beautiful in our society and I can be honest - I did this partly becuase I wanted to feel more attractive. I do consider that I *WAS* much less attractive at a heavier weight. I know, I know, what's on the inside counts but a bit of renovation on the exterior doesnt hurt and I dont find it offensive that people think I'm more attractive now than I was.

Long time banded here, nearly five years. I'm a size 8, 5ft 10, 150lb. I still have fat days, definitely and i'm still dissatisfied with my lower half. I have visible bones on my chest and those knobbly shoulder bones, but I cant see "skinny" on a lot of days. For me, I think a little of it is that at 5ft 10, I'm still a "big" girl, I'll never be petite. But yeah, bloated days, fat days, being afraid to get on the scale - that still happens for me.

That's great news BJean, there's a lot of happy post bandsters here. I also think its prudent to keep up with what's what in WLS. Bands probably ARENT forever, even when they work as well as mine have. It might be me seeking revision one day and there's no better way to be informed than following the long term journey of people who have experienced it.

I'm a wine drinker, never drink anything else. I dont know, I've had too many years since my childhood of knowing there are horrendous calories and sugar in coke and lemonade so I never ever ever drink soda at all, and I guess the same is true of cocktails, its just never been a habit of mine to drink anything other than wine. Makes it easy. I woudl probably enjoy other things but its probably a habit I dont need, lol.

No, Wasa asked me to come over here to help get the exercise forum started. I like to drop in every now and again and see how people are doing. Weight loss is weight loss is weight loss isnt it? And its very positive in here.

We have a brand called Triumph in Australia - they make great ones. I noticed at Bootcamp a few weeks ago, we moved inside becuase its freezing at night now in Melbourne and I caught my reflection in the glass - I was dismayed at the truly awful saggy shape my rather large sports bra gave me. I bought new ones and I actually found great supportive ones that are also foam lined and moulded cups for that nice rounded shape. However, i'd have to say one of my biggest NSV's is that I can now comfortably go for a run without a sports bra, just a normal every day bra. I cant believe it, big bouncing bazoongas were always a fact of life for me, I love love love my small C cup breasts. DH makes jokes about breast augmentation but I would never want my boobs any bigger.

Well, I have a can of pilchards in aspic in the pantry. I woudlnt eat it though - becuase its cat food! I might just pass on the suggestion, if its all the same to you, lol.

I am doing boxing twice a week at the moment, but I'm doing it in a group with a trainer. I dont have any gear at home apart from pads or gloves.