Jachut

I'm glad you feel that way - I do too. I am amazed at what i have achieved. I also feel in NO way is WLS the easy way out. Its the sensible way out! It takes work and of that work I am proud but I'm also proud I finally saw the light and stopped bashing my head against a brick wall but took decisive action instead.

Being a runner and often burning that much in a session myself, I easily lost ALL my excess weight and then some on more like 1500 to 1800 calories a day.

I dont eat in the car either for that exact reason. It was bad enough the other night when the sliming continued after I left the restaurant while I was driving. Thankfully there was a coffee cup in my console from Ewan's morning milo before school.

Yes, you take them apart to wash them. That's one of the main benefits, the insert folds out and the fuzzibunz itself is only PUL and fleece so MUCH more thorough washing and very fast drying time - those microfibre inserts dry very quickly. So you can have a super thick absorbent night diaper for example, that doesnt still smell after washing or take four days to dry. As for the Bummis snaps - I always used snap diapers and covers due to the tendency of velcro to rub my chubby bubbies' fat thigh. It depends on how you use the prefold - if you're simply going to trifold it and lay it in the cover rather than fasten it onto the baby, velcro gives you way better control to keep it in place. The Bummis tabs dont rub and the velcro lasts and the other GREAT trim cover if you're going to do this is bumkins.

Laurigee, I feel exactly the same. I dont want to be really tight. I was a slow loser and due to my ability to eat, I have to call on a fair bit of willpower, but I felt exercise was important to me. I lost 120% of my excess weight in the end. There's ALL sorts of ways to work this band.

You could try some interval sessions in your walks - break into a jog for 30 second sputs. REALLY intense cardio can have some spectacular effects on fat loss. But sadly plateaus are a part of weight loss and they can be long, but you WILL get losing again.

Nope, too much protein and heavy food does it to me. Like after eating Christmas dinner. It bloats me up. Fibre doesnt do it to me. I think its an individual thing, what your system likes. And having bad and smelly gas is a well documented side effect of extreme high protein diets. As it is of eating too much fibre too.

Oooh, another one to look at. I'm a daily hair straightener myself, my hair isnt very curly but quite fluffy so it doesnt take me long. But I have fragile hair and am afraid to part with my bio ionic which has IMPROVED the condition of my hair. But its getting old now - 3 years. almost time for a new one.

I can tell you 3 years into the journey and with good restriction I could EASILY eat 4 Oreos. I could eat a whole packet with ease. Cookies are one of those foods that you may never have restriction for - they are slider foods that chew to liquid and go down easily. Crackers tend to trip me up a bit more. I am a bit of a carb addict and I quite regularly overindulge in cookes - its my worst worst habit. I've lost 120% of my excess weight and never quite beaten this vice. You dont have to be perfect. I figure other areas of my eating and exercise behaviour are very good so I dont beat myself up on this one. I try not to do it of course, but it happens, particularly pre period time, and it has not stopped me losing weight and keeping it off. to me, eating cookies has very little to do with being hungry. If I'm truly hungry generally I'll want something healthy. Cookies are more a head hunger or eating for stress relief food for me. That's something you have to work on yourself, but like i said, improvement in that area is what you need to achieve, not perfection.

a few months back, Chickie had surgery to shorten her tubing becuase it was causing similar problems. They took about a foot out of it I believe and as far as I know, that solved her problems.

PB's are not necessarily an indication that you're at a sweet spot. PB's are pretty random, it's just a matter of not chewing something quite enough or eating a bite just a tad too big or losing concentration for a moment. You can PB with a loose band and restriction changes day to day, particularly for women. I wouldnt plan on not having your fill unless you're pbing daily from now until then.

If you lost 20lb in 2 weeks you can bet your bottom dollar it was a lot of water. You simply do not lose fat that fast. So following that, your body rebalances and rehydrates itself and you appear not to lose weight. But you probably are losing fat - and that's the kind of weight loss you want.

Me too - I had a teeny top up today. I have worked hard to get off the 4lb I'd gained over the past two weeks and today I didnt want a fill on a full stomach so had a liquid breakfast. Then I had a smoothie for lunch and I blended up a very small dinner of a lamb loin chop, broccoli and sweet potato - literally half a cup. Went down fine but I"m not wanting to push it. I've been out for an hour's run and now I'm absolutely STARVING. Its nearly 9pm here I guess I'll have a coffee and go to bed.

I think that's true to a degree - I was a BMI of 36 and while I didnt lose fast (2 years to lose 100lb) I lost 120% of my excess weight. I really cant identify with the constant hunger issue that others seem to have and I was able to start runnning three months after surgery. But with all due respect, I really hate that "I'm fatter than you so I deserve surgery more" mentality. A BMI of 36 is seriously obese. It poses increased health risks. Statistically one is JUST as unlikely to be successful at losing weight and keeping it off than heavier patients. What, should we wait till we're REALLY fat to do something about it? Do we have to suffer more before we deserve the surgery? In fact, here in Australia they band from a BMI of 30 and are formulating an opinion that banding works better for the lower BMI patients - maybe since its a surgery that requires so much input and work from the patient - or maybe just because the less fat has been on your body for the less time, the easier it seems to be to get rid of it for good. I just really dont understand why you felt the need to say that?

Funny, tuna is one of those sticky foods for me, guaranteed to always may me a bit uncomfortable, even 3 years down the track. Dont worry about a lack of restriction at this stage - its entirely normal and that's what fills are for. Just try to stick within the limits to keep weight coming off and hold on for that first fill.

A protein heavy diet does that to me. Protein foods are rich and heavy and they upset my stomach. I like lots of fibrous, lighter foods like good wholegrain bread, salads and fruit. So i dont do high protein, if I do, I walk around surreptitiously farting all day and then getting out of there before someone realises that horrid stench was me!

Its a guideline, but I think 1 cup is reasonable. But its very important to learn to read your satiety signals as it depends on the food. 1 cup of a lettuce based salad crunches down to nothing, 1 cup of red meat would make you explode.

You can tell here I've lost 120% of my excess weight. And kept it off for 18 months.

Take up running! Or some other form of exercise, but I can promise running works. Be dedicated to your exercise routine, work hard and regularly. Eat well - that can vary person to person. For example, I absolutely dont believe that Protein is the be all and end all of weight loss and eat a carb based diet (wholegrains of course) like we were all taught to eat in the 80's and 90's. Others like their protein based diets and they work too. Probably because NEITHER group is downing Mcdonalds, donuts and milkshakes. Be prepared as you get towards the end for looooooong plateaus, it gets harder and harder to lose. But it can be done without ridiculous methods.

I used to see this pregnant chick running around here and it astounded me. I couldnt do much when I was pregnant, in the first three months I was soooooo exhausted and then after that any physical stuff gave me wicked braxton hicks and I'd want to go to the toilet about fifty times - to the point of squatting in people's front bushes, and my back would play up. Then in the last three months, I'd get SO dizzy, i'd get tunnel vision and the ground would tilt etc. I say dont worry about it until the baby is born. I know 8kms isnt lazy, it just astounds me how much my outlook has changed. But you know what they say about a habit taking six weeks to cement, that's complete bullshit, this has taken me three YEARS. But honestly now, I am fit enough and so used to the routine of exercise that I really do think "oh, its 35 degrees celcius today and I'm tired, I think I'll just walk the 8kms" and it really FEELS like I'm slacking, lol. It really is that hot here today too!

yes and no. I mean I made the healthy choices regarding what to eat and I make the decision to run regularly. But portion wise, I let the band do it, that's what its for. I really dont believe in counting calories. Although I've had pause to think about this recently, having had an unfill. With a band you continue to eat to satisfaction, you're not practicing deprivation. Remove that artificial barrier to eating a lot and you will simply eat more to achieve the same feeling. Even so, I dont want to live my life being obsessed with counting calories and logging food. But you have to work on your eating choices and exercise behaviour. You cant really eat whatever you want and count on portion control to keep your weight in check. You can still be really unhealthy even if you lose weight that way.

My excess skin is hideable too for the most part, there's nothing on earth will help my disgusting saggy bum, but on the front, i can wear a brief bikini and it doesnt show. My excess skin ALL appeared in the last 10kg of weight loss. You get to a certain level of skinny and it starts to show. I'd rather be thin with a bit of wrinkle than stay fatter to hide it, but its personal choice. Although I have to get my boobs done, they're awful. I'm just grateful its not visible, like batwings or a pannus and my thighs are OK. Dont waste your bio oil on it, there's nothing you can apply that will prevent it. Just being physically in the best shape you can be is the key and after that, surgery.

Unless its leftover soup, I generally dont eat leftovers for exactly that reason. DH is banded too and has had to stop taking frozen leftovers to work, he just cant get it down - so he buys a salad sandwich every day. He can eat a SANDWICH but not leftovers out of the microwave!

Aubrie, yes you can. I have a bit of a problem with lack of lubrication, so we always use something, but its not always proper lube, any old body lotion lying around will do in a pinch, lol. But it can make me break out. Also, this sounds funny, but its not a blister, like from friction? Like you're hogging all the orgasms here - the rest of us would like one too!

Long time no speak LJM! I'd consider using cardio machines alternating with weight machies circuit training and cardio with intense bursts interval training. I *try* to both. But it hurts, lol. My new form of laziness is to just go for an easy run and listen to music, lol. And a really ultra lazy day is to do an 8km walk instead of running it!