Re: slimming tablets

[Guest guest]

Thanks everyone for the info on Meridia. To clear things up Hally I don't

have a band on, I'm thinking about it but it absolutely terrifies me, so I

was asking about the drugs as an alternative strategy for my dilemma. A

question for all you out there with the band. Having had to give up food

for periods of time and drastically reduce your food intake, in hindsight,

do you believe there was another way of achieving a similar change in your

eating behaviour?

and for those with health complications...

Are you glad you had the surgery despite the complications?

Thanks

Belinda

slimming tablets

> hi there

>

> Missy Belle - thanks for welcoming me to the group - i am somewhat

confused

> as to why you guys are even thinking of taking slimming tablets - you do

> not need them with the band, to be it seems like a total waste of money,

> the band will work for you.

>

> anyway glad to hear you joined a gym, i exercise a couple of times a week

> and have since my op, after about 2 weeks i was totally back to normal and

> in the first 2/12 months i lost 12 kilos, so keep up with the band and

just

> carry on with life.

>

> I live in WA - so no where near you guys

>

> Hally

>

> ------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Win $5000! Click Here:

> http://click./1/5943/8/_/707298/_/963108896/

> ------------------------------------------------------------------------

>

>

[Guest guest]

>Thanks everyone for the info on Meridia. To clear things up Hally I don't

>have a band on, I'm thinking about it but it absolutely terrifies me, so I

>was asking about the drugs as an alternative strategy for my dilemma. A

It's unlikely that drugs will help, you can try them but it's more of

a short term fix. It depends on you of course and you need to talk

about it with a doctor as we're not aware of your exact circumstances

or resolve to lose weight.

>question for all you out there with the band. Having had to give up food

>for periods of time and drastically reduce your food intake, in hindsight,

>do you believe there was another way of achieving a similar change in your

>eating behaviour?

No, I needed something drastic like surgery and there is no way that I

could have kept the loss up without it.

>and for those with health complications...

>Are you glad you had the surgery despite the complications?

I didn't have any but I was well aware of the risks and saw them as

acceptable. My only other option was continuing to put the weight on

and then having to work as a Michelen Man.

Regards

--

____________________________________________________________

Mc http://www.matthewmcdonald.com/

MobileWorld Phone Information http://www.mobileworld.org/

Brisbane, Australia_________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Hi Belinda,

> do you believe there was another way of achieving a similar change in your

> eating behaviour?

As far as I'm concerned, absolutely, unequivocally not. If there had been

another way, I would have found it some time in the past twenty-five years.

I've done pills, diets, Weight Watchers, Gloria Marshall, dieticians, gyms,

exercise programs, hypnosis, counselling, you name it.... and no matter what

I've done, or what weight I've lost, I have invariably put it all, plus

more, back on again. The band, as an externally imposed physiological tool

that restricts volume eaten, is absolutely the only thing that has ever

worked for me. And if the band were to be removed for any reason, I have

absolutely no doubt that I would once again regain all the weight I've lost.

The band does not induce behaviour modification, in my view... it is pure

and simply a volume control device... and it works. True, it works to

differing degrees for different people, but it's virtually impossible not to

lose some weight AND MAINTAIN THE LOSS (that's the crucial bit!) as long as

you are even marginally cooperative with it, and as long you don't have

complications with it.

Like you, Belinda, I was scared witless before I went ahead with the

surgery, but I have to tell you the reality was not nearly as bad as the

anticipation. In fact you can eat a lot more than they tell you you'll be

able to, and the best part of it for me is that I no longer have to pretend

to myself or to anyone else that I don't eat all the 'naughty' foods. I eat

whatever the hell I feel like eating, just in small quantities, and it's an

absolute joy to openly eat desserts etc if I want to. I wouldn't consider

using any medication or 'diet' ever again, as long as my band keeps behaving

itself.

There you go, my opinion for what it's worth.

*smile*

.

Banded 1.12.1999 at 132 kg

Today 85 kg

[Guest guest]

errrrr............ sorry, sorry, I am not wonder woman

I was banded 1.12.1998, not 99!

> .

> Banded 1.12.1999 at 132 kg

> Today 85 kg

>

>

> ------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Make new friends, find the old at Classmates.com:

> http://click./1/5530/8/_/707298/_/963120758/

> ------------------------------------------------------------------------

>

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks for your response . You referred to " my exact circumstances " -

I guess you mean How Huge Are YOU???? I can no longer weigh myself on a

normal scale, I'm 5ft 3 " , mother of 3, and I've completely given up with

food. I'm sitting here wondering how I can change what I do with food. I

can't remember when I last seriously or successfully dieted. I think I've

lost the plot and my body is struggling to get through the day.

So as for life with the band...What can you eat with the band on? What were

the acceptable risks for you? Can you go through life without people

knowing about it? Can you feel it? What regrets do you have (if any) about

having the band?

Belinda

Re: slimming tablets

>

>

> >Thanks everyone for the info on Meridia. To clear things up Hally I

don't

> >have a band on, I'm thinking about it but it absolutely terrifies me, so

I

> >was asking about the drugs as an alternative strategy for my dilemma. A

>

> It's unlikely that drugs will help, you can try them but it's more of

> a short term fix. It depends on you of course and you need to talk

> about it with a doctor as we're not aware of your exact circumstances

> or resolve to lose weight.

>

> >question for all you out there with the band. Having had to give up food

> >for periods of time and drastically reduce your food intake, in

hindsight,

> >do you believe there was another way of achieving a similar change in

your

> >eating behaviour?

>

> No, I needed something drastic like surgery and there is no way that I

> could have kept the loss up without it.

>

> >and for those with health complications...

> >Are you glad you had the surgery despite the complications?

>

> I didn't have any but I was well aware of the risks and saw them as

> acceptable. My only other option was continuing to put the weight on

> and then having to work as a Michelen Man.

>

>

> Regards

>

> --

> ____________________________________________________________

> Mc http://www.matthewmcdonald.com/

> MobileWorld Phone Information http://www.mobileworld.org/

> Brisbane, Australia_________________________________________

>

> ------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Make new friends, find the old at Classmates.com:

> http://click./1/5530/8/_/707298/_/963120252/

> ------------------------------------------------------------------------

>

>

[Guest guest]

>Thanks for your response . You referred to " my exact circumstances " -

>I guess you mean How Huge Are YOU???? I can no longer weigh myself on a

>normal scale, I'm 5ft 3 " , mother of 3, and I've completely given up with

Not quite what I meant, I wasn't sure of all the circumstances

surrounding why you were the size that you are. We all have reasons

that contribute to our size and whilst it's not always possible to

change these it helps to identify them.

I had to do some serious soul searching whilst I was considering the

band and decided it was my only option.

>food. I'm sitting here wondering how I can change what I do with food. I

>can't remember when I last seriously or successfully dieted. I think I've

>lost the plot and my body is struggling to get through the day.

Been there.

>So as for life with the band...What can you eat with the band on?

You can still eat most foods but nowhere near the sizes that you used

to. You must keep up frequent visits to the Doctor or the band will be

useless.

> What were

>the acceptable risks for you? Can you go through life without people

I knew that if I continued to gain weight that I'd be dead in 10 years

so the risks were not a huge concern but I was aware of them.

>knowing about it? Can you feel it? What regrets do you have (if any) about

>having the band?

No regrets at all so far. I got a little upset immediately after the

operation and wondered what I had done but I realised soon after that

it was the best thing I could have done.

There is no reason for anyone to know about, I get worried still in

social settings because of reduced volumes. I went to my farewell

lunch on Friday with about 30 people and I was dreading the food side

of things. I ended up with grilled fish and chips/salad and lots of

liquid to wash it down. I made it through ok but it wasn't fun.

Having the op is a huge decision and no-one can make it for you. I

knew that I had to have it after looking into it, my only concern was

that I wouldn't be able to for whatever reason.

Regards

--

____________________________________________________________

Mc http://www.matthewmcdonald.com/

MobileWorld Phone Information http://www.mobileworld.org/

Brisbane, Australia_________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Damn!!!! I was booking my surgery tomorrow with that result!!!!!!!!!

Belinda

Re: slimming tablets

> errrrr............ sorry, sorry, I am not wonder woman

>

> I was banded 1.12.1998, not 99!

>

>

>

>

> > .

> > Banded 1.12.1999 at 132 kg

> > Today 85 kg

> >

> >

> > ------------------------------------------------------------------------

> > Make new friends, find the old at Classmates.com:

> > http://click./1/5530/8/_/707298/_/963120758/

> > ------------------------------------------------------------------------

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

Me again.

Belinda, I know you addressed these questions to , but I'm going to

answer them as well, if that's ok.

>What can you eat with the band on?

This differs for different people. The most common foods that people seem to

have problems with are fresh bread and red meat. Personally, I have trouble

with both of these, so hardly ever eat them any more, but I don't find it

nearly as much of a problem to have had to give them up as I thought I

would. Others have trouble with rice - I don't. Also, different foods cause

difficulties at different times, and it's not always predictable. Sometimes

even liquids can be problematic. But in general, if you chew the heck out of

everything and eat slowly and stop as soon as you're full, most things go

down ok.

> What were

> the acceptable risks for you?

For me, the reality is that I was steadily continuing to gain weight and

beginning to see my health suffer for it. My blood pressure was going up, I

was having joint problems, my liver function was poor, I had some sleep

apnoea, and it was all just going to go downhill from there. Since losing

weight all those problems have gone, all my blood tests show normal values,

and there is no question that the risks of not having the surgery far

outweighed the risks of having it.

>Can you go through life without people

> knowing about it?

Sure you can... that's your choice. I chose to tell my immediate family, but

nobody else knows I have a band.

> Can you feel it?

I can't feel the band, but I can feel the port. The more weight you lose,

the more prominent it becomes. I believe that they can, if you want,

re-operate and move it behind your ribs or somewhere where it's not evident,

but then you'd have to have fills under X-ray I guess. I'm not ready for

that yet, by a long shot.

>What regrets do you have (if any) about

> having the band?

None at all. Yes, I've had some hard times, and some frustrating times. I've

had reflux and sleepless nights and occasional pain and plenty of barfing

and months when I plateau and don't lose any weight... but with all that, I

am incalculably happier and healthier than I have been in decades, I am more

in control of myself, my self-esteem is up.... all good stuff. And the

knowledge is always there that without the band I would have continued to

spiral downwards in all those areas.

Hope this helps.

[Guest guest]

and thanks (again) for your responses. More questions... (for

anyone who can be bothered to answer) How old were you when you had the band

put on? Has there been any corelation established/observed between the age

of the patient and complications? Who out there has had surgery in Sydney

(I live in Canberra) with which doctors?

Re: slimming tablets

> Me again.

>

> Belinda, I know you addressed these questions to , but I'm going to

> answer them as well, if that's ok.

> >What can you eat with the band on?

>

> This differs for different people. The most common foods that people seem

to

> have problems with are fresh bread and red meat. Personally, I have

trouble

> with both of these, so hardly ever eat them any more, but I don't find it

> nearly as much of a problem to have had to give them up as I thought I

> would. Others have trouble with rice - I don't. Also, different foods

cause

> difficulties at different times, and it's not always predictable.

Sometimes

> even liquids can be problematic. But in general, if you chew the heck out

of

> everything and eat slowly and stop as soon as you're full, most things go

> down ok.

>

> > What were

> > the acceptable risks for you?

>

> For me, the reality is that I was steadily continuing to gain weight and

> beginning to see my health suffer for it. My blood pressure was going up,

I

> was having joint problems, my liver function was poor, I had some sleep

> apnoea, and it was all just going to go downhill from there. Since losing

> weight all those problems have gone, all my blood tests show normal

values,

> and there is no question that the risks of not having the surgery far

> outweighed the risks of having it.

>

> >Can you go through life without people

> > knowing about it?

>

> Sure you can... that's your choice. I chose to tell my immediate family,

but

> nobody else knows I have a band.

>

> > Can you feel it?

>

> I can't feel the band, but I can feel the port. The more weight you lose,

> the more prominent it becomes. I believe that they can, if you want,

> re-operate and move it behind your ribs or somewhere where it's not

evident,

> but then you'd have to have fills under X-ray I guess. I'm not ready for

> that yet, by a long shot.

>

> >What regrets do you have (if any) about

> > having the band?

>

> None at all. Yes, I've had some hard times, and some frustrating times.

I've

> had reflux and sleepless nights and occasional pain and plenty of barfing

> and months when I plateau and don't lose any weight... but with all that,

I

> am incalculably happier and healthier than I have been in decades, I am

more

> in control of myself, my self-esteem is up.... all good stuff. And the

> knowledge is always there that without the band I would have continued to

> spiral downwards in all those areas.

>

> Hope this helps.

>

>

>

>

> ------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Find long lost high school friends:

> http://click./1/5535/8/_/707298/_/963123374/

> ------------------------------------------------------------------------

>

>

[Guest guest]

> How old were you when you had the band

> put on? Has there been any corelation established/observed between the

age

> of the patient and complications? Who out there has had surgery in Sydney

> (I live in Canberra) with which doctors?

I was 45, almost 46. Don't know of any connection between age and

complications. I'm in Melbourne.