katieo

I hope this is the case for me one day!!!! I could never get my head around my hubby being able to leave half of a mcdonalds meal because he was satisfied, now I know that he is in tune with his body and as soon as he is satisfied the food doesn't taste as good so he stops. I hate wasting food especially when it's takeaway and I've paid more for someone else to prepare it. This clearly has to change!

Hi there! I'm in the UK, saving to be banded in the summer in Belgium. The telemetric band sounds very interesting, no port must = less scars! Keep us updated! x katie

Jachut I think your passion for running is fantastic! It's brilliant you've found something that you enjoy and at the same time is soooo good for you. I don't think it's obsessive for you to run 6 times a week, like I said I expect to be exercising once a day, I was actually referring to people who exercise two or three times a day and feel really bad about themselves if they don't. As it goes I do know people who don't weigh themselves at all but as I am not lucky enough to be naturally slim I will be weighing. Some of the bandsters on here are weighing 3 or 4 times a day and getting really upset when their weight fluctuates as it naturally will. Another thing that worries me is having expectations that are too high, I've read journals on here written by bandsters who are stressed because they have only lost 2lbs in a week! I've been down that road before and it sets you up for failure. kebsa You are absolutely right,we are all different and what works for one will not necessarily work for another. I can completely understand why you would need to be more self aware considering the amount of calories you are restricted to. There is a distinction between being eager to exercise and unhealthy obsession but I suppose it's a fine line. I can't wait until I am fit enough to get out and be active and I am well aware that if i don't the chances of me losing weight and keeping it off are jeopardised. I strongly agree that the band should be used as a tool that we need to work with if we want success.

I am concerned! I've come across quite a few bandsters on here who are totally obsessed with exercise, weighing themselves and counting calories! Now this is the kinda stuff eating disorders are made of and that scares the hell out of me. I have suffered from a binge eating disorder for years and feel that I'm getting better but I know that if I start obsessing again I will be right back to square one, which is why I cannot do slimmimg clubs. The idea of the band was to restrict the amount I eat but at the same time it was to help me learn to eat when i am hungry and to stop when I am not. I am not going to count calories, i don't need to, we all know when we have eaten too much or something naughty! I will only weigh myself when necessary as i refuse to judge myself by the number on the scales and I don't intend to exercise more than once a day. I just want to be normal!!!!! If you ask any naturally slim person when they last weighed themselves they will probably tell you they cannot remember, ask them how many calories they eat a day and they won't have a clue they are too busy having a life, their food and weight is simply not an issue to them, they are in tune with their bodies and feed it whatever they want when they are hungry and stop when they are satisfied. I would love to hear everyones opinions on this. x katie

I feel that lots of things have contributed to my eating problem, low self esteem, anxiety,depression etc. It all started when I was a kid. I was a fussy eater and my parents were poor so food was limited in the house, we had enough but not many treats like most of my friends houses. When i started school my weight was normal but as we were so poor I had to have free school meals and as I was sooooo fussy i very rarely liked anything on the menu so I would virtually starve all day, to come home ravenous and ram anything i could find into my mouth, which usually happened to be bread. After afew years of eating like this I began to fear hunger and would eat whenever I could regardless of wether I was hungry or not. I began to put on extra weight when i was 7 and by the time i was 8 I was chubby. We went on holiday around this time and went to see a 'friend' of my fathers in his caravan. My dads 'friend' asked to show me around his caravan/trailer and when we went into his room he attempted to do things he really should not have(sure you can guess)luckily I was a force to be reckoned with I wasn't having any of it and got out of the room pretty quickly. It's only recently that i have realised how much of an effect this had on me. It left me feeling like there was something wrong with me for someone to want to do something like that to me. I felt I couldn't talk to anyone about it so had noone to tell me any different. I was a beautiful little thing but this experience left me not wanting attention from anyone outside the home(particularily male) so perhaps I felt that my extra fat would protect me. At the same time I learnt how much of a comfort food could be and at this time in my life I desperately needed it. Over the years food became my best friend and my body the enemy and my education suffered immensely. I became very depressed and once tried to take my own life which amazingly noone ever found out about despite me necking 15 paracetomol. I suffered silently putting on a big front. By the time I reached 15 I was fed up that all of my friends had had a boyfriend or two and noone was interested in me, so I began to diet. At first with success, lost around 30lbs only to put it back on again when I lost focus. I have since been on various other diets and and my weight has yo-yo'ed, as a result I've become completely obsessed with food. Dieting has been one of the major contributors to my problem as it threw me completely out of sink with my body, made me very critical of myself and left me feeling that if I am not slim I don't deserve to be happy. After dieting for so many years I got to the point where I was putting my whole life on hold until I was slim. Even simple things like buying clothes, i didn't want to buy any until i was slim which is ridiculous! All of these ideas kept me in a binge eating rut that i am still struggling to get out of now.

I feel that lots of things have contributed to my eating problem, low self esteem, anxiety,depression etc. It all started when I was a kid. I was a fussy eater and my parents were poor so food was limited in the house, we had enough but not many treats like most of my friends houses. When i started school my weight was normal but as we were so poor I had to have free school meals and as I was sooooo fussy i very rarely liked anything on the menu so I would virtually starve all day, to come home ravenous and ram anything i could find into my mouth, which usually happened to be bread. After afew years of eating like this I began to fear hunger and would eat whenever I could regardless of wether I was hungry or not. I began to put on extra weight when i was 7 and by the time i was 8 I was chubby. We went on holiday around this time and went to see a 'friend' of my fathers in his caravan. My dads 'friend' asked to show me around his caravan/trailer and when we went into his room he attempted to do things he really should not have(sure you can guess)luckily I was a force to be reckoned with I wasn't having any of it and got out of the room pretty quickly. It's only recently that i have realised how much of an effect this had on me. It left me feeling like there was something wrong with me for someone to want to do something like that to me. I felt I couldn't talk to anyone about it so had noone to tell me any different. I was a beautiful little thing but this experience left me not wanting attention from anyone outside the home(particularily male) so perhaps I felt that my extra fat would protect me. At the same time I learnt how much of a comfort food could be and at this time in my life I desperately needed it. Over the years food became my best friend and my body the enemy and my education suffered immensely. I became very depressed and once tried to take my own life which amazingly noone ever found out about despite me necking 15 paracetomol. I suffered silently putting on a big front. By the time I reached 15 I was fed up that all of my friends had had a boyfriend or two and noone was interested in me, so I began to diet. At first with success, lost around 30lbs only to put it back on again when I lost focus. I have since been on various other diets and and my weight has yo-yo'ed, as a result I've become completely obsessed with food. Dieting has been one of the major contributors to my problem as it threw me completely out of sink with my body, made me very critical of myself and left me feeling that if I am not slim I don't deserve to be happy. After dieting for so many years I got to the point where I was putting my whole life on hold until I was slim. Even simple things like buying clothes, i didn't want to buy any until i was slim which is ridiculous! All of these ideas kept me in a binge eating rut that i am still struggling to get out of now.

I feel that lots of things have contributed to my eating problem, low self esteem, anxiety,depression etc. It all started when I was a kid. I was a fussy eater and my parents were poor so food was limited in the house, we had enough but not many treats like most of my friends houses. When i started school my weight was normal but as we were so poor I had to have free school meals and as I was sooooo fussy i very rarely liked anything on the menu so I would virtually starve all day, to come home ravenous and ram anything i could find into my mouth, which usually happened to be bread. After afew years of eating like this I began to fear hunger and would eat whenever I could regardless of wether I was hungry or not. I began to put on extra weight when i was 7 and by the time i was 8 I was chubby. We went on holiday around this time and went to see a 'friend' of my fathers in his caravan. My dads 'friend' asked to show me around his caravan/trailer and when we went into his room he attempted to do things he really should not have(sure you can guess)luckily I was a force to be reckoned with I wasn't having any of it and got out of the room pretty quickly. It's only recently that i have realised how much of an effect this had on me. It left me feeling like there was something wrong with me for someone to want to do something like that to me. I felt I couldn't talk to anyone about it so had noone to tell me any different. I was a beautiful little thing but this experience left me not wanting attention from anyone outside the home(particularily male) so perhaps I felt that my extra fat would protect me. At the same time I learnt how much of a comfort food could be and at this time in my life I desperately needed it. Over the years food became my best friend and my body the enemy and my education suffered immensely. I became very depressed and once tried to take my own life which amazingly noone ever found out about despite me necking 15 paracetomol. I suffered silently putting on a big front. By the time I reached 15 I was fed up that all of my friends had had a boyfriend or two and noone was interested in me, so I began to diet. At first with success, lost around 30lbs only to put it back on again when I lost focus. I have since been on various other diets and and my weight has yo-yo'ed, as a result I've become completely obsessed with food. Dieting has been one of the major contributors to my problem as it threw me completely out of sink with my body, made me very critical of myself and left me feeling that if I am not slim I don't deserve to be happy. After dieting for so many years I got to the point where I was putting my whole life on hold until I was slim. Even simple things like buying clothes, i didn't want to buy any until i was slim which is ridiculous! All of these ideas kept me in a binge eating rut that i am still struggling to get out of now. Sorry to have babbled on for soooo long but it was good to get all of that out. xkatie

I am officially eating healthier! I did say healthIER so I am still eating chocolate and crisps BUT my evening meals are now very nutritious. Last night for example I had a small grilled steak with a small helping of new potatoes and a large spinache, tomato and onion salad. It was the first time I had ever eaten spinache but I've gotta say the meal was delicious! WELL DONE TO ME!!!!:clap2:

I am officially eating healthier! I did say healthIER so I am still eating chocolate and crisps BUT my evening meals are now very nutritious. Last night for example I had a small grilled steak with a small helping of new potatoes and a large spinache, tomato and onion salad. It was the first time I had ever eaten spinache but I've gotta say the meal was delicious! WELL DONE TO ME!!!!:clap2:

I watched a programme on tv last night 'the truth about food' and learned some interesting stuff about particular foods. It inspired me to make more of an effort with my intake and I guess it would be a good idea to make some healthy changes before I have the band put in. I am focusing on fluid intake and eating a colourful diet which is rather different to my usual diet of bread and crisps/potato chips.

I watched a programme on tv last night 'the truth about food' and learned some interesting stuff about particular foods. It inspired me to make more of an effort with my intake and I guess it would be a good idea to make some healthy changes before I have the band put in. I am focusing on fluid intake and eating a colourful diet which is rather different to my usual diet of bread and crisps/potato chips.

Hiya everyone! I'm in the UK and saving to be banded in the summer. I will be going to Belgium for mine so it's great to hear of your experiences! x katie

Excess skin is something that has always worried me, my hanging belly and bingo wings I feel have been stretched beyond their limits, i definately think I will need a tummy tuck but I might get away with my arms. I will see how I feel about it when I reach goal and then make a decision, either way I hate the thought of cosmetic surgery but i am prepared to do what i need to do to feel happy on the inside and outside.

I know exactly what you mean. A few years ago I lost 50lbs with a slimming club and although I felt better I too could not see much difference..........until I put all of the weight back on and saw a pic of myself 50lbs lighter! What I would do to be that size again! I looked fantastic but at the time I stil felt huge and frumpy. Have you got some before and after pics you could put side by side as this should help you to compare. You are doing a fantastic job by the way! X katie

Congrats on taking you first step!!! You're right, this sight is excellent, without it, I doubt I would have been able to make the big decision. GOOD LUCK!!!! x Katie

Thats a fantastic amount! Sounds like you and the band are working well together!

I cannot believe how negative and unsupporting people can be at times, I just read a very dissapointing message on the forum and it annoyed the hell out of me! I've taken the id name out cos I don't wanna cause trouble but here is the exact quote that a future bandster wrote to a bandster. [b]*******....A year has passed and all you lost is 32 pounds? that doesn't seem like asuccess rate to me....Sounds like .5 pounds a week.[/b] How awful? Turns out this person had got dates wrong and the bandster in question had only been banded last month. I imagine how he/shewould have felt if he/she was a slow loser and had taken a year to lose 32lbs, not very encouraging is it?

I cannot believe how negative and unsupporting people can be at times, I just read a very dissapointing message on the forum and it annoyed the hell out of me! I've taken the id name out cos I don't wanna cause trouble but here is the exact quote that a future bandster wrote to a bandster. [b]*******....A year has passed and all you lost is 32 pounds? that doesn't seem like asuccess rate to me....Sounds like .5 pounds a week.[/b] How awful? Turns out this person had got dates wrong and the bandster in question had only been banded last month. I imagine how he/shewould have felt if he/she was a slow loser and had taken a year to lose 32lbs, not very encouraging is it?

Lee4love1 I wouldn't set any goals until I know how the band works with my body, we just don't know how things are gonna turn out and if we fail to lose the amount we planned then we feel like failures and are discouraged. I have been down that road sooooo many times and have had to learn the hard way, I have learnt ANY loss is a good loss. Even 0.5 a week. I found your message to bandiva extremely discouraging and was dissapointed to find a message like that on a support forum. x katie

Wow Cindi! 24 pounds in just 3 wks is amazing no matter how much you have to lose! Well done, you are well on your way to a new you! x Katie

Looks like Dr Malley has a busy day ahead of him!!! Good luck!!

You still have alot to lose, so don't worry you should be fine, I think it's a great idea that you are making changes now, it will make it easier for you when you are banded and it should prove to the docs that you are serious. I agree with you when you talk about needing something to help permanently, we are all capable of losing weight, keeping it off? well thats another story all together! WELL DONE!!!!

Well it has taken me a year to make the decision, but I have finally made my mind up! I am going for it! I know there are risks and I know it won't be easy but I believe the band will help me change, if I work with it. My hubby and I are saving hard for this as I have decided not to try the getting it done on the NHS (UK), If I go through them then I could be waiting a good couple of years for the op, call me inpatient, but I have been fighting this thing for the last 12 years of my life and I've had enough! So I've decided to get the op done in Belgium, it's half the price there and the hospital is just as good as here. I haven't been in contact with the hospital yet as I'm not financially ready but I figured that I could go for a consultation in the next couple of months or so to get the ball rolling, should have saved enough by summer, which is just around the corner!

Well it has taken me a year to make the decision, but I have finally made my mind up! I am going for it! I know there are risks and I know it won't be easy but I believe the band will help me change, if I work with it. My hubby and I are saving hard for this as I have decided not to try the getting it done on the NHS (UK), If I go through them then I could be waiting a good couple of years for the op, call me inpatient, but I have been fighting this thing for the last 12 years of my life and I've had enough! So I've decided to get the op done in Belgium, it's half the price there and the hospital is just as good as here. I haven't been in contact with the hospital yet as I'm not financially ready but I figured that I could go for a consultation in the next couple of months or so to get the ball rolling, should have saved enough by summer, which is just around the corner!

You are absolutely stunning!!! CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR SUCCESS!!!!