leftover_eidoes

It gets a lot easier! Dont worry, your in bandster hell right now there is a light to the end of the tunnel and theres a smaller person waiting at the other end.

Hey guys, Im a tax agent in Australia, Australian taxation rules are obviously different to America, But if any Aussies are looking at this forum heres the go: You can claim Weightloss surgery as a tax deduction, but not cosmetic surgery. Basically any surgery that you could claim on private health insurance (even if you dont have it) is tax deductible. In that sense, any expense that you have thats medically related you can claim as a tax deduction. This is limited to however to prescription drugs, you can claim them, but you cannot claim things such as bandaid and panadol. The threshold for medical expenses for the 2010 financial year was 1500. This will be going up to 2000 in the 2011 financial year. You can 20% as an offset for any amount of this threshold. THis is a non-refundable tax offset. Hope this helps =)

Hey guys, I am, as well as many others, struggling to keep motivation. I dont know whether is a self sabotage thing or if its im just sick of my life revolving around weightloss, or it constantly being in the back of my mind. I want to loose all this weight and I can see the skinny person slowly apprearing *Minus this fat roll and that big ass* I know the benefits of exercise, drinking lots of Water, Protein, Vitamins etc. I just cant seem to consistently do any of them. How did you guys get into these routines? was it a whole sudden shift or was is a gradual addition to your routine... I just dont know if I will be able to do either... Should I make myself a list and aim to do all of the things on the list by the end of the day? Help =( My surgeon didnt really give me any rules, and the fill doctor is even suggesting that I should drink while eating, So I dont have much support there. I love my band and have lost 33kilos (66lbs) with it. Im going for a fill on thursday... I just need to know peoples secrets...How do you stop yourself from eating what those evil boys have put in the fridge. Do you put photos up of your ideal size? What keeps your motivated? Should I make a graph and draw a line of what I want to be doing every week (1-2lbs, .5-1kilos) and then draw my actual? Is it just not letting weightloss be in the back of your mind but absorbing everything you do? Ive suceeded on diet before - but always put the weight back on. I need help =(

Hey Guys, I thought I would share mine. Im about half way but loving my lap band. First pic of me I think about 11kilos (22lbs down) at my engagement party. 2nd pic is a week or so ago.

I keep a diet book... food & Exercise one and I record my calories in that. as for that block of time... Its like we always complain that we dont have enough time, we're too busy etc etc... and then we're stuck with this block of time at the end of the day that we cant do anything with! Youre not supposed to exercise 3 hours before you sleep, if you drink Water 3 hours before you go to bed you'll be up peeing all night and the block usually revolves around the final meal of the day. I would get a book... If your bored... Or If you have stuff to do but find your eating during it. I would definatly suggest what Annie said with the Stress ball... Its like we're quitting smoking... we need to keep our hands busy in order to break the habit. I love your idea Annie! Stickers! I never thought I would get so excited about stickers! I just read it and my mum bought be a thingie of stickers (shes a strange lady...) I laughed at her for it.... but I just looked at my calorie book and I gave myself a sticker for each day I was at or bellow my calorie limit... I got really suprisingly happy about doing that! I sometimes Knit... and I dont sit infront of the TV to do it because if you do that your getting the subliminal advertising for food in the background... Best of luck =)

Hey Guys, Ive always had this problem so its not weight related but since im starting to loose weight I want to fix up skin problems that I have to make my slimming face, prettier. My fiance has a huge problem with make up. He HATES the smell of it. If i have hugged someone who cakes on the make up and then go near him (even hours later) he can smell it on me. He has a very sensitive nose.... Bastard. So I need a fix for my skin problems that is natural and will keep my skin in the best condition it can be. I currently cleanse, tone moisturise and exfoliate. But thats about it..... I have dark circles around the bottom of my eyes which are my main piss off right now... How do you girls get rid of these? Also I have uneven skin tone.... is this just a case of finding the right skin care products? Thanks guys =)

I know a lot of bandsters use her DVDs and I just wanted to post up about her. I love her XD I did her when I started this whole journey but I slacked off for some unknown reason *self sabotage?* But I ordered this 2 days ago https://www.totalfitnessdvds.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=1007 So Excited!!! I was just wondering if anybody else has done these? and what they think of her? I've done the walk away the pounds for the abs and I love it! It incorporates strength training and cardo. What more could you ask for? and I lost A LOT of weight when I was using it. But its got the other two with it (plus i lost the CD for the abs one) I live in australia so I specifically order these ones and I have a computer that has been locked to region 1 DVDs just so I can use them.

Thanks guys for all your help! Im doing a liquid/mushie diet for as long as I can muster, not being too strict, but Ive got some yummy Soups lined up and im keeping optimistic about everything. We shall see how it goes in a months time. By the end of August if Im still in the 110's (kilos that is, 242lbs) I'll go back to the Dr. and talk to them about what I've been doing and we will go from there. But I am loosing at the moment... which is great Im keeping up the fluids and having Soup is great for doing that lol. Ill kick in the exercise next week/this weekend and we shall hopefully see my pouch and my waistline shrink. Im not giving up. I have come too far and at 40% of my goal... Theres no going back!

I dont have stomach pains... but its going strange at the moment... Im not able to eat solids very well right now. having alot of trouble. just in the last 2 days... my band is going strange.. ive decided to go on a liquid diet... plus I dont know, but i have heard that somehow your band is linked to TTOM... which Im going through badly at the moment since i skipped my last period (im on the pill so it was purposeful). I dont know.. I think play by the rules, no naughties... Up side I lost weight this morning which i havent done for 2 weeks and been struggling to get down for the last month. So me is happy.

Hey Guys, I know I should probably be talking to my doctor about this but I would like to post it here to see what you guys think. I have a problem, I think with my Band... and I think its because i either need a fill or have stretched my pouch. I dseem to be able to each too much... but not able to eat antyhing in the morning.... I can drink a cup of coffee with success though... Im able to eat later on in the day and I think that if I have a drink of Water before hand Im able to eat alot more than I should. Should I be getting a fill or is it that I have stretched my pouch? If I have stretched it... is there anyway of shrinking it back in, like by having liquids/mushies for acouple of weeks? I know its kinda vague but yeah... help would be appreciated. or recommendations on what I should do... should I go back and get a small fill? i think im at about 5cc in a 7cc band. sometimes i can eat things, other i cant, i can eat certain foods but not others....

Hey, To the above: My surgeon has a very large support base, I dont think I made that very clear in my intial post. I have a dietician which is always available, fill doctors that would come in on weekends if need be and access to a counsellor and personal trainer. What my surgeon doesnt do though is set down specific rules. they give guidance, not rules, suggestions not limitations... I was just wondering if I could find out from you guys the hard fact rules that your surgeons gave you so i oculd adapt them to myself. I have lost 26kilos in 7 months, I am extremely happy with my success and so are the team at the surgery. I read the article given above and I thank you for sharing it with me. However Im starting to see why my surgeon doesnt approve of giving hard and fast rules as to what I should/shouldnt be doing, If i had been given that set of rules at the beginning.. I would have be setting out to break them... *sub-conciously*. Anyway, Each to their own and I find the way Im doing it at the moment is giving me the most sucess.... Best of luck to everyone... was just asking what everyone else was abiding to.

Hey guys, my surgeon never gave me any rules... and neither did the dietician... its just been off of here that I have heard about the rules etc. My assistant surgeon is saying you can drink while eating, my dietician is saying you can drink up to eating but wait till 30 mins after before you drink again. I was just wondering, what are the rules that your surgeons/dieticians gave you?