elcee

As I said I have no intention of arguing.

The choice between Realize and Lap Band is not an issue. I believe they are both really good. It's a bit like choosing between granny smith or golden delicious apples. What should be more of a concern to you is the fact that your surgeon has only done 50 bands. This is a really low number and may indicate that this surgeon is not very experienced in this area.

Whilst the sleeve is a good option I do not believe that it means you don't have to change things. It is still a restrictive only type of procedure the same as the band and success with it is dependant on making healthy food choices etc. I am not sure that drinking 1.5 litres of Water in one go is any healthier than drinking that same amount over a period of time.With a band you will probably drink a bit slower but generally it is not enough of a difference to be a problem. So long as you don't drink with or straight after food then the water will go down pretty fast. You will still be able to drink enough to be healthy and satisfied and as the others have pointed out the weight loss will make you a lot healthier. If you had to weigh up which would benefit your health more, then losing weight is of more benefit than guzzling water. Not that you really need to make that choice. What I think is that you are not yet emotionally ready to be banded and you are using this as a reason not to get the band. That is fine - no-one should get a band if they are not ready. When you are ready the water will not be an issue.

I know most people believe the claims made about cholesterol and heart disease that have been put out over the last 50 or so years. But there is a lot of evidence that shows very conflicting views. Do an internet search and some of the info is very interesting. Yes supposedly cholesterol builds up and blocks arteries - interestingly it doesn't do the same to veins! Also there is not a big difference in heart disease between those with lower cholesterol levels. Lowering it for most makes a very minimal difference.At the end of most ads for drugs such as Lipitor there is actually a disclaimer about whether or not it lowers the risk of a heart attack! I am not trying to change anyones mind or cause an argument. It might just be interesting to know that there is another point of view - a bit like global warming!

Brit by birth, South African for a long time and now living in Aus! Weet(a)bix has been a common breakfast food in all those countries.

There was a lady on TV tonight who has lost 320kg approx 700lb. Her loose skin is awful. I felt so sorry for her as she has done so well losing weight and now our health system won't do anything to help with the excess skin due to lack of funding. Seems crazy as i know people who lost far less and were able to get theirs fixed.

Interesting and it does seem to prove the calories in/out thing. What was most interesting was the bit about cholesterol. Personally I think the high cholesterol thing is a ruse by drug companies to force the majority of people to be on a drug for the rest of their lives that they can make big money out of.It is a substance that is produced naturally by your body that is important for lots of functions and the drugs to lower it can have horrible side effects. Every time I have gone on the type of diet that is supposed to help lower my cholesterol it has gone up. Obviously my body makes more to compensate. Just shows that there is still lots that we do not yet understand.

I usually have a poached egg on 1 slice of wholemeal toast - sometimes I add a slice of ham or smoked salmon. I also notice that lately this isn't keeping me full for as long as it used to so it may be time for a fill. I do do better with the egg though than if I eat oats or weetbix. My alternative breakfast is natural (untoasted) muesli with greek yogurt.

I don't really know much about MS. However I know the band is not recommended for people with auto immune disease. diseases that require steroid use etc. I was wondering if the MS could cause problems with a band. I assume you have been working with your bariatric surgeon to try and sort this out. Have you spoken to your MS specialist as well. If not it might be worth discussing it. Hope you manage to sort things out.

Isn't MS a contra-indication to being banded. Did you have the MS prior to getting your band. I would think that possibly the 2 are not a good combination and that may be why you are having problems.

i grilled my surgeon. He said no-one had ever asked him so many questions before. I can't remember everything I asked but some of the things included. How long would I be off work. How long before I could drive. What kind of band. Why he would use that kind of band. Likelihood of complications. Risk of contracting MRSA When I would get my first fill etc etc.

Imagine having to get a band or any other kind of WLS to help you lose weight. How awful. It indicates that you are a failure - not as good as other people doesn't it? You should be able to do it on your own shouldn't you? I mean its just weight - all you have to do is eat less and exercise more right? EASY. We all know what we have to do. I assume this is part of the way that you are thinking. I know that is what I thought at the beginning. But its not easy we all know that. Obesity is a disease as much as high BP, heart disease,diabetes etc etc is a disease. You wouldn't look down on people who had surgery for those and many other illnessess so why do we have such a negative view of WLS. food is a major problem because it is something that you have to face every day. If your problem was tobacco or drugs or gambling then you can cut those out of your life completely but that is not something that you can do with food. There is no shame to having WLS surgery and if your friends or family think there is tell them to go and suck eggs! If you want to do this to improve your health, so that you will be around for them longer, so that you will feel good about yourself, so that you can start living life instead of watching others live it then go ahead and do it. The only regret I have about my band is that I didn't get it sooner. Yes some days will be hard and you will curse it but most days are normal. You adapt to a different way of eating. The foods that you should cut back on once banded are the foods that you will need to cut back on to lose weight anyway. Does having a band mean that you will never be able to have nice food or enjoy a piece of cake or a glass of wine? Hell no - we all indulge occasionally. Once banded you may find there are some foods that you cannot eat but these are different for everyone. In the end it is up to you but for me being slim and fitting into sexy fashionable clothes is worth more than not being able to eat certain foods.

Yes I thought I should clarify. It gets confusing when you have lived an a number of different countries and you have to learn the different lingo. In the UK a thong is a g-string. In Aus thongs are flip flops(shoes). I wasn't sure what was what in the US. You are spot on with the Bollywood. They are dance classes based on the style of dancing they use in the Bollywood movies. Great fun and quite challenging if you are as unco as I am.

Oh and i agree with Elfie about NUTs! I hadn't heard the term until i joined this site.

Morning everyone. Have to admit to being a bit lazy over the last couple of days. I have been reading the thread but not replying. Shads I am sure that you will get on fine with a new surgeon. I changed mine recently just for convenience - I got tired of driving 1.5 hrs each way. Found a brilliant guy in our nearest city (.5 hrs away). It was great as I didn't have to wait for ages, I got to see him and he spent time talking /explaining etc. Christie congrats on the boots. I love boots and have lots but am hoping the weather will change so I can wear thongs(shoes not underwear) . I agree its frustrating to have to get rid of something that you've hardly worn but its better than the alternative.I must have given away a fortune in clothes since I've been banded. It's a good job that I'm not a designer label junkie unless you count "Tar zhay" as a designer label! Elfie glad that your new diet seems to be working. It was great to see your photo's - I love being able to see the face behind the posts. You have lost sooo much that is incredible and you look so happy in the after pic.Sorry about the troll. Is it one of those particularly bothersome down under trolls? The thing that amazes me sometimes is how some people act as though they were scientific/nutritional and band experts. Often these experts are newly banded and of tender years to boot. Leigha sorry to hear that you are having problems. I hope that you are able to resolve them in a way that makes you happy. I love FB but you do have to be careful. The best thing to do is always think twice and post once. That sounds great coming from me as my Mother always told me that my mouth would get me into big trouble one day and that i needed to think before I spoke. Maybe in my old age the message is eventually getting through! I resisted joining FB for ages until my half sister that lives in the states that I have never met invited me to join. Now i love it. It's quick and easy to see what people are upto and you can see their pics. My son and daughter are both on my friends list which can be good and bad. LOL especially when i get to see the pics of all the uni parties my daughter goes to. As to myself i have probably become a bit complacent lately. Old eating habits are slipping back in. I weigh everyday and have probably gained about 1lb. I know that's nothing but I need to make sure it doesn't turn into more than that. I have an atypical band as i find i can eat quite easily in the morning and struggle more at night. I don't think I need a fill but am not sure as I am getting hungrier in the morning which generally is a sign. However I need to not rely totally on the band and make sure that I am making the correct choices and not eating candy between meals as well. Plus i have a lazy gene. I still hate and avoid exercise. I must try and get off my lazy butt and go to my Bollywood class tonight - no more excuses. they have just started a zumba class in our town which i have been tossing up joining but it is on the same day as Bollywood and I don't really want to do both in 1 day - more spread out would be better. the other downside is that I have to pay for each class. $12 per lesson doesn't sound like much but it soon adds up. Sorry for the verbal diarrhoea . Hope I haven't bored you all too much!

Isa - in your original post you talked about the tyre being around your waist which is what confused me!

And chocolate.Now I know that chocolate is not a good choice but a little bit of what you fancy etc etc. When I compare the nutritional info to see which is the least bad choice(because there is no good choice) often it says that there are 2 or more servings per pack. Right who once they have opened it can manage to only eat half.

If you are pear shaped why do you have concerns about a tyre? Pear shapes generally have large hips and a small waist - no tyre.Any excess in that area should be the first to go. If you are struggling with a tyre it sounds to me as though you are apple shaped.

All the best. Hope you do well.

It concerns me that you say that you don't chew too much and some foods you don't chew at all. Not chewing properly causes blockages, stuck episodes, pbing etc. And be really careful with raw carrots. I have known a number of people have to get an unfil because they got stuck on raw carrot and once stuck it does not like to move.

I always start the day with a cup of tea with a splash of low fat milk. Nothing to do with Dr's orders - just a lifetime ritual.

Just be aware that if your Medic- Alert bracelet looks like normal jewellery people are likely to miss it. Most people are aware of what traditional medic-alert jewellery looks like but they are not going to go looking at all the beads on a Pandora type or other fashion beaded bracelet to see if one may have a warning on it! It really isn't necessary to wear one of these and I think you will find most bandsters don't. I carry my lap band ID card in my purse but that is it. If you are in the kind of state that you cannot tell someone you are banded then they are going to be doing all sorts of tests/x - rays anyway which should show the band. If it is a life or death situation then the band is the least of your worries. They will concentrate on saving your life first .

YES YES YES! What you have to remember is that weight loss is not just a do it once process. To stay in a healthy weight range you have to be vigilant about what you eat for life and you should also be exercising. It doesn't matter what sort of WLS surgery you have you still control what you put in your mouth and if that happens to be easy to eat high cal food you will gain weight. It would be nice if there was a miracle cure that meant that we didn't have to make those good choices for the rest of our lives but there isn't. Having the band makes the process easier but it doesn't do it for you. I think that what happens is that many people become complacent and slip back into their old bad eating habits. I don't know if that is what is happening with you but if it is you need to recommit. Go back and see your surgeon. Get an adjustment if you need one. Make good food choices and exercise. Use your band to its full potential and i am sure you will be successful.

I'm the same and my hiccups are so bad they shake my whole body. My teenage son takes great pleasure in laughing at me every time it happens and hubby isn't much better either!

I would say any time you feel motivated is the right time. Yes it may/may not be better to exercise at a certain time etc but if you are not motivated at that particular time then it could be a problem.Do it when the mood takes you .