Chickie

Awww.... Thanks Kat!

Did you see them in undies? Because even shorts hide a lot. My point. Again is, they probably DID look "toned" because they are still overweight! The skin is still being fill out by fat. Naturally you wouldn't see hanging skin on someone who has still got 50 odd pounds to lose. It's when we get close to the finish line (a healthy, normal BMI) that the loose skin begins to really show.

I think we all need to speak for ourselves. *I* don't like being insulted for being a normal healthy weight any more than I liked being insulted for being fat. And sometimes they *are* insults. Not everyone is nice.

Did you see them naked? Like 100% butt naked? Because I look like I have never been overweight, let alone super morbidly obese, till I take all my clothes off. And how many of them were at a healthy weight? As in not in the "Overweight" category? Trust me. You see big changes in the skin between "Overweight" and "Normal" I am not trying to be argumentative here, but TV (even reality TV) is not realistic in any way shape or form.

Uh. Cherry... That's not Lana... It's me. She quoted my post.

I don't like it. Being called skinny is just as bad as being called fat (to me anyway). I have had over 2 years of being called "Skinny" (I have been at goal for 18 months now) and it gets dammed old being told that you are "skin and bones!" and that you really shouldn't lose any more weight, "Are you sure you are eating enough?" and "maybe you should stop now" (that one was just last week. I haven't lost weight in 1.5 years!).

I have no idea what the people on a tv show (that I don't even watch) have done. I only know what several doctors, including no less than 3 reconstructive surgeons have told me, and personal experence have taught me.

See, my feeling on "No fruit, ever" is that it is just too weird to be lopping out a major source or Vitamins and minerals for no good reason. A good balanced diet of whole food is what a bandster should aim for. And said diet does include fruit.

A big hello from Brisbane Jenny! It might be best to contact your surgeons office with regard to when to start the puréed diet. I haven't heard of anyone having any real issues with getting used to the feeling of food in the stomach when they resume eating, most people report great delight at being able to eat solid foods again. If you do have problems, it is best to give your surgeon (or the surgeons support staff) a quick call. Congrats on the 5kg!

LMAO! Really? I must have missed that memo.

There is nothing that I am aware of in Brisbane (but that doesn't say a lot, I tend to keep to myself)

I actually look healthier than my non banded peers. I am athletic, and strong with thick hair, clear skin and bright eyes. I put that down to my vegetarian diet and exercise. I look after myself better than the majority of the population.

Hiya Cherry!

I would wait till you are at goal. But that is just my opinion. I have seen the difference 5 or 10lbs can make closer to goal, and I would be pretty pissed if I had gone to the effort of a breast reduction and ended up with saggy breasts again because I couldn't wait.

Once elasticity is lost, it is gone forever. And no amount of exercise will help with that. Exercise will build muscle, and fill out some of the sagging skin, but it will not "tone" the skin at all, because skin is not a muscle.

"They' don't actually know what causes erosion. They theory is either improper band placement, or being too tight for too long. But they are both just theories. No one really knows for sure. You could do every single thing right, have the best doctor on the planet, and still erode. I can't say that I have ever heard of this before. We have had a few members here at LBT erode, and none of them spoke of feeding tubes, and being bed ridden for up to a year post removal. It might be worth doing a search for the erosion stories here on the board. They might put your mind at ease. Best of luck to you.

Many lower BMI bandsters feel they are slower losers. It probably isn't your PCOS that is causing the slower weight loss unless you have insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes or very imbalanced hormones. And even then, with medication, proper restriction, diet and exercise we are on a level playing field with the rest of the population.

The trick (for me, anyway) was and is to eat as many whole foods as possible. Fruit, veggies Beans and so on. I focus on quality, not quantity. Starting an exercise program will help in a big way. When did you start with that?

I don't think it ever really occurred to me that I couldn't lose 100% (or more) of my excess weight. I just did it. All I did was had faith in myself , ate right, worked out, and saw my doctor on a regular basis.

I think you might have something there. Notice that the people around here who are happiest with their bodies are the people with other interests?

I like straight forward, honest, capable people around me.

I hated the gym too, that's why I started running 2 years ago. I never looked back.

When I got down to overweight/top end of a healthy BMI I looked a bit bigger that the bottom than the top (hips and thighs mostly). When I lost a little more weight, I evened out, and I look pretty proportionate now.

I love the way I look now. Younger, healthier and happier. That, to me anyway, is far more attractive than fat, unhappy and unhealthy.

I can eat anything I like at this stage (32 months post op).