susannah

Hey Mickey, I have never been to Queensland, but apparently they are having a banding conference there next year, so maybe I will go. Don't know though because some bandsters you meet are fantastic, and some are the meanest, nastiest jerks, who have had a personality bypass. Sorry but I have to be honest here. Seventeen kilos in just over two months! Good on ya. You are powering away.:clap2: Susannah

Hey Chickie, When I called you hardcore I was saying it in a good way. You have had incredible results and that is to be admired. I physically can't do as much as you can because I have a medical condition that has weakened my body over time, but I reckon I am giving the exercise a red hot go to the best of my ability. I would have to agree with the whole obsession over protein. Protein schmotein! Not big on shakes either, but hey, to each their own. Babygrl you are tearing it up!:clap2: Good on ya. Susannah

Hi, I have being losing so much hair daily! It has been coming out in clumps. I generally have very thick hair and I have already lost so much. When will it stop? Susannah

Hi Crystal, I know it is such a battle we fight with weight. There are surgeons out there that will help you if you are upfront with them. I think that they realize that diets don't work statistically in the long run. Just be honest and let your surgeon know that you are really struggling with losing weight and that you need the surgery to keep your weight down for the rest of your life. I wish you lots of luck with it. Susannah

Hey Fort Bend, I think you are definately on to something there. Exercising definately speeds the weight loss along, and helps to keep your weight down. Like Meredith said also, you can have treats along the way as the exercise takes care of burning up the kilojoules. So I see that according to the poll 50% of people are exercising 5+ times per week. Wow! Well done. Well done to those that are doing 2-4 times too. That is ace. Meredith, I have experienced first hand how cold Canberra can be at this time of year and it ain't pretty.:biggrin1: Susannah

Hey, Thanks for the tips guys. I love the Boston accent. Thinking I would like to do the whole Memphis Elvis caper and tour the south. I also love Patsy Cline, so a visit to her hometown to pay hommage is a must. Susannah

Hi Tara, Unfortunately I won't be able to come to this weekend's meetup as I am going away to see my sister and nephews for the weekend. It's a pity because I would have loved to catch up with you and compare notes on all things banding. Oh well, I am sure there will be another time. Hi Mickey, How are things going up in Queensland? I am sure it must be a bit warmer up there than in melbourne right now. Ses, So you had to wait 4 years for your op? Susannah

Hi, Has anybody found that they read less since using the internet? I find that work,housework,exercise,visiting friends and the internet has really put my reading time on the back burner. When do you get the time? Susannah

Hi Crystal, I can understand that you are frustrated with your current weight, but I don't think it is ethically correct to lie to your surgeon. If you are wanting to lose weight why are you planning to put it on over December? Just to qualify? It is best to be honest at all times in your dealings with your surgeon and other health professionals. Susannah

Hi All, Just wondering where is the best city/town in America and why?I am planning on crashing your shores next year to cast my peepers on my new neice or nephew in New York. I would like to visit a few quirky type places too. I have been to America before and loved Seattle and San Francisco. I think that I will be mostly travelling on the East Coast this time. Would love to see New Orleans, Memphis etc etc. Sell your city/town to me. Susannah

Hey Girls, Chickie you are hardcore mate! But hey you have been an incredible success at losing weight, no doubt.:clap2: Meredith, You are getting married, so your life is revolving around that at the moment, and that is as it should be. When I go on my next holiday do you reckon I am going to exercise while I am away? Don't think so!. I am gonna bludge and enjoy it.:biggrin1: I am doing 4 days per week and I am getting good results with my weight loss, so if it ain't broke, don't fix it I reckon. If I stop losing weight I may need to ramp it up a bit, but it is working for me at the mo. How are you girls finding exercising outdoors in winter? It is not as delightful as summer that's for sure. Susannah

Hi All, Somebody told me that bandsters that exercise are the exception rather than the rule. I was just wondering how many times per week people exercise? Other thoughts regarding frequency for maximum results would also be good. Susannah

Hi Bubble and all, I sadly have not read a good book in quite a while. What are your favourite bookstores? I love Boarders even if they are a bit pricey. I hate that you have to spend $30 for one book. I like having a coffee in their cafe though. Susannah

Hey, My moment of shame was when I broke a chair at work.:girl_hug: I was mortified. Susannah

Hi Lauren, Isn't it summertime in America? Maybe she is out having fun.:girl_hug: It is winter here so I am hibernating. Susannah

Hi Ses, Congrats on getting a date. I think your surgeon should have told you about the pre op Optifast diet as well as put it in a letter. The pre op diet is a very important part of the entire process for those patients who are asked to go on it. It has a two fold purpose in that it helps to kick start weight loss, and it helps to shrink the liver. The surgeon has to move the liver out of the way when performing the surgery, and it helps if it has shrunk a bit and is not so fatty. You must be excited. Not long now.:clap2: Susannah

Hi Edie, It was wonderful that you can now enjoy being outside without all the side effects of being obese. We can all now sit on that love seat/rockingchair on the patio in summer without breaking it too.:biggrin1: Susannah

Hey Sam, You have me worried now. Fourty nine kilos seems a little too low. Maybe you do need an unfill, because you don't want to get sick either. Insub, You just wait until the weight starts falling off. It will be a real incentive to keep going. Bronnie, hope your well, Mickey and everybody else also.:clap2: Susannah

Gday, I was banded when I was 36. Lauren are you only 24?!!!! I thought you were much older. I don't often check people's profiles to see their age. Man I feel like an old lady now at 37. Susannah

Hi Carlene, I don't hate Paris Hilton for having the list of attributes that you mentioned. I don't hate her for any reason. I just hate the act of drink driving. Susannah

Hi All, Kylie how exciting for you to be getting banded. There are some Queensland people on this board and other boards who could give you the local spin on things. To answer your questions, I am not a drinker at all, but I have heard that wine in moderation is fine. Fizzy drinks are a no no from the time you are banded onwards. I have found that I do not miss them at all four months on. I haven't posted on this thread for a while due to feeling that it had become a real downer. Oh well, life is like that. Susannah

Hey, Well it looks like sanity has prevailed and Paris Hilton has been returned to jail. I am sorry but there is not one rule for the masses and another for the rich. She was heard to yell "Mom it's not fair" while being led from court. Well I am sorry love, but it is also not right or fair that your action of driving under the influence could have killed another person. Suck it up. Susannah

Hey, Australia too violently ripped Indigenous children away from their families to raise in "White is right" type institutions. It is a shameful and dark part of our history. Look, I am all for people who live in a country contributing and being involved,but people will do that in their own way. Immigrants do contribute just by working hard and helping the economy to flourish, and by bringing their own cultural heritage and traditions (and food:hungry::biggrin1:)for others to experience and enjoy.Immigrants will speak English when they can, and many try in ernest to. Some people just do not feel comfortable speaking English also, as others would judge the standard to which it is being spoken. Others just want to speak in their own language and that is ok too. It all adds to the rich tapestry of society. Evilah It is not an attack on you, but maybe because you are not an immigrant it is hard for you to grasp the enormity of leaving your homeland, and the struggle and challenges that you are faced with when trying to start your life again in a new country. Susannah

What chutzpah telling people who they can and can't marry. I mean really. This seems to me to be a violation of one's human rights if you ask me. Marriage is so not my thing, but I don't believe the government has the right to ban anybody from making this commitment should they so desire. Eddie, the situation is not much better in Australia. Susannah

Gday, Thanks Insub. How are you travelling with this whole banding caper? Susannah