Jachut

Well, I guess it depends on your perspective and idea of food priorities when banded. If you're always trying to eat Protein and fill up on that, then you'd find it quite difficult to consume much fruit. Its very filling and I find it quite hard to eat, its one food that causes me quite a deal of discomfort, although I can get it down. Sometimes I have a glass of juice. But whole fruit is better. I personally try to get at least one piece of fruit in per day - usually I'll slice up a banana to have on Cereal for Breakfast or I'll have a fruit smoothie, or I find I can get it down with yogurt too. I focus more heavily on vegies as I find it much easier to eat a wider variety and greater quantity - and I figure fruit and vegetables as one food group, so I dont worry if I havent had "fruit" as long as a large portion of my daily intake is fresh produce. But I dont focus on protein or do protein first so its a lot easier. I dont tend to eat fruit as a snack. I dont find a piece of fruit that appetising and never have. I like the look of a healthy, full fruit bowl on my kitchen bench and I'm very prone to buying fruit and not eating it, its something about the texture/crispness/coldness that I dont enjoy and never have.

I didnt. I was scheduled to see my surgeon at 6 weeks, which I did but I was losing fast and easily then so we both decided not to fill at that point. He told me to come in either in 4 weeks for a second check up and we would review then or to ring as soon as I felt I needed that fill. After that, swelling etc subsided extremely quickly and within a week I was starting to be pretty hungry, although I still lost. From memory we brought the 10 week check up forward a week and I had a fill at almost 9 weeks. For a while after that I saw him at six weekly intervals and had a fill each time, although only small - like 0.2 ml and it gradually stretched out to much longer time frames.

I agree. If someone doesnt get it, then nothing you say is going to make a difference. My line is "I'd rather the inconveniences of banded life 1000 times over than to live how I was". Because you dont choose to have WLS until you have really made the fundamental decision to take whatever comes with it, that whatever that is, its better than remaining obese. If people havent reached that stage (and many never do) then they are simply not going to understand. I had a similar thing with a friend the other night when we went out. I paid $25 for a plate of scallops in a Thai restaurant (and man were they good...... rolled in curry powder, crispy batter, lime juice, snow peas mmmmmmmm). I only ate 5 of them. She said "I just dont get how that doesnt really annoy you". Because of course she still has that I paid for it, so I must eat it ALL, or its food, its there so I must eat it ALL mentality. At the moment, she doesnt want to lose weight more than she wants the instant gratification of eating a lot of very delicious food. If she did, she would "get it".

I think things like tai chi are fantastic things to incorporate into any fitness program for the sort of mental release, flexibility and strength they give you. But to really lose weight and tone up serious jiggles, you need to focus more heavily on cardio cardio cardio and some type of strength program that includes either weights such as machines or free weights or your body weight (pushups, dips, squats, lunges etc). Tai chi is more the sort of thing you do for healthy relaxation and enjoyment on your day off from the hard core stuff.

Hmmm, I lost 120% of my excess. By eating SOME lettuce and SOME Protein. Oh, and the odd tim tam now and again. Which are a carb and sugar orgy. My doc completely supports my view that this is a lifestyle not a diet. And the founder of HIS practice has a book too - The Lapband Solution by Prof. Paul O'Brien. Wow, whodathunk it? More than one way to skin a cat? I just object to THOU SHALT... tone of these little Dr Vuong snippets. There's no "thou shalt" about it, its all about balance, lifestyle and the long term, not some diet full of rigid rules. What if you WANT to eat the lettuce one time instead of all your protein? Is it going to kill you?

Maybe that's why the sunroof was open?

Me too. I defintely, absolutely do better if I include a good Protein source at each meal - particularly Breakfast. But I need my carbs too. An egg on toast for example will stay with me ALL morning and noticeably reduces the mid afternoon munchies. Two eggs however, without the volume of the bread to fill out the meal and I'm picking within an hour. All carb meals do make me more likely to snack, however that doesnt equate to meaning carbs make you hungry - I'm talking wholegrain of course. Just that lowering the overall glycaemic index of a meal by avoiding high GI carbs and including protein gives you a slower burning, steadier energy that equates to less cravings and hunger. But I still dont see anything magic about eating the protein off your plate first. What I see happening then is that you finish your chicken breast and you are stuffed. Which ISNT a balanced meal. I'd rather eat a bite of everything on my plate to get the balance.

But..... did he get to finish?

You know, this only lasts a day or two for me every month. I just go with it. I eat what I'm craving. I can guarantee 2 days per month will consist mostly of chocolate and scotch finger biscuits, drip fed at hourly intervals with no real Breakfast or lunch, lol. It doesnt appear to have ANY impact on my weight. Women's metabolisms are much heightened just prior to menstruating and I also notice I can run REALLY fast and hard during the week before too. So I just eat what I want and then get back to normal when the cravings disappear.

Dont get me wrong, I'm all *FOR* PS! I dont think everyone that chooses it has issues, not by a long shot. Its just that eventually, you have to come to a place where you are "good enough" and accept yourself for what you are. And realise that NOBODY but you sees those small imperfections. I look at myself and see droppy boobs, saggy stomach, dimply backside, fluffy thighs, grey hairs, dark undereye circles, freckly caucasion skin, ragged cuticles, growing off toenail polish....... the list goes on. DH looks at me and sees HOT! Its a great skill to be able to step back and really see yourself the way others do, not many people can do it.

I agree - same with pregnancy, i dont think its specific to any surgery, more the effects of very low calories and fast weight loss. Weight loss can, as many of us can attest, cause quite significant hormonal disturbances. Toddlers do weird things like wean themselves suddenly when you're pregnant because your milk suddenly tastes different. My oldest said yuck at 15 months and that was it. This *could* occur with weight loss too. So how does that make you feel? 19 months is a superb effort and the chances are, your milk supply is very well established, your routines in place and your body very adept at lactation. So in all likelihood, other than having to express and discard your milk for a day or two whilst the anaesthetic is in your system, you will have no disruption to your supply as long as you are able to keep your fluids up. You tend to be a drinking machine during lactation. It must be a dilemma, on the one hand, breastfeeding is such a good thing that only you can do for your children, on the other, sooner or later YOUR health and happiness need to come first again. Its not a guarantee anyone can give you but the odds are it'll all work fine. There's certainly people on this board who have done it.

Oh boy. I'd agree entirely Beth.

Like Jack, I like coffee to taste like coffee. You cant even buy coffee creamer here at all. What's wrong with a dash of cold milk?

I wouldnt fill just now either.

Oh my goodness, yes, more fill for you! Lol. But at this stage dont fret, it IS normal to be able to eat that much. It takes good fills for good restriction. My guess is that you have virtually no restriction yet. Stick with it, it can take time. I would consider my band loosish as I can eat a sandwich on thin bread, but quarterpounders and such, way too "dense" to eat comfortably, I'd probably feel very full after a few bites. I can *just* handle a cheeseburger (and I suspect like all things our cheeseburgers in Australia are smaller than yours, as all our fries sizes are), if I'm really forced to as I was on a long drive recently (kids, bah, do they ever want to eat anything else?). But boy, I was full. No possibly hope of fries or a drink on top of that. I woudlnt even feel remotely tempted nowadays. You will get there!

Wow, just happened upon this one after hitting New Posts and saw your name at the end of it Leatha_g. Wanted to see how you were doing. What a fantastic post that was. So balanced and sensible. We're hearing so much band bashing and sleeve promotion lately (not without good reason either) but it gets up my nose at times. You are just so right. Nothing is perfect, and the band is a very time consuming tool to maintain - especially with the health system you guys have over there. But things like lactose intolerance are not to be sneezed at either, they can provide just as much of a halt to your lifestyle as having to worry about barfing up the mouthful of salad you managed to get down. You've given some really great advice, and I'm glad your'e doing well these days.

Well, I have what I'd consider "a little". I consider myself extremely lucky! I dont "need" surgery. But that tiny avatar pic doesnt tell the truth entirely, your best bet for looking awesome in a bikini is tiny photos. Now, i dont want to compare myself to hollywood royalty, but these pics of Julia Roberts that are all over the place recently really cheered me up Julia Roberts: Real Beach Babe! (Wizbang Pop!) that is EXACTLY what my stomach looks like. Its a bit fluffier above the navel, but I have that wrinkly thing going on. I have a little more cushioning on the rear end than Julia too but overall, a very similar body type (same height too) and I ended up looking quite similar to that. I'd guess I'm probably 15 lb heavier though, all Hollwood stars are pretty darn thin. Nice, normal, being 41 and having 3 kids I feel GREAT about it, but perfect, non marked and youthful? Nah. That would take surgery. I look great dressed most of the time and for anythng slinky which shows those lumps and bums, yep, spanx. You're so young, you really have a chance at pulling up even better, but its totally genetic, there's really not a lot you can do to influence it, but even if you have a little excess skin, your skin wont have lost elasticity like mine has at 41, so it will no doubt still look lusher and plumper.

I agree Heartfire. Why does everyone think Protein is the answer to everything? Hairloss for example, is more likely to result from general malnutrition than protein deficiency. Hardly anyone is the Western world, banded or not, will become protein deficient. As far as I know, my body did not suddenly stop needing Vitamins and fibre and change to ony needing protein when I got banded. This protein obsession just baffles me. It might work for weight loss (well, yeah, cutting out entire food groups does that) but what about health in general? Not that I'm advocating filling up on white bread either of course. But I lost 120% of my excess weight without ever doing protein first, and I've maintained it for nearly 2 years now. A band that only allows 1/2 cup protein and cant handle salads is TOO TIGHT!!!!

Well, I've now had the same sort of weight loss results that many of them have on biggest loser. I certainly do the same sorts of workouts, but not for seven hours a day! the thing is, it took me TWO YEARS to lose that much weight. That's what happens in the real world. And it will for you too, only when you lose it like that, you have much more chance of keeping it off!

I want to mail order some, no stores here in Australia. I've spent my fair share on lingerie too over the past year or so. But what I also love is being able to go into places like Target and buy cute everyday stuff. I always used to ahve to buy bras that were a feat of modern engineering, but now I can chuck on any little thing, shoestring straps and all, so I can have nice things that dont cost a fortune.

Truly, I know we all weigh ourselves daily or weekly, but its more often than we should. If your weight at the end of a month is less than at the start then you're doing great. Weight loss occurs over time, day to day we fluctuate and 2lb is just plain insignificant. Our fluctuations are simply Water weight, our fat stores dont change readily. Nonetheless I get pissed too when i see small gains. But truly, its nothing to worry about.

I can only speak from my own experience with losing weight and my own feelings about PS for MYSELF. I'm not pushing any of my issues onto anyone or saying they apply to anyone else. But yes, I had lapband surgery mainly for cosmetic reasons, so I am a perfectionist and I am hard on myself. When I got to goal, I floundered a bit. I didnt really call it goal because I didnt want to finish. I've been trying to improve and change my body since I was 12 years old, how do I now face "this is it". This is the body I have, I really MUST look at it now, accept it, live in it. At first I was desperate for all the PS I *needed* but couldnt afford to have. I definitely need some breast work, definitely and DH supports me in that. However, I simply agonised over it thinking but my stomach, my love handles, my thighs, my backside...... I need that belt lipectomy operation AND boobs and how much will that all cost and and and .... I saw several surgeons, all of whom were more than happy to take my money. But thankfully, I didnt have it, so I've had to work through it and I realise that I just simply didnt want to finish the journey. PS would prolong it, schedule out six or seven procedures, yes, we've got years more of angst, body obsession, that goal of PERFECTION is still there, still possible, just after this is done, or that is nipped and tucked. I can see now I would never have gotten there, I would have moved onto my face etc. Its taken almost 2 years at goal, but I'm quite happy and comfortable with ME now. PS is on the cards when I can afford it, I will get my boobs fixed. But that's it. The slightly loose tummy, the cellulite I still have, that's just me. I'm a normal, healthy 41 year old woman who's had 3 babies, is very athletic and fitter than most women half her age, who has great shoulders but a fat bum. I'd rather spend my money on other things. Just me. Not meant to imply others have these same issues or anything, just that my thought processes and my journey through this might provide one perspective of it. Its really hard to call "good enough" and find something else to aim for.

Its a long process. I have never "hated" myself even though objectively I could see I was not particularly attractive at a high weight, I was able to also appreciate I wasnt the grossest thing that ever walked the planet either. Everyone has some things about them that are beautiful, and as Iv'e lost I've been able to identify those. I'm welll proportioned, long and lean and I have really nice shoulders, arms, neck, my upper body is very nicely shaped. OK, so my backside needs help. I went through a long long stage of focussing on the remaining imperfections - had I had any money, I think I would have spent a hundred thousand on plastic surgery. I want my boobs done, they've suffered. But I was thinking, well, what's the point if I dont also do x, y and z. I was definitely looking at PS as a way of keeping the Quest going now I am no longer overweight. Its really hard to know what to replace years of obsessive and desperate dieting with! And much as I am supportive of PS, there are definitely people who are doing just that - giving themselves a focus with a never ending quest for perfection. Thankfully I dont have the money for that kind of PS so I've had to work through it and I've come out the other side. It was really compounded yesterday, in a tabloid mag here I saw Julia Roberts on the Beach. REAL WOMAN screamed the headlines. And you know, she was. She's had no PS, her tummy looked like she has had a couple of babies, a bit of loose skin, she's defintely 40ish. And she looked absolutely beautiful. Just like a normal woman, and I thought, wow, that's me. I have the basic outline, just the edges are blurred a little, lol. I'm really OK with that. I can dress up and look great now, so I dont outshine every woman on the beach in a bikini - why do I need to? But its taken me 18 months at goal to come to this level of comfort with myself. And I've narrowed it down to 2 things that I'd fix with PS - boobs (coz why NOT have a nice pair?) and just a touch of lipo to the saddlebags - I have definite obvious pockets of fat on the outer thighs. That's a lot healthier and more realistic than what I was thinking 18 months ago. But its still hard to come to terms with the fact that I'm not going to see ever lowering numbers on that scale anymore. It makes me feel a bit panicky, like I have no control if I dont keep "dieting". I have to remind myself that healthy eating and exercise are a goal for maintenance too.

I dont specifically count protein Elizabeth, nor do protein first. But naturally, with all the people on here who do, I get curious. So every now and again I will roughly tote it up in my head. I have always been over 50 grams, more usually about 60. It seems plenty for me - I've lost weight, I have muscle, I dont have any trouble with hunger, etc and my hair, nails, skin and general health are all good. I can get that just by eating normally. I think you've just got to see what works with your body, as 60 grams a day isnt high by standards here. But however unfashionable it is, my body likes a carb based diet and lots of cardio, it's what makes me look and feel best, more so than lots of protein and strength training. And i have plenty of muscle and not too much fat, so I guess I'll keep doing it that way. However, by WLS standards - I'm a big eater. I never dropped below 1500 cal/cup sized servings and I eat about the same now to maintain, so its not hard to eat all my protein. Much harder when you're eating half that, definitely requires more focus.

Oooh, how exciting. Best of luck. I wasnt banded when pregnant, it was through sheer bloody minded determination that I managed to gain no weight during that pregnancy so after my baby was born, i was a good 30lb lighter! I can tell you, having a new baby and also feeling quite slinky (lol) is WONDERFUL. All that new mother glowiness without the fat wobbly bits. Drippy milky boobs is bad enough, you dont want belly rolls and flubber that wasnt there before. Feeling so good about yourself just enhances the whole experience, and gets you through the early days. And zipping up your pre preg. jeans to leave the hospital is pretty darn good!