lellow

Jachut, whether you know it or not, you're my inspiration, and whenever I get sore and burning and sweaty from exercise, I think of what you've achieved and I keep going. :tongue2: WTG on getting back to 70kgs matey!

I exercise at least 4 days a week (structured exercise) but since losing some weight, I've generally been more active. I don't put my baby in the pram anymore, I lug his 15kg around on a sling on my back. I walk everywhere. I play cricket with my teenaged son. I get active pretty much everyday. I think you can still lose with the band if you don't exercise. But I don't think you'll lose it fast, nor will you likely lose 100% of your excess weight. And if you're okay with that, cool. I want to lose 100% of my excess weight, so I exercised from 4 days post op. Less at first, but as I lost and got fitter, I exercised more.

Even with restriction you can eat around your band. Ice cream, cheese, chocolate and other high fat foods don't get stuck. Esp in times when you're either too tight or not eating slowly enough, and are PBing all the time, it's often easier to revert to soft, high calorie, high fat food that will slip past the band and give you that 'full' feeling you're not getting with harder Protein. So being so tight that you pb all the time can be as destructive as being not tight enough, and can cause you to gain weight instead of lose it.

I have lost 42lbs and still losing!

I think for al of us, after some time complacency starts to slip in and we tend to 'let go' of the reins a little, only to find we're slipping backwards. It's okay and completely normal, I think, as long as you recognise when you're doing it and get back on the wagon. I also think it may be a good time to think about another fill, esp if you are eating close to normal portions again. I could not eat normal portions even if I wanted to, so if you can, you need some fill, I reckon.

Pineapple juice almost always induces an instant asthma attack for me! But in a worst case scenario, it might be worth trying. Thanks for the tip, Lis123. :smile2:

I still grab clothes that are 2 sizes too big for me to try on even now when I go to the shops. I still look into the big and tall boutiques when I walk by, but forget to look in the 'regular sized' clothes shops. I think my head looks far too big for my body. I still think I looked more 'in porportion' when I was heavier, despite liking being a smaller size in general. I am surprised by my reflection in shop windows, but when I look at myself naked in the bathroom mirror, I still see fat. I still feel self-concious sometimes in a crowd. I still play the funny girl to my family, because I was always the funny, fat one, and my sister was the beautiful skinny one. I don't know how to take on any other role. I still expect not to fit into seats, and still avoid sitting in stiff plastic chairs. I don't want to give away all the clothes I can no longer wear because I still believe that one day I'll probably need them. I am now close to average-sized for an Australian woman, but still almost always feel like I'm the biggest person in the room, before my brain catches up and reminds me that I'm not. So I want to know: does that mindset change at some stage or after some time? Do you eventually stop feeling like you're overweight? Or will you always feel the awkwardness and discomfort of being 'fat', even if it's beginning to only be true in your head?

Everytime I get stuck my stoma seems to get irritated for a few days and I can't hold anything down if I try to get back on solids right after an episode. So now if I get stuck, I go back to Optifast for 2-3 meals right after, then ease my way through a mushy meal before trying solids again. It usually works well and gives any irritation time to subside. I had an episode yesterday that lasted over 4 hours (I felt wretched) so am on Optifast today. Give it a go, it may help while you're waiting to talk to someone.

Dec 1st: 79.9kgs (Yay I broke the 80kg barrier!!!). Less today but will take yesterday's weight as a progress point. Loss so far as of yesterday: 5.2lbs. Only 6.8lbs to go!

I think that if you're not exercising and eating anything you want, you're doing well to be losing instead of gaining (which is what would be happening without the band). The band is doing it's work, it's helping you lose. If you want to lose faster than that though, then you will have to exercise, and you will have to watch what you eat. If you don't want to do that, you will likely still lose, but not as quickly, is all. First thing I'd do if I were you is think about getting a fill. It will help with suppressing some of your appetite. But to properly suppress your appetite, you need the right kinds of foods and not foods that will 'slip' past your band. Secondly I would try to exercise regularly. I don't exercise every day, but I do exercise at least 3 times a week. I work fulltime, leave the house at 6.30am and don't get home until 6.30pm. I cook dinner, then spend time with my family, then at 8.30pm, I put my kids to bed and Mondays, Wedndesdays and Friday, I jump on the stattionary bike and cycle for 35kms before settling down to study (I'm studying at university part-time too). I also walk an hour both mornings on weekend. Two things I wanted to point out: not long before I was banded, I also posted about how I wouldn't have time to exercise because of my other life commitments, and Jachut replied to say that as busy as life was, this was something I had to do to to make this work for me. I've taken that to heart. It wasn't always easy to do, but now exercising is a part of my routine, just like working or studying or being with my family. The second thing: I spent the first 2 months hating every minute of the exercise I was doing. I complained to anyone who would listen how much I hated it. I hated sweating, and being so tired, and my legs burning and resented the time it took away from my 'life'. But after a while, I realised that exercising wasn't as hard anymore ( esp as I was losing weight), exercise was a great de-stresser from work, I started looking forward to my 'me' time on the bike, and I was developing huge amounts of energy. I would NEVER in my life believed I would get addicted to exercise - not me, not the person who used to break out in hives at the thought of breaking out in a sweat! Yet here I am looking forward to my bike ride tonight (what the hell happened to me? Lol) Exercise is a habit you have to develop, and like all habits, it takes doing it over and over again to learn to enjoy it. But if you persist, you eventually can learn to enjoy it. So if you start today and stick with it, in 2-3 months, you will very likely be doing it because you want to and not because you have to.

I could eat both until my 2nd fill. I had rice for my mushy stage and didn't have an issue at all. But now I can't eat rice at all (or anyting made with rice) but can still eat Pasta easily (even al dente). I'm not quite at my sweet spot yet but definitely have good restriction. I can eat bread in small amounts, pasta without problems at all, and egg noodles slip past the band easily, so I have to monitor how much I eat of it. I can't tolerate rice noodles at all.

You look amazing, liquidbluegal. Look at that tummy shrink!!

Hi folks! It's been a good week for me. The first part of the week was fab for weight loss, but now I'm sitting on 80kgs exactly, and have been for 3 days. One of my major milestones is to be under 80kgs, and I'm soooooo close but not quite there! Okay here are my stats for the week: Loss this week: 1.6kgs (3.5lbs) Exercise: 3 X 35kms on the stationary bike 1 X 28kms on the stationary bike 2 X one hour walks

Lanette, anyone can join! Welcome! I've been on a 5 day plateau since my terrific weight loss early last week, despite exercising solidly and eating very well. I need to start moving my behind even more if I want to post a loss this week! I desperately want to break through the 80kg mark, but have been sitting on 80kgs exactly for 5 days. Argh!!

I suppose the bright side of that, Jachut, is that you never really take the weight loss for granted, or stop being disciplined.

I do exactly the same thing that Jachut has suggested (maybe it's the way Australian Drs teach us to work the band?). I don't portion control. I don't count calories. I eat until I'm satisfied (which happens before 'full'. 'Full' would make me pb) and I am generally satisfied after not a lot of food. If I were consistently needing more food to feel similarly satisfied, I would see my Dr for more fill. In fact one of the 'indicators' of needing more fill, he keeps telling me, is not feeling satisfied for as long with the same amount of food.

My Dr thinks my initial goal weight of 65kgs (BMI of 24.8) was too low. He thinks for my frame, I should be aiming for a goal of 70kgs (BMI of almost 27). I have tentatively taken his advice, but I reserve the right to change my mind when I get to 70kgs if I think I would look better with a little less weight on.

I will add you both to the list, mumx5 and mumof2. gilta, I think if we'd like to come in and check in more, it would be great too! I have lost 5.5lbs since the start of the challenge, and still have just over 4 weeks to go, so my new goal is 12lbs instead of 10lbs, which means I have to get to 169lbs by 1/1/09 now! Will be changing my goal in the list too.

Damn, the last two days I've been 81.1kgs, and then this morning I was 81.6kgs (tho TOM is due soon. Sorry TMI) So I'll go with the heavier weight. Last week 82.2kgs (180.8lbs) This week 81.6kgs (179.5lbs) So loss of 1.3lbs. Exercise 2 X 1 hour walks 2 X 30kms on the stationary bike

my pleasure tutornmum! No Thanksgiving here in Australia, so no turkey temptations for me! Though loads and loads of Christmas lunches and functions starting up from the 1st Dec. But I will be good, I promise. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone over in the US!

So was wondering - when should we check in on each other? Do we want to make it that on 30th November we all weigh in and see how we're going? Maybe we can then give each other a bit of a push or some encouragement to keep up the good work! Then again on the 15th Dec and then final weigh in 31st Dec (or thereabouts)? What do you all think?

Okay so here's our list (had some time on my hands tutornmon!) Rachelle-----------Start 237--------New Year's Goal 225 Gilta---------------Start 178--------New Year's Goal 166 GaryB-------------Start 276--------New Year’s Goal 266 MistyD65----------Start 258-------New Year’s Goal 248 Krtork-------------Start 212--------New Year’s Goal 202 *wnt2lose*--------Start 189--------New Year’s Goal 180 Lellow-------------Start 181--------New Year’s Goal 169 ShamrockGirl60----Start 183--------New Year’s Goal 173 Liquidbluegal------Start 213.8------New Year’s Goal 203.8 Fleminld-----------Start 237--------New Year’s Goal 225 Kaytaree----------Start ??----------New Year’s Goal: loss of 12 lbs Kathyq------------Start 222--------New Year’s Goal 210 Irsh76-------------Start 246--------New Year’s Goal 236 Lanakila-----------Start 276--------New Year’s Goal 260 Bambam31-------Start 224---------New Year’s Goal 214 Accountess-------Start 244.5-------New Year’s Goal 234.5 USAGoosie-------Start 281----------New Year’s Goal 269 Carramia---------Start 231----------New Year’s Goal 220 Grievous Angel---Start 295----------New Year’s Goal 280 mumof2---------Start 212-----------New Year's Goal 200 mumx5----------Start 254-----------New Year's Goal 246

Because I have a wedding to go to in 6 weeks!! My brother is getting married in Singapore and I have decided to go. So while up til now, I've generally eaten whatever I like within reason, and allowed my restriction and my 3-times a week exercise routine to sort-of guide how much weight I've lost, that tactic is now not good enough! I've been averaging 3 kilos a month, but this month hasn't been as productive. I wasn't fussed at the time, but now I am going to be be super vigilant about watching what I eat and exercising regularly because I want to wear a knockout dress and completely surprise my family with how I now look! I feel shallow as all hell just writing what I just did, but at the same time I feel motivated like I've not been since my pre-op diet. The band helps me lose weight, and while I used to be happy even if I lost 2 kilos a month, now it's different! I have a deadline and a dress to buy. So it's time to get serious. This is it: I WILL lose 5kgs (11lbs) before the wedding on the 29th of December!

Lack of Iron is definitely something that can make you feel exhausted. Here in Australia, you can buy iron tablets over the counter, and can get iron in liquid form too, so don't be scared to try that - all it is is yet another supplement. I have always suffered from a low blood count, and have a low-ish BP at 100/60, and reach for the iron everytime I'm starting to feel 'washed out'. I also take b12 supps. If the iron doesn't help, and you're exercising regularly (this helps with your energy levels too) I'd go get a check up and some blood work done. You may be deficient in something. Like Shamrockgirl60 I've never had so much energy in my life as I do now.

Lol you guys are hilarious! And the best supporters a chick could ask for!! I'm on my way! Already 1.4kgs (3.1lbs) down, only 3.6kg (7.9lbs) to go!! Have said to hubby that I'm on the lookout for that knockout dress already! TVgen, I know what you mean about wanting motivation. When I don't have any, I tend to be a bit slack about eating and exercising. This has really kicked my butt into gear! But I think Lizzy's suggestion is a really good one - go buy something in one size smaller for you to wear on Christmas Day, and work towards it! You can do it, and I want to see pictures too of you looking amazing in that outfit.