anniedub

Remember, muscle doesn't weigh more than fat. A pound of muscle and a pound of fat still both weigh a pound :thumbup: But a pound of muscle is much smaller and firmer than a pound of fat. As to how do you judge success -- judge it by the little things that make you smile, that you couldn't have achieved without the band -- eg that amazing exercise you detailed, your clothes looking fabulous, and being a fitter and healthier person!

IMHO, 23 is not too young. I had my surgery just after my 22nd birthday. Think of it like this - why waste your 20s being fat, when you could be fantastic? :thumbup: Plus, having surgery at a younger age presents fewer risks as your body is (generally) healthier and more resilient. Losing a large amount of weight at a younger age is (generally) easier as your metabolism has not started to slow down due to age, and your skin is more elastic and more likely to "snap back" into shape, which means less risk of plastic surgery to remove loose skin after weight loss. Good luck with your decision! PM me if you like. Annie.

Hi Aivey, I have severe PCOS (my gyno described it as "the worst I've seen in 25 years of practice"). I was also worried that I wouldn't lose weight with the band. Since I was diagnosed at 15, my weight has steadily climbed from 62kg (135lbs) to a top of 100kg (220lbs), when I went in for surgery. My gyno was fully in support of the surgery and told me that any weight loss was a major win for further controlling my symptoms. As you can see from my ticker, I'm 3.5 months out from surgery and have lost 18kg (40lbs). I never thought I could lose weight like this. The band has been my saviour, and while it hasn't been a smooth and easy ride, it is easily the best decision I have ever made for myself. I would unashamedly recommend it, for ALMOST everyone. I say almost, because you need to be committed to following the band rules or you can easily sabotage yourself and not lose weight -- for example, if you just eat "slider" foods like ice-cream and cake which just "slide" right through the band. But if you can follow the rules, then no matter how messed up your hormones are, you CAN lose weight. Good luck in your decision, it is never easy! PM me if you want to chat. Annie :thumbup:

Also, NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) are thought to erode/damage the band. This is not universally agreed on by surgeons, some think that there is no danger from NSAIDS, but I paid $7000 for this band and i'm sure as hell not taking any chances! :thumbup:

Hi, I have a medic alert bracelet. It's yellow gold (to match all my other jewellery) and absolutely gorgeous. It says "stomach implant", and the details that are on the database specify that it is a lap band, and there should be no blind NG tube and no NSAIDS administered. No-one other than my parents and brother know about my band, so I didn't want "lap-band" written on the bracelet. My surgeon was perfectly happy just to put "stomach implant" on there. I think it's very important to have some sort of medic alert, because if you are in an accident and the paramedics try to force a blind NG (a tube down your throat and into your stomach which is NOT guided by a camera) it can get caught on the band, and severely damage the band or even puncture your stomach! Not cool! So it is ok to insert an NG, but they need to use a guided NG (with a camera on the end) so they can see where they're going, and they can see their way safely past the band. Hope this helps! Annie.

Sorry Shamrocks, I've mostly just been trolling the last few days. Been busy! Fenton, I finished your book, and absolutely loved it! I'm recommending it to everyone. Can't wait for the sequel! Band-wise, something is going on today. I really wanted to have some Pasta today, so I had some for lunch and PB'd it. I've managed to eat it successfully once before, so I thought I would be ok. But then I've PB'd everything else I have eaten today, so I must have swollen up after the first one. Looks like 24 hours of liquids for me! In addition to this, I've gone into a type of "bandster hell" the past two days. I'm not hungry, I feel well restricted, but my head hunger is OUT OF CONTROL. I had a pretty good handle on it up until now, but right now I just want to put anything and everything into my mouth. It's unbelieveable! It's like all my willpower has suddenly flown out of the window. Any suggestions? Help!

Ah ha ha what a small world! My ex-boyfriend is in that video. We were in town one day having lunch at the Botanical Gardens and this guy came up and explained to us that he was going to be filmed dancing, and asked if we wanted to join in. I declined, but he said yes! If you scroll through to about 1:08, you can see a guy on the right hand side with black hair, wearing a white business shirt, black tie, grey vest and pants. That's my ex! We always wondered what the point of the dancing was. Now we know!

Those got into the house all of my doing, Amanda. I must admit I dug my own grave on that one. Still, I lost 3lbs this week so I must have been doing something right! I only weigh once a week. No, we don't get anywhere near cold enough for snow here. I wish! Our temperatures in winter are around 2-3 celsius at night, then up to about 14-15 celsius during the day. Sorry, don't know how to translate into fahrenheit! Just planning on relaxing and de-stressing! Not enough cash to go anywhere!

So now that everyone's jetting off on their summer holidays in exotic locations, does this mean the shamrocks board will be a ghost town for the next few weeks? And Fenton, I think I tend to use the George W. Bush method when posting on this board. Drop in occasionally and bomb the sh*t out of it. Shock and awe, baby. Shock and awe.

Sorry Angelic, I'm in Australia so the stuff we have over here isn't the stuff you have over there.....

Just keep your eyes on the prize. Remember that every little piece of salt water taffy or cake is making goal that little bit harder -- and think of all the time, money and energy you have spent on this lap band. We all slip occasionally (this from the person who ate one and a half Kit-kats last night) but you need to just get back on the horse and move forward. Sorry this is probably coming a few days too late! You're now probably back in the game and thinking "bitch, please. I know this". :rolleyes2:

Ah, jello shots. Those were the days. :rolleyes2:

Hmm... maybe not garrulous.... maybe just obnoxious and shitstirring. Comes with being 22. And I plan to milk it for all it's worth! :rolleyes2:

And you got a Wii, very exciting! One great thing to do in Wii is boxing on WiiSports -- I find, if i go really hard in the boxing and go for 6 or 7 bouts in a row, I tend to work up a sweat. Hey, can't hurt!

I can't work out whether that's a compliment or an insult! I've had papers to write for my postgrad. They all went in yesterday (woohoo!) so i'm officially on university holidays for the next four weeks! Not on holidays from work, unfortunately, but such is life. I've also been busy reading your book - you should be pleased! And actually I don't drink alcohol at all! I haven't had a drink for 2 years now. Believe it or not! :rolleyes2:

Don't worry Fenton, you know that the Shrinking Shamrock Cheer Squad will still be here, complete with flips, handstands and pompoms, cheering you on every step of the way!

Hey Fenton, I'm halfway through Precious Blood -- and as predicted, not wanting to put it down! Jenner's just met with Father Sheehan (sp?) about the coptic script. In other news, hope you all have BRILLIANT holidays! Sounds like there are some great plans going on!

Sounds fantastic! Snowboarding is definitely one of those things I've always wanted to do. So far, my severe lack of coordination combined with a distinct absence of snow in Australia have prevented it.... BUT you never know what will happen down the track! Fenton you'll definitely be in twonderland by next feb! Keep your eyes on the prize! :sad:

Yeehah Kerri! Looking good! :sad:

True true. I don't think I will ever have a six pack of abs (they're harder for women than for men as we tend to naturally carry more abdomen fat in order to maintain a regular "cycle") but it's nice to dream. She spanks naughty men for a living. For reals?? :biggrin:

Maybe I'm just a freak, but I used to get my armpits waxed all the time (no longer unfortunately, due to a delicate financial situation) and it never hurt very much. I used to get regular brazilians too, same story. The thing that DOES hurt me is my eyebrows. Yeouch! PREPARE FOR A POSSIBLE TMI. Brazilian-wise -- At the moment, it's a jungle down there. I'm very poor right now (paying off a certain surgery) plus i'm single, so there's no-one to get annoyed. It certainly annoys me, so I keep it trimmed, but otherwise "au naturel". Whatever. Not sure why i'm sharing this with you all. Ah well :biggrin:

Ok, good to hear you're committed. I'm probably just a bit jaded, there have been a lot of people on these boards lately who just have no idea that they're actually going to have to change their lives if they want results Generally, a period of "shakes only" is the most successful way to shrink your liver, which drastically reduces the risk of the surgery. You need to be completely off carbs, as the liver "clings" to them and stays inflated. So just make sure that whatever type of shake you choose, it has as few carbs as possible. Good luck! You can do this - you're on your way to a healthier life!

My experience is similar to HarleyNana. I can't eat much at all in the morning - pretty much on liquids (Protein shake etc) until noon. In the afternoons and evenings, sometimes I am at correct restriction, sometimes I could eat a horse. In terms of actual foods? I can't eat bread, although I can eat rice and al dente Pasta. I can't eat donuts or pastries or anything else like that which is soft and doughy. I can't eat noodles (like those very wet 2 minute noodles). I CAN eat apples (which a lot of people can't), and I have no problems with the skin of vegetables, generally. Of course, if I am stupid and ignore band rules (eg eat really fast, don't chew properly or take huge bites) then almost anything can cause a pb. I am generally VERY careful with the way I eat, and I always know within 2 minutes if I've eaten too fast or not chewed properly -- "Oh dear, it's coming back up!". I think I'm probably as close as i'm going to get to my sweet spot, but I'm going back to the doc in the morning to discuss about the huge variation in satiety. Hope this helps!

Hi TexGal, I'm sorry if this sounds a bit harsh, but you need to harden up. There are a lot of changes you will need to make, both before and after surgery, in order to ensure that it works for you. The first change is the liquid diet. The point of the liquid diet is, indeed, to shrink your liver. Having any surgery in the abdominal region can be very dangerous if you have a severely fatty liver, and the point of the liquid diet is to purge your liver's fats in as fast a time as possible. I know that the drinks they give you (Medifast/Optifast) taste bad. But these drinks are recommended for a reason - they are the only supplements clinically proven to shrink your liver (when used properly). If the doctor wanted you on slim-fast and a meal, he would have said so. Once again, I'm sorry if this sounds harsh and preachy. However, you need to think very seriously about this. If you can't handle a 2-week liquid pre-op diet (the express purpose of which is to make this surgery less risky for you), then how will you handle the 2 weeks post-op of liquids, then 2 weeks of mushies? Basically, if you can't change your habits BEFORE the surgery, what makes you think you will be able to change them AFTERWARDS? We've all done it, and you can do it too. Just remember that you're doing this for your own good - to get healthy.

Sounds great! I'd do it! Especially if they promise 6-pack abs and ripped shoulders close to the Wii.... does it come with a hot personal trainer or something?