Jachut

Ditch the idiot nutritionist for starters! That is such irresponsible advice. One thing any bandster knows is that once you have good restriction you do not mess around with it. It is so easy to lose that perfect place and unfilling your band is one very common way for that to happen. It can also cause slight shifting as has happened to me (mine was unfilled for a major surgery), and whilst that's not a problem, I've never gotten the same sort of restriction back, even when my band has been FULL. Luckily I've changed my lifestyle, kept my weight off for so long my body is now used to it and having less restriction really hasnt been a huge problem. And the second thing is, if you've really changed the mindset and lifestyle of a fat person, then holidays arent all about scoffing food anyway. You dont need an empty band to taste new things, enjoy small portions of them, etc. But certainly, if you're wide open with an as yet filled band, starving hungry and are prepared to wear the consequences of eating more, then you can safely do so. But it might be an idea to eat things that will fill you without too many calories - a wholegrain sandwich full of salad vergies and Protein is very filling but also very healthy, and less likely to cause weight gain than stodgy, heavy bistro food for example. That's what I did when I had to be unfilled and the only weight I ever gained was weight I'd lost due to being sick and just took me back to a BMI of 21.

I've recently had the same diagnosis - slight - and I stress slight - pouch dilation and my doctor's plan is to do precisely nothing at this point in time, unless it gets worse. I got the strong impression for him that at 7 years out, its what you'd expect to see. When you have a stomach the size of an egg, you ARE going to overeat for it at times, no matter how good you are. Its impossible not to and the thing is with a band, over time, those small discomforts of eating which signal that you're satisfied become so normal to you that its very easy to no longer notice them and you keep eating what's on your plate - small as that serve may be. My doctor feels that one contribution to my situation was unfilling my band totally for a surgery - I did that on the advice of my colorectal surgeon and my lapband surgeon says I shoudlnt have done so, that there's no need unless you know you're going to react badly to an anaesthetic. I'm on the fence, personally, hitting a BMI of 18 at one point during my illness I think I"m glad my band was unfilled enough for me to regain some weight! But it's shifted my band a little and caused this situation to occur. Moral of the story - dont frig around with your band people. Dont have massive fills that then need to be taken out because you're vomiting and have reflux, dont unfill for a holiday so you can stuff your face thinking you'll just go tight when you get home and lose the weight, dont vomit, dont overeat. Have respect for it. That said, a slight dilation isnt really a problem. It does make being really tight even more dangerous though. For me, its a very good reminder to treat my band with respect, and to really listen to my body.

if I could, I would live on coffee, muffins and Cookies. It is pretty much all I ever really fancy eating. With some Cereal thrown in for variety. I dont like fruit at all, never have and like it even less now I'm banded. I like my vegies and do eat those, but I dont really like salad. Cold, crunchy things do not appeal to me at all. Nor does really salty stuff very often - things like potato chips dont really interest me. I find my days are made up of food choices that I dont really want to eat but know that I have to. I dont often eat what I really "want" to eat. I'm not fussy so much as I just like the ease, comfort and agreeable taste and texture of sweet carb foods. And they make my body feel a way that I like when I eat them - I'm definitely "addicted" in that way. But you cant live like that. I've had my problems over the last year with terribly low Iron levels and very weak bones after cancer treatment and I know that I have to eat well and get the nutrients in. So I supplement and try to make faultless food choices. Now that I'm thin - and my doctors think I'm still TOO thin, I make it a rule that I can eat those carb foods that I like but not in the way that I naturally gravitate to - instead of meals - but in addition to them. This keeps them in good proportion, I can afford the treat but I"m not replacing nutrition with empty calories. So yes, I do make good food choices and I exercise diligently. Getting life threateningly sick with a disease that is influenced strongly by diet and exercise tends to make that a fairly easy choice to make.

Depends what you want to achieve. Plenty of people think that anything other than pure muscle building super heavy is a waste of time. If that's you, pPick ones that focus on the major muscle groups. At a bare minimum, you need quadriceps (front of thighs), hamstrings and buttocks (some sort of weighted squat or leg press), chest (chest press), back (some sort of rowing) and shoulders (anything pushing upward). Pick a really heavy weight so you can only do 10 or 12 of them, do a couple of sets. But know that you'd be better off with free weights for a variety of reasons. If you're more of a circuit type person (and I know I enjoy that more) then pick a gym with a circuit set up where you can go fast and light and high rep and get a more constant heart rate going. Both have advantages and disadvantages. Myself, I know several women that are really into weights and I just plain dont envy or admire their bodies. I like my own better and that comes from lots of running and spinning and a few push ups to balance up the upper body. So its up to you, what your body type is and what you enjoy.

Something slidey for me too - I'm maintaining now and have for years and to be honest, eating Pasta or rice doesnt scare me. I sometimes eat steak, I occasionally instinctively know I really need some red meat and even pub cooked steak is less tough than Jachut cooked steak, lol. I pretty much eat what I feel like, only eat a little and enjoy a glass of wine. it is NOT worth overdoing it, so I dont. Eating out is not even a weekly event for me anyhow, I'm at that stage of life where I have three kids and work full time and such and am well into the cooking and family life sort of lifestyle, so it really doesnt matter what I order the once or twice a month when I go out. I have a huge fancy for pancakes at the moment though - we might go out for Breakfast tomorrow, just DH and I. I just order what I want and eat a little bit. And dont eat again then till I"m hungry, which might not be till 4 in the afternoon.

Best of luck for tomorrow Lellow

Its great stuff but it wasnt prescribed specifically for libido issues, although that was a factor. I had a very fast, very brutal menopause at 43 due to having pelvic radiation, and id become depressed, incredible irritible, foggy in th brain (i was barely functional), fatigued, demotivated and was noticeably losing strength and endurance by the week. Three weeks into taking it and i feel completely rejuvenated!

I get irritated by any show featuring obese people trying to lose weight. Seriously, i dont know if its a chicken or egg thing, but theres a definite personality type amongst peopke with weight problems and its ll about excuses, blame and victim mentality. The fact that so many of us here have lost weight successfully shows that it is possible for the penny to drop and weight loss then happens but so many people, even on this forum are just not taking responsibility for the journey. They may, in time, but upyou cant call people on it or they tend to get nasty. A lot of people also seem to waste inordinate amounts of time hating what they see as skinny bndsters who didnt " deserve" surgery, criticising how sickly normal weight peopke look and assuming they had/ have it way easier, and this attitude comes out on tv too. I dont watch any of those shows, particularly biggest loser. I cant stand them sooking over a slow climb on th elliptical when i know that despite what i went through to keep running right through cancer treatment, they ould think they have it harder. Makes me want to yell "grow some balls fatso". Bah, humbug, lol

Ive never had a high sex drive, i do it plenty and enjoy it but its definitely not like in the movies and climaxing is hard work, i often forego it because it turns the whole thing into a chore and ruins the actual intimacy. It certainly didnt improve due to weight loss. Over the past eighteen months during cancer treatment my desire for sex had gone completely and when i do it anyway it no longer feels pleasurably. Ive had a very sudden menopause. What has helped me reignite that part of my life is testosterone. Its still not like the movies but its good again and i dont have to make myself do it. My levels were SO low my doc says ive probbly been deficient all my life. I feel motivated, happier and way less muddleheaded too,

How much have you lost? Coz my hormones went whacko for a while.

Oh, I could list at on of healthy Snacks. But the thruth is if I snack, I snack on crap like Cookies, and I overdo it, I find it very hard to stop until I've eaten a "meal". So I dont. in the process of NOT snacking, I might have a few nuts, a small piece of cheese etc. But I dont plan snacks.

Its hard. I have lost the weight and kept it off for almost five years and for the past ix months ive been pushing down more food than my band really allows for, i just stopped listening to my body. Id had a complete unfill for nine months whilst i underwent cancer treatment. Now i have developed a pouch dilation, so minor my surgeon doesnt even want to fo anything about it but it scared me! I started listening again anf have effortlessly halved my intake. The hard part is cutting out the bikkies and nuts between meals, big coffees etc. I have gained but got so thin during treatment that its. Good thing Healthwise - my bmi is still only 21 but i know the gain has been due to overeating. Its just something you have to remain aware of, the health og your band depends on it. You need to listen hard to your body and stop before youre really full.

I wasnt required yo do it but thought i ould anyway. It was SO hard and by day three i kept fainting. My doc told me to stop, i didnt have an enlarged liver ( had had a liver ultrasound). Truth is, its NOT good for you, it is done to prevent worse problems such as not beibg able to have the surgery or something going wrong because your liver is in the way. Its tough but you gotta do what ou have to. liquids after surgery was easy peasy, i got full very quickly and had no appetite anyway. It was just getting hard by the end of three weeks which made mushies seem o good!

I paid $3000 just prior to my op as an out of pocket expense with no medicare rebate or private health rebate. Every single visit and fill ive had since has been bulk billed (meaning medicare is billed direct and only the scheduled fee) so ive never paid a cent more for aftercare. Any revision surgery i should ever need will also incur no cost to me at all. Elcee by all means blame the weather. I had fish and chips and n ice cream down at Dromana today. But Iv pretty much done liquids for ten days. And i just had a potato cake and about five chips!

No longer just pencilled in, for 27 March! I cant believe I'm doing this. I have never been overly enthusiastic about cosmetic surgery, and I never thought I'd have the money to do it either. I had to go and see my lapband surgeon to enquire about whether he was happy for the PS to move and/or change the port. He didnt mind that, but he was less than enthusiastic about me having a tummy tuck at all, which was odd as generally he's a lovely guy. He thinks I have nothing to tuck - I didnt bother pointing out that he's only ever really looked at my tummy with me lying flat on my back. I think he thinks I'm being swindled - because I have bilateral inguinal hernias and he's a hernia surgeon, he felt compelled to point out that you dont need a full abdominoplasty to fix those, that its an overnight stay and laparascopic fix - but I've got a horrible twisted scar where my flat caesar scar once was, I look like I have testicles and I dont even have any foliage to hide it all as all my pubes fell out when I had radiation and never grew back properly! So that was a downer but I'm just focussing on the fact that I'm getting a super duper cheap tummy tuck as most of it is reconstructive - the PS has done me a huge favour as he said after the cancer and all the horrible recovery, the assault to my self image from having a poo bag on my stomach for a year and all of it, he thinks I deserve it! So do I! So, its now been locked in and is happening in four short weeks. And THIS time, I promise to actually take it easy - I have hernias because I didnt take it easy after my caesar eight years ago (when they first developed) and then I really didnt take it easy after the bowel resection 15 months ago - I went for a run after ten days - and that is when they grew to the size of a fairly respectable pair of testicles, lol. I've trawled the interent but unfortunately I cant find a stomach that looks quite like mine, they're all quite a bit worse, so I feel very lucky to have this done!

Hang in there mate, its only a matter of days now.

That's really true. Being fairly fine boned at 5ft 10 - so tall and willowy - and lightly muscled, I always thought I'd sit right at the bottom of the healthy weight range. But in truth, my problem bits - thighs and hips - remain problem bits, just a bit smaller, whilst I get skeletal in the chest, shoulders and face. You cant change your basic body type and there is a weight which is best for you. Sometimes we have to go past it to realise that, but its also a shame when people think they cant do it and settle for a higher weight which their doctor has told them is "realistic".

Youre not alone! Im realsing that despite not being bulimic, anorexic and just n overeater rather than a binger, my attitude towards weight and my body is far from healthy. I got really skinny while i had cancer and i loved it. Everyone around, my doctors included, were freaking out, and i definitely used it as a form of manipulation, at the same time i was terrified that i would be made to eat. My oncologist put me on Ensure, which i lied about drinking. I wanted to keep the control and the feeling that low weight gave me. I'd gotten to 145 under my own steam, which is a BMI of 21 for me and held it for years, but that was never good enough. As i got better and treatment finished, my BMI returned to around 21, i look much better, but i think Im huge, i feel disgusted with allowing myself to gain, feel totally out of control and swing from starving to overeating (as much as you can with a band). I'm always planning to lose weight i don't need to lose and worrying about not being able to hold onto the weight that I am (although I've done it for almost five years now). Ive also done my share of excessive exercise, including running in th heat ten days after a huge bowel resection with a new ileostomy and then wondered why im back in hospital being treated for dehydration. I refused to eat the low residue diet I was told to eat because it was all white carbs then ended up getting bowel obstructions that I had to be hospitalized for as a result. I almost enjoyed that because it meant four or five days of bowel rest - which meant nil by mouth for two whole days and a few days of liquids. Great - weight loss. People see me as driven and dedicated but its more than that. Back late last year, I was getting extremely depressed and feeling away out of control, realizing that I was ruining my enjoyment of life by being so focussed on a weight problem I don't even have. I was also completely hormonal (had had a very brutal radiation induced menopause) and although I'd resisted strongly earlier in the year I allowed my colorectal surgeon to refer me to I a Psychologist (a post cancer specialist) but im not really honest with her because in truth i fear changing and letting go of the control and in reality, my instinct that therapy is not for me was correct. Im just not ino the corny stuff shes suggesting - yoga and affirmations and relaxation cds, I find it stereoptyical bullsh*t to be honest. But I know that I do need to address this and relax a little and just enjoy life again, but I won't get anything out of therapy if I don't a) respect and value what it an achieve and be honest and make an effort to change.

Oh and Im a one goal kinda gal, no mini goals for me. I like to set my eye on the big prize.

At Five feet ten i set my goal right in the middle of the normal range at 154. I got to about 130 whilst i was sick, for about six months - it really was a bit too thin, what happens is your problem areas remain poblem areas but the rest of you gets skeletal, now Im sitting at 145 or so which is pretty good for me.

Or better yet, use real oatmeal. Just buy the rolled oats, measure out, pour on milk and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, just microwave for a minute thirty, two minutes depending on your microwave, and then add your flavorings - I like it with just brown sugar and a bit of extra milk or peanut butter and maple syrup.

Im not able to get quite so much exercise now that I'm working again, but still four to five days a week. However, I've been working on getting my hormones right in the last six months - a radiation induced instant menopause at 42 year old is pretty brutal and I was in pretty bad shape mentally and emotionally NOT to mention most of my weight regain has gone where I never carried weight before - my belly. Running and spinning has been tough the last six months, most of my runs have felt like I"m literally running through water or on soft sand and I've complained to my hubby that I felt like my fitness was literally slipping away despite my hard work. Well, starting HRT made me feel better emotionally but I was still shaped like an old lady and still feeling really weak muscle wise (cardiovascular fitness never slid). That's until I started testosterone! Wowsers that stuff is like the fountain of youth. My muscles have come back and my hard belly has returned (it's gonna be GREAT without the layer of extra skin in a month or so). Not to mention I *think* I may have felt horny the other day for the first time in about 18 months!

Its an absolute godsend being back at full time work after all the time off - being a teacher, I can easily be too busy all day to eat. There's no drifting to the staff room for coffee and a biscuit at odd times and anyone that knows anything about the Australian public education system would realize that biscuits in the staff room would be the stuff of dreams! Australian schools don't have vending machines, or big canteens - our school has no canteen at all. Students don't do a lunch program, its bring your own or nothing and like all teachers, lunchtime, recess time and the hour or so after 3.30 are spent running around planning, photocopying and preparing. I walk in the door at home right at the right time to start cooking dinner, so holding off from snacking is quite doable. Nothing like being at home picking, nibbling and grazing all day, breaking the routine by heading down the shops for coffee and a muffin! I'm sure I'll lose a kilo or two over the coming months.

hmmm possible leak, possible dilated pouch (I've had the same issue for over 9 months after I unfilled my band totally for another surgery, when I refilled I just never got the restriction I expected, until a mega fill at the end that has taken my band to almost full). I had a barium swallow and have a slightly dilated pouch - but the doc doesn't believe its serious. In fact he said its to be expected after almost seven years banded and that we can shrink it down some by being careful. But lest you panic, I'd also say that adjustment to the band this quite normal, it just happens and it may very much be that you're just not "listening" anymore. I really have been surprised that now that I've really started to pay attention again, I am indeed just ignoring signals and eating past satisfied, eating when I'm not hungry and don't really have an appetite, etc.

Ive just discovered my pouch is a bit dilated - onky mildly. Its been symptomless for me but i have been able to overeat. However if i doa "real" dinner like i do when we entertain a Very small main meal, a glass of wine a taste of dessert, coffee and maybe one chocolate, i ave to sleep sitting up. A liquidy meal like that gives me night reflux. On the other hand a solid sans wine meal at 6 .30 or so never gives me issues. I do get multiple small discomforts and burning sensations from time to time, usually only momentary. My doc is happy to leave things s they are nd for it to remind me to treat my and with respect.