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 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.

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!

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, I bought some unflavoured Protein powder from GNC..... it says to mix with milk or Water or soy... I initially got it to mix with mashed potato or something but it doesnt taste very good with it... does anyone have any receipes for Protein shakes using the unflavoured protein poder?

Would like to just start off by saying I love my surgeons office. Right with that out of the way, I was talking to a friend of mine whose mum has a lap band too. And she was talking about another lady who is stick thin after the surgery and looking unhealthy, she went on to say that this lady had been banded by the other surgeon that services my area. He basically does the surgery sends you on your way and is only interested in getting good results so he can onsell your success. Anyway she told me that this lady had a starting BMI of 33! Yes 33! No obesity related diseases just wanted a quick fix god her problem. I was horrified! Apparently this surgeon just makes up a condition, lies to the health insurance and all for his own benefit! It was just a cosmetic surgery not the life saving life changing surgery we know it to be. I was just wondering, is this common? I live in Australia where the band isn't hugely popular but most ppl know someone who has it. Is it more common in the states, that ppl can easily get this surgery just to fill the pockets of the greedy doctors who don't care about your health.

Bumping up the spreadsheet in preparation for Mondays Weigh in. Hope everyone went well this week. I had a fantastic week of weightloss I finally kicked off my plateau. I have already updated the spreadsheet already cause im so happy with my 5lb weightloss! http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AsgpZlc1QKD1dGt0ME5VODNUaVZzODFONW1kZEhMX0E&hl=en

Bumping up the spreadsheet in preparation for Mondays Weigh in. Hope everyone went well this week. I had a fantastic week of weightloss I finally kicked off my plateau. I have already updated the spreadsheet already cause im so happy with my 5lb weightloss!

should be fine, Ill keep you in mind =) Enjoy your vacation!

look at your amazing weightloss! Thats fantastic! Just imagine what looking in that mirror 58lbs ago would have been like! and know that all your effort has given you 58lbs less weight and will continue to help you get to your normal weight. You can do this! it is not a hopeless venture it is one with a big big light at the end of the tunnel that will be worth all of this... I hate that little wii fit balance board... But cant wait for that line to start dropping. best of luck in the future and congratulations on your success

Hey, If you need someone, I was banded on the 15th of december... Im 20yrs old and I live in NSW. would be happy to help your research. =)

Lizzy you and I share a surgery date! only 10 days to go!!!! are you on a pre op diet? I am and its going rly well im so excited with the weightloss and know its only the begining

Im getting my lap band in december...SOOO Excited Im 20 yrs old, need to loose half my body weight (weight 138kgs and i need to be about 65kgs) I am looking for a buddy who is in their 20s and who is around the same stage as I in their journey. Also, determined, focused and keen on starting to exercise. We can cheer each other on!

hey, Im being banded in December and I have the same worry as you. But i definatly agree with the above, that Leslie sansone is fantastic! loooove her videos, if you go on exercisetv.tv you can see her style of video and if you like them, you can download or buy them. I really like how positive she is and its all a gradual thing... Her videos are easily personalised. you dont have to do everything she is, you can add weights and increase them and then increase the distance/time you do the workout for. her box set is on my wish list for christmas cause at the moment i have one of her workouts on my computer and i love it. getting right back into it. Just wake up a bit earlier, do it and it will give you energy for the rest of the day, boost your metabolism and help your body turn your food into energy. Best of luck!

hey, Im really worried about this problem too but there are a few things you can do to help this. Bio Oil, I dont know if its available in america, is used primarily for Pregnant women or those who want to reduce the apperance of scars or uneven skin tone. What it does is it makes the skin more elastic and has some healing properties to it. There are alot of cheaper creams on the market that have elastin in it. or anything that would be used by those who are pregnant to reduce scars while their bellies are growing as this makes the skin more elastic. It works in reverse too. it will tighten your skin. Also Flaxseed oil is a good inner body way to tightening and rejuvenating your skin. Water of coarse helps with the excess skin. and exfoliating your skin daily works as well. Unfortunatly exercise only helps to fill out the skin with muscle... although it does send messages to your skin to become more elastic in order to incorporate this new muscle i doubt it will have such an affect with the amount you have lost Congratulation by the way! thats a fantastic loss! I would (and am currently) exfoliate every morning (or evening) in the shower, moisturise your skin in the morning and afternoon, take flaxseed oil once or twice a day (the packet says 3 times but i only take it twice) and drink as much water as you can to hydrate your skin... Best of luck and once again congrats on your weightloss!

I am telling people, that i went to my doctor and he said that i could either get this done, try dieting again and hope that im in the 7% of people my size that loose the weight and keep it off, or i could go on like i am and get diabetes. When you put it like that with statistics and options, people seem to understand alot more how hard it is to loose weight and keep it off, give them the 7% statistic. its a higher statistic of people who loose weight on diets, but only a small amount of people keep it off... Im sick of dieting and with my behind the desk job, its really a no brainer decision. Good luck and happy banding

You guys are fantastic! I was prepared to wear the ring as a necklace for the time it took me to loose the weight. I didnt even know there was ring resizers out there! We've decided against the ring we originally wanted because if we do get it resized the two bits of metal that come up to the diamon (but dont actually touch the diamond) would get all warped out out of shape and wouldnt look as nice as it does. So we're trying to get a ring made for us from my mum's friend who makes jewelry. Try and avoid the hefty mark ups jewelry stores have. Im going to show my soon-to-be Fiance these ring snuggies, what a fantastic idea!