Chickie

Don't know babe. When you figure it all out, let me know. 3 years later, and I still cant win.

Oh. My. Goodness. You were "expounding on her the true meaning of Christmas" ? Why do I find it funny that you were "expounding the true meaning of Christmas" to an adult woman. Who has her on belief system? (of which you know NOTHING about? ) And it's only the truth as you see it. Other people have their own interpretation's.

Actually, I was being sarcastic I gathered from your anti-Christmas stance that you don't celebrate. But you are welcome, anyway!

Pretty much. Merry Christmas!

I very vividly remember Christmas 1985. I don't know why. I remember going out Christmas Eve with my parents to look at lights, having a big family dinner, then going to midnight mass. When we got home Santa had been. And by golly. I got those twin Cabbage patch kids I wanted so badly. Nothing else mattered but those dolls. Good times.

I lost at a good pace. It took me about 17 months to get to goal.

Today; A coffee, bowl of oats and a banana for breakfast. Mid morning snack was dried figs and goats cheese. lunch was lentil pizza. Afternoon snack was a cup of tea, a plum and a couple of milk arrowroot biscuits. dinner will be Veggie lasagne and salad.

Part of me does. But weight loss is a lot like religion and politics (in that they are a deeply personal thing), and no one like to be preached at (and that's how it always felt to me when someone would say "I lost xxlbs on this diet, you should try it). So I refrain. If people who know me from "before" want to know how I did it, I share, but otherwise, I don't say anything.

I honestly have no idea what could be going on. Best to see your GP. The last time I was exhausted like that was when I had glandular fever about 10 years ago. It was shocking (I had a new baby at the time too, so the doctors put it down to that at first) I feel your pain, have no real advice, but wanted to offer a gigantic (hug). Sam.

I was at goal for over a year before I did anything about re sizing my rings.

I don't really know. I don't time myself.

I had to accept that I was the adult in our relationship. And since I started treating her the same way I would my kid (if she says something bitchy, I give her "the talk" that I would give my son in the same situation) she has been much better. All I have to do is look at her, and she stops mid sentence. She used to buy chocolate, and crap all. the. time. She would tell me that she really couldn't see that I had lost weight (at 100lbs down!) That I had "cheated" by having a band... She wanted to see me fail. Not because she doesn't love me. But because she was desperate to hold onto the one thing that in her mind, kept her in control. Our relationship has changed. A lot. In some ways for the better, some ways for the worse. She isn't happy with the way things are now, but she knows all she has to do is cut the shit, and act like an adult, and I will treat her like one.

Mine is about an inch above my belly button, to the right. It's never been a problem.

I found that people who treated me bad before, treat me worse now. It's not about me (for once! LMAO) It's about them, and their insecurities. My mother is a super example of that. Bless her soul. She is such a jealous person, I swear green is her natural colour. She was always jealous of my family, home, car, and lifestyle. But I was fat. She was (and is) thin. So she had that so she could feel superior to me in some way. But when I lost weight I took that away from her, and now she has nothing to feel "better" than me for. So she treats me like dog shit on her shoe. Part of me wanted her to be proud of me. To praise my effort. But no. Things are much worse now than they ever were because I took her security blanket away. And I knew it was in her nature to be this way. So I am not surprised. But I am disappointed in her. But in all honesty. When I look around there are more people who are proud of me than who aren't. I am sure if you look around, it will be the same for you. ((huge hugs Brandy))

The reality for me is, I am still pretty much the same person thin, as I was fat. My outside changed, and I found a few new strengths and identified a few weaknesses, but apart from that, I am the same old Sam.

I had a lot on my stomach, and needed a tummy tuck (which I had in August 2006). But aside from that, I am just a bit flabby here and there, nothing I can't live with.

I'll just assume you are asking me! LOL. It's not hard for me to maintain with an empty band, but I am an odd duck, and my surgeon had yet to see anyone like me who needed their fill out to put the brakes on. I have been without a fill for about a year now, and have found maintaining without it pretty easy. But I am not normal (never have been, why start now, right? ) and the vast majority of people need something in their bands to maintain the weight loss.

I am sorry to hear of your husband's death. Ladies, it is a standard test, in Australia. I am not sure about the rest of the world.

Grace, with all due respect, how much could you have learned if you have used virtual starvation as a method of weight loss? My worry is the fact that from what you have said, you haven't actually eaten without throwing it back up since January. Please think about what this is doing to your health. You said yourself that you are suffering with malnutrition, and low potassium. Typically, people don't get unfills unless they are overfilled, or cannot stop losing. I believe you need an unfill. Not for the reasons you think you need one, but rather because you need to eat. You need to fuel your body in an appropriate way.

He isn't necessarily overfilled. The trick after a fill is to eat very, very slowly, and start with mushy type foods, and progress to more solid foods as days progress. If he is still having issues despite being careful with what he eats, and how careful his is when eating, I would defiantly go in for a small unfill.

Hang on. Did he administer his own fill?

Most people are on fluids for at least 24 hours after a fill to allow any swelling that the fill has caused to go down. That may be at the bottom of his sliming. Did his surgeon give him any post fill instructions?

I am not sure how to word this as to not offend. If you haven't learned to eat good, whole, healthy foods, your chance of regaining any weight you have lost is very, very high. Even without an unfill. Starvation works for a limited time, because it is not sustainable long term. I would be less concerned about losing the last bit of weight, and more concerned with getting healthy. It's nice to be thin, but thin is no prize if you are malnourished and sick.

Ok, do you mean the tubing? Because there is no "cord" in the band at all. If the tube is indeed kinked, it may mean a revision surgery. But a kinked tube will not cause sliming. An overfill, or eating too much, or eating foods that don't agree will cause that.

Hey Sheba! I am in Brisbane.