Chickie

Hi Dazy! Congrats on the band, and weight loss to date!

Any man who only see's your flaws, and not your beautiful heart, mind and soul is a looser. And he would not be worth knowing. We are so much more than what we look like. I have noticed a lot lately that some of the most beautiful women I know are the ugliest people I know. It has nothing to do with their looks (they really are *stunning* women), but everything to do with the way they act. Unless someone is beautiful on the inside, who cares what they look like externally? You don't get past the ugly human they are. Keep that in mind. You might end up with a bit of excess skin, but it will NEVER cover up what a beautiful person you are. And thank you. Tomorrow has to be better. No way in hell could it be worse! I know where you are coming from. It wasn't a huge effort to get the money together for my PS, but at the same time I thought of all the things I could have been buying or doing with it. It was tough to get over that guilt, but I did. It takes time to realise that we are as worthwhile as the next person. And ask yourself honestly. If your partner needed reconstructive surgery (we call it PS, but it really is reconstructive) would you have any issue with finding the money? Would you move heaven and earth to get it? Why would your husband not want the same for you? I am pretty sure he would. I did feel guilt over what I put my family through. 2 major surgeries in 19 months is a pretty big deal for any family. I had no idea *just* how worried my husband was about my health when I was first banded till I got to goal weight (and I confessed that I was worried that I might die on the table, and he 'fessed up that he thought the same thing), and I knew he was concerned about me having another op when I had the TT, but I had no clue that he was so worried that he might loose me. I feel far more guilt about that than what it cost financially. To my mind, yes it is worth the risk. Summer was so much more bare able without that huge pannus hanging down, rubbing, sweating, causing that nasty abrasion I always got. I can't say that the TT has done NOTHING for my self esteem. I love having a super flat stomach. But a lot of the new self esteem has come from growing up. Maturing. I was a grown woman hiding in her size 28's. I could hide from everything in my life. And if anything went wrong, I could say it was because of my weight. Take away that excuse, and I have to face myself, and I started growing up. It has been a slow process, and I find myself a little more every day. I am not repulsed by the scar. In fact I hardly think about the scar, or the surgery any more. It's only when I come to LBT that I really have to think about how I feel about the TT. I don't think about it so much, I just live. Sorry guys, I am no ray of sunshine and light tonight. Take what I am saying with a grain of salt.

It's not fair is it? Either we stay large, and face all the health and mobility issues that go along with that, or we lose the weight, and face all of the skin and body image issues that go along with *that*. It really is a no win situation. Short answer is no. No amount of plastic surgery will make you feel "perfect". The best we as human women can hope for is some sort of acceptance of our bodies. Even women who have been skinny all their lives have body issues. Is reconstructive surgery affordable? Well, what I had done was. After Medicare and private health refunds, I think I was out of pocket about $1800 for my tummy tuck. I opted not to have my breasts done, or my arms or thighs, because while they do bother me, and I could have had them covered by private health and Medicare for the same reasons as my TT, I am not about being perfect, or even almost perfect. I am human, I have flaws, as does everyone. Sorry. I am not much help am I? I have had a shit day, and am no real ray of sunshine at the moment.

Jacqui! You look beautiful! Happy 40th!

I picked the high end of a normal BMI as my first goal. When I got there, I wanted the middle of a normal BMI, and I ended up at the lower end of a healthy BMI.

I had a huge reply typed out. But what's the point? Maybe this woman thinks that by having her banded, and encouraging band induced bulimia she is doing the right thing. I don't know. But I know that looking from the outside in, I don't think this woman has done a dammed thing to help her child at all. She has just taught her to look for quick fixes. As someone who has lost a huge chunk of their maternal side to various cancers, I cannot see that cancer and obesity are in anyway the same. Sorry. And as a point of interest, they were all thin women in their early to late 30's & 40's that died. So thin people get cancer too.

I had my weight on my right leg (I had a nasty cramp in my left leg the night before, and it was still sore when I stood on it) and what you see is actually muscle and bone. I don't really have any fat across the front of my stomach at all. I have some on my hips, but if I was to get rid of that I would look like a little boy! My almost 11 year old actually has bigger hips than I do! You probably won't see the full result for a good six months. Swelling can take even longer than that to settle at times. The scar will flatten over time as well, changing the way the tummy looks. And lets not forget that there is every chance you will lose weight too. That also improves the result. Good luck!

I think you mean the VSG (vertical sleeve gastrectomy) vertical sleeve gastrectomy - Google Search

In honesty, if it is just pain when you eat *some* foods, and other foods do not cause that feeling, I would stay away from the offending dishes. You may, or may not need another fill to get to your sweet spot (for me, my sweet spot was when I ate about a half a cup, maybe more, and felt full for at least 2 hours after) My best advice is, to eliminate the offending foods, or at least reduce the amount and frequency you eat them, and pay attention to your body. If you are eating other solids, and are staying full for at least a couple of hours, all is good. But if you feel hungry very shortly following a meal (less than an hour) you might want to think about booking in for another fill.

Dave, how many cc in what size band? It is very possible that you do not have any real restriction as yet.

Hi there Meredith! CONGRATULATIONS on breaking 80kg!! Thank you. After the phone call I have been getting from strangers (half a dozen so far, and a few missed calls on my mobile from numbers I don't recognise, my name and suburb are on the article, and apparently my name is in the white pages, despite it being an unlisted number) I realise that despite the errors, people were inspired by my story. So it was worth it. Thanks Susannah. The dress is Portmans, a whopping $59.95. I LOVE it. I might have brought the skirt too :guess

Not everyone can't tolerate bread. Not everyone has trouble with corn pasta, potatoes or rice either. I know for a fact that *I* can eat all of the above without trouble, and I can eat just about anything (I just chose not to eat some things because they are poor choices) I had quite a bit to lose (I lost over 190lbs) and I never "dieted" or cut out food groups. It's not all doom and gloom.

I don't have issues with bread (very, very grainy bread only) but I *am* 30 and a bit months post op, and have practically no saline in my band. But when I had a fill, bread was something I had on very rare occasions, and when I did I had very little, and chose very grainy brown bread only. Lucky girl; the feeling you are describing sounds like being over full to me.

I don't imagine that age would be an issue. Like Jode said, goal weights of younger people tend to be lower, but apart from that, I would think that the ride would be exactly the same, no matter how old you are. Good luck!

I look forward to "seeing" you Wasa!

Hi Jode! Welcome back to LBT! I have often wondered how you are going. You asked how to get rid of the garbage without the kids suffering? Well.... My opinion on this is rarely popular, but my kid doesn't actually get cakes, chips or any lollies. We make piklets, and banana muffins for the lunch box on Sunday, but apart from that, he gets only salad or egg sandwiches, fruit, soy milk, and granola bars in his lunch box. He doesn't need the sugar and junk. He doesn't suffer at all. Well, in my opinion, anyway!

My marriage is as strong as ever. 10 years and going strong. The only real knock on effect that my weight loss has had, is he has lost weight (he eats what I eat, and we go for runs together)

Oh, and for the record, if I had NOT been able to have my TT, I would have still been happy with my body. I wasn't at all unhappy really. I was just uncomfortable. I guess the truth isn't as sensational. I think I am almost pissed off the more I think about it. I work very hard in my day to day dealings with people to correct misinformation about banding, and now, I am the FACE of some of that bullshit. Deep breath. Get over it woman. Just build a bridge. And get over it.

I totally panicked when I read the article after it came out. Half of what's in it, she dammed well made up herself! And I started running well before I hit 70kg. I actually really regret it. The funny thing is, she contacted my doctor asking to talk to me, and I was silly enough to say yes. But at least its better than another one I read a few weeks earlier, where they said they could only eat a couple of mouthfuls of food. I actually had an anxiety attack over the mistakes. I feel like I was misrepresented. Like I didn't work till I got down to 70kg. That and she mentioned lean meat. Exactly where in the vegetarian diet does meat fit in? I remember correcting that too. Ahh well. In a weeks time, everyone will have forgotten. I do have to ask, what did the doctor frown about?

Looking over the photos again, #7 is just beautiful too.

Susannah! 26, 20 & 16 are just beautiful! (they are all lovely, but they jump out at me, the lighting and poses are fantastic!) You are a very beautiful woman! The article is in this weeks Take 5. The journo got a few things wrong, even after being corrected. Like the skin removed was the size of a tea-towel, not a beach towel, a beach towel is bigger than I am. I am training for a triathlon, not a marathon, there was no dammed scrimping to get the money together, we are not rich, but we can afford the few lousy thousand that the tummy tuck cost us, I wasn't "almost 150kg", close to 145? Yeah, at my biggest, but by the time I was banded I was about 125 -130kg. DH took a month off after the TT, not the band, he was back at work the same week after the band... And just a few comments that weren't quite right. She took a lot of poetic licence. Lesson learned, don't talk to the media. I have it scanned, and up on my personal web page (don't bother buying it, lol) Optus Member Website - sndbehan

I did that for so long. I stopped it when I started getting dirty looks from the ladies who really did have to shop in the plus sizes! Even now, I take the 10, 8 and the 6 (our 6 is like a US 2 or 0, I think) in to the change room with me. And it's the 6 fits, or is too big.

It takes time to see the new you. It's only in the last couple of months that I have really started seeing me the way other people see me. It's almost like if I admitted that I was skinny, I would get fat again. It's weird. I am still getting there, but most days I have at least 1 or 2 "skinny" moments. You are not alone.

Holy shit that is a lot of ice cream. I am not surprised you are not losing weight. You should be thankful you are not gaining weight.

My 11 year old wouldn't have a clue what a proper portion size is, nor what a calorie really is, or how it breaks down in his body. It's my job as his parent to give him what he needs to fuel his body for the day. What we *have* taught him is that to grow up strong and healthy, he has to eat his veggies, Pasta and Protein (we are vegetarian) and NOT drink fizzy crap. We have taught him that he has to move his body every day (for example, walking to school, or the shop to do the shopping, or to the library rather than driving) A great way to set kids up for obesity, and eating disorders is to put too much pressure on them to be thin. And by forcing a *child* to comprehend the workings of a calorie, how to burn excess energy off, and all that sort of thing, we are setting our kids up for paranoia and failure. Children are children for a reason. At 8, 9,10, 11, or even 12 years old they are still children, and still need their parents to guide them. Children can be incredibly mature, and still be a child. Society treats children like mini adults, and it's not right. They are children. As for the school lunch thing... Well, the simple solution to school lunches is to send along a healthy lunch. Not just give the kid money and expect that they will make the healthy choice. Because children do not have the reasoning power to understand that a packet of chips, and a can of coke are a crap choice, and will leave them feeling like garbage half way through the day, but the salad sandwich and skim milk will keep them feeling fantastic, fuel their brain and help them have a better day at school. That is why the parents should ultimately responsible for what the child eats. I am not attacking, just trying to explain my point of view.