Fanny Adams

Sorry to drag up an old thread but I found this whole thing amusing. I'm Australian but I spend a lot of time communicating online with friends from the US and I take great delight in sprinkling my conversation with the most outlandish Ockerisms I can think of! It makes my day when I come out with something they can't puzzle out - and often that happens when I least expect it! My parents are English, so I also get to draw on a lot of the Cockney rhyming slang, of which my father is a master. So... g'day mates! Owzit goin? Jeez, I've been flat out like a lizard drinking, I give you the egg flip! No worries if ya can't understand me, she'll be apples in the end!

I think any doctor will tell you to give up smoking if at all possible and many these days won't do elective surgery if you smoke. I didn't think I could cope with giving up food and cigarettes at the same time, and my doctor allowed me the choice albeit with strong recommendations to give up. He did say that it really makes a difference to how you react to the surgery and to your recovery rates. I ended up doing the nicotine Patches for the 2 weeks of my pre-op diet and for about 2 weeks afterwards. One totally unexpected bonus of that was that the nicotine patches really helped to curb my hunger in the pre-op diet (worked better than any appetite suppressant I've ever tried, and I've tried a few!!) I have gone back to smoking after the initial couple of weeks of post-op healing but have discovered that my smoking has virtually halved, without any conscious effort. I had always had trouble distinguishing between true hunger and hanging out for a cigarette in the past, so that whenever I tried to give up, I would compensate by eating more and whenever I tried to diet, I would smoke more. It seems like now, because I don't feel hungry all the time, I don't have the urge to light up as often either. Who woulda thunk it? I'm still smoking about 8 cigs a day, compared to a previous average of 15, but I think that this will gradually decrease to the point that I can give them away altogether, when my headspace gets right for that.

I think the most common quick loss pre-op diet is the Opti-fast way. For me, that consisted of 3 Optifast shakes @ 150 cal each and 2 cups of non-starchy vegetables (fresh or steamed only) @ 25-50 cal per cup, for a total of around 500-550 cal a day. It was harsh but well worth it, as I dropped 10lb in 10 days. Good veges for this stage are: leafy Boston, romaine and other lettuces; arugula, endive, escarole, parsley, spinach and watercress; and bean sprouts, celery, cucumbers, mushrooms, peppers and radishes asparagus, bamboo shoots, broccoli, broccoli rabe, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, eggplant, jicama, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, mustard greens, okra, onions, pumpkin, scallions, shallots, snow-pea pods, spaghetti squash, string or wax Beans, Swiss chard, tomatoes, turnips, Water chestnuts and zucchini Veges to avoid are: potatoes, sweet potato/yam, carrots, corn, peas Most of us struggled with hunger on this diet and there's no way I personally could maintain it for very long, but when you are on a countdown towards the big prize, it can be done for a few weeks, especially with the support available on this site.

Hi Rochgirl and welcome!! How has your journey been so far?

I thought I'd open this up to a wider audience but don't want to redo the poll as it would lose the existing votes. Click the link and record your vote! Poll: Does your doctor recommend an Atkins-like high protein/low carb diet? I have noticed that this seems to be a uniquely US phenomena, and one that is not recommended by any Australian doctors (as far as I know at this stage).

I had the band BECAUSE I was overwhelmed by the idea of having to diet my way down 140lb. I honestly knew I couldn't stick to that for the length of time needed, without help. Now that I have the band and I am not fighting all day every day, I feel much more confident that I can go the distance and get to goal.

I surely hope you can because I had 140lb to lose when I started, and I plan to lose it all! I'm figuring on about 18mths to get to goal.

I'm going to ask my doctor this question on my next visit, but some of you may have already asked yours or may have an opinion, so I'm interested in the responses: When you get stuck, do you think it is better to suffer the pain until it goes through or to PB it up to get unstuck quickly? I rarely get stuck and each time it has happened, I know it has been my own fault for not not paying attention and failing to chew enough. On the rare occasions when it does happen, it HURTS and I have to admit that I have gone straight to the loo and put 2 fingers down my throat to force a little retch to bring it up again. For me, it only takes a quick heave, which feels almost like a really strong belch and is nothing like really vomiting, then the pain is gone and I feel fine again. I have heard of other people getting stuck and enduring that pain for hours on end, waiting for the food to go through, and it seems to me that letting the food remain stuck for so long with all that pain would cause far greater swelling and irritation to your stomach and the band, than a quick little "erk" moment. I would feel different about it if I was vomiting and retching multiple times, I'm sure, but it's not like that. I know that my doc is dead set against extended vomiting and has given me nausea tablets to take if I ever get that way, but I'm not sure how he feels about this - I will ask him. Your thoughts? PS: Also, please note that I DIDN'T do this in the healing period after the operation. This is something that has only happened a couple of times since my last fill.

It looks like you're almost there, Christy. You've just missed the < character at the beginning of the code (easy to miss when selecting for cut and paste). Go back to your profile and Edit Signature, and type the < at the very beginning, in front of the ref= bit. Don't forget to save the change.

The band does work better for people with portion control problems rather than a sweet tooth, but it can help the sweet eaters too. I'm hoping that now that you have your fill right (ie not too tight) you will be able to eat enough solid food to satisfy your hunger. I have found that when I'm not "using up" all of my willpower simply fighting the hunger pangs, I have enough "left over" to put towards making good choices. It's when I get really hungry that I lose all self-control. Before you write yourself off as failing or give up on the band as being not right for you, try to work with it now that it is operating as intended. You know now that wasn't happening for you before, so that's not your fault or your failure, just unfortunate. It's now Water under the bridge and you have an opportunity to start afresh. My advice (for what it's worth, and it IS only an opinion) would be for you to keep your restriction level light, make sure you fill up on plenty of fresh healthy foods and plan to include sweet stuff in your daily allowance, either with sugarfree sweets or low fat/sugar free Desserts or both. Plan to have "good" treats, so you can look forward to eating them guilt-free and plan not to have "bad" treats easily available to you. I don't know for sure if this approach would work, but I think it is worth a reasonable try. Good luck!

I said, "Do you speak-a my language?" He just smiled and gave me a vegemite sandwich :thumbup: Fosters is a brand of Australian beer, but it is mostly made for the export market these days. It would be hard to find an Aussie that will admit to drinking it. If you want to taste a beer that is popular within Aus, look for Victorian Bitter, Carlton Draught or Emu Export.

You know that doesn't mean you can have hotdogs, don't you? LOL!! Glad to hear you're feeling chipper, mate :thumbup:

Heheh - think you have to be weaned on Vegemite to get the taste for it. I've known a few converts but they are very rare. BTW, when I say weaned, I really mean it. My daughter was breastfed and the very first thing she ever had that didn't come out of my body was boiled water with a half teaspoon of vegemite (it was summer and she needed extra fluids, but not extra milk). She was around 5-6 months at the time. Also, toast with vegemite cut into fingers is an absolute staple in any Aussie toddler's diet.

Heheh - yeah, I know, that's one of the reasons I made this post. The other is that the protein fixation is really starting to bug me :thumbup:. I've been doing a fair bit of research about this on the net and one thing that has really struck me has been that the people who recommend the HP/LC diets are all people who have a vested interest in that diet, e.g. selling Protein shakes, or selling a new diet plan or book, whereas recommendations for a balanced diet from all food groups come from neutral sources such as universities, nutritionists and medical groups. I think that's significant in itself.

Hmm... I never had Up and Go or Sustagen or any particularly milky drinks when I was on full liquids. I went through the entire Campbells and Heinz low fat soup ranges, blending anything that was chunky, until I was allowed mushies. There are so many varieties out there, that I was rarely bored, although you do have to watch the sodium levels as many of them are pretty salty. Breakfast was often a low fat yogurt and sugar free jelly, but as often as not I'd have soup for breakfast too.

I have a theory that all of the emphasis on the Atkins-like high protein/low carb eating patterns in this forum is because the US doctors are much more familiar with the bypass operation and they don't distinguish it from lapbanders. I want to see whether or not Australians are getting the same recommendations to eat high protein, drink protein supplements, etc. I know my doctor has not advised me to do this in any way and recommends a balanced diet of all the food groups, with smaller portions and low fat/low calorie intake. I feel this is a MUCH healthier approach, as there are distinct dangers in going the Atkins route (kidney stones, high cholesterol, etc). So what's your experience?

BrandyII, I have to agree with everything Jachut has said and I really hope this is the answer for you. Now that you've had a little unfill, and are able to eat more normally, maybe this will be the turning point for you. I'd also like to add some suggestions of my own, and a couple from my doctor: From my doctor: * If you aren't hungry in the mornings, don't eat! Don't try sticking to the "must eat breakfast" thing - save those calories for when you are hungry in the afternoons or evenings. * Use a child sized plate to measure your portions. Don't pile anything up, but if it fits on the plate without piling up, you can eat it guilt free. * Eat only until you are not hungry any more. Stop after each bite and assess - when you stop feeling hungry, not when you think you are full, stop eating and take the plate away. You can always go back and have the other half of your child sized plate later when you feel hungry again. From me: * If you have a sweet tooth, plan for it. Buy bags of those sugarfree sweets or mints; you can snack on those all day without taking in calories. * Plan to have a dessert or sweet treat every night, but make it a sugar free and/or low fat one. My favourites are the fat free chocolate drinks like Chocolatte from Jarrah (60 cal, 1.5g fat) and the Diet Creme Caramel from Nestles. When you know you can look forward to a sweet treat all day, it is not as hard to forego the unplanned ones. * Don't buy icecream or Cookies in large quantities. Those are way too easy to overindulge in when they're in the house. Look for low fat options in single serves and factor the calories/fat into your allowance for the day. Above all, include fibrous foods into each meal, such as fresh salads, vegetables and whole grains. Good luck with everything and I hope that you will soon feel you are back on track and will see the results on the scale.

I agree with you about only picking one raid per week and having that not conflict with family events. I also agree that the game can become utterly time consuming and lead people into neglecting other facets of their life - that's one of the main reasons I have stopped playing. However, my point was more about the timing of asking them to stop. Picking the middle of the major guild raid of the week as the time to demand that your significant other just turns off the computer and walks away IS akin to asking a football player to just walk off the field in the middle of the game. It lets everyone else on the team down and will lead to HUGE resentment and very likely some volatile fights. A much better way to manage that would be for them to plan for the raid time and some practice time (not every night!) and to plan for family time too. When you are trying to break someone of the gaming habit, you need to pick your times for "battle" and right in the middle of a raid is the worst possible time.

What about us fat blondes? :thumbup:

I'm speaking as a former gamer and one who understands the lure of the gaming addiction. I know that you have said several times that you don't want to tell him not to play or make his decisions for him, but I think you are missing the signals he is sending to say that he wants YOUR HELP in stopping. Think of it in terms of a food addiction. Do you remember the last time you broke your diet pre-banding days? Imagine that you had promised yourself and everyone that you would lose the weight, but there you were again, on the couch with a bag of Cookies. You look up at your husband and ask him "Should I have one more?" He doesn't want to tell you what to do, wants to let you make your own decisions and take responsibility for your own actions, so he says "Sure hon, if you want to." You eat the cookie... you feel guilty... you reach for the next one and look up at him and ask, "Should I have one more?" Once again that sad disappointed look comes over his face but he still answers "Sure hon, if you want to." How supportive in your dieting efforts would you think he was being, if he did this? As many times as you have said that you don't want to make his choices for him, you have said that he has ASKED you, "Should I stop now?" You have reported here that every time you have replied "No, it's fine." I understand that you want him to take this responsibility but gaming addiction IS an addiction and it is incredibly hard to resist. I got myself to the point that I was barely speaking to family, would get completely antsy if I left the house for any length of time and would bail out on any social events after an hour or two because I just HAD to rush back and get back on the game. He is reaching out to you and trying to do the right thing by asking you. By telling him that it's ok, he doesn't have to stop, you are not just enabling him, you are lying to him about your true feelings. It's not ok for him to play all day, is it? So why are you playing mind games with him and expecting him to know that even though you say it is ok, you don't really mean it. All that leads to is resentment from both of you - you resent him because you think he should know better, he resents you because he knows you're lying about how you feel but he can't resist the lure without your help. Give him the help he's asking for and let him know honestly how you feel when he asks. If it is not ok, TELL him the truth. On the occasions when it IS ok, tell him that too and stop feeling resentful about it at the same time. Help him to plan fewer days, give him some incentives to get away. I know you don't want to feel that you have to "entertain him" but while you are trying to help him break the addiction, you have to help him to find something that occupies his attention in the same way. That is the lure of the game - it is something that you can become completely absorbed in and that you have complete control over. It is a total escape from reality. When you first try to break away, your mind is used to thinking rapidly with total concentration on a few simple manouveurs. That brain buzz feeling is what is addictive, and it is hard to wean yourself away from it. You need to find something else that will get his attention and will include you and your family. Do you guys play cards? Board games? Get him out the house to go on a walk with you... Last point re asking them to stop in the middle of a raid. A raid is a team effort with each participant having a carefully planned role. To just down tools and walk away in the middle of it, can mean that the entire raid, which several people have probably spent several hours planning, will fail and get everyone "killed". This is especially true if the hubby is a good key player. Imagine if he played football. Would you just ask him to walk off the field in the middle of a game? Can you imagine what that would do to the game, especially if he was the quarterback? How do you think his team mates would react if you showed up on the sidelines and demanded he drop the ball right in the middle of the winning play, and come home?

I have a blender and a cheap set of plastic measuring cups (1, 1/2, 1/3, 1/4). I don't weigh anything but I'm reasonably good at using the measuring cups - I tend to use them as ladles, so it means there's no extra fuss when serving up food. The blender doesn't get as much workout now that I am past the healing stage, but I still use it on occasions, especially on the day and day after a fill.

You found us :thumbup: Welcome Mel!

LOL - proof that I am not a weirdo!! YAY! One thing I really can't stand is when you stay in a hotel and the beds are made up so tightly. The first thing I have to do is pull out the sheets from the bottom of the bed, so I can stick my feet out at night. In cooler months, I'll allow them to be covered, as I do keep a window open at night, but even then the blankets/sheets/doona have to be LOOSE. I can't stand the feeling of any pressure on my feet and if it's hot, even just the weight of a sheet is too much.

This one's got my vote too - ouch!

Hi Kombimel, welcome to bandland :frown: There's quite a few of us Aussies floating about and if you check the main forum list, you'll find we even have our own section *feels important* heheheh