76

You know what? I now weigh 76.9 kilos. My goal is 65, my Dr's goal is 60. God it's so close I can feel it.
BUT.
I went to Rivers, bought a size 14 jeans. My god, size 14! I haven't worn size 14 in about ten years!!
So tell you what, it's great, but I feel the same. I still feel like the BIG girl. I see big girls walk past, about my previous size, and I still feel like them. I still feel their pain of being big. I still don't think I can squeeze past people in restaraunts etc, yet I can quite easily. I still feel like I am taking up too much room.
God when will this head Fuck go? It's hard!

78.6

Woot 78.6 two days in a row!!! That's a 20 kilo lost in 7 ish months!!Woohoo!!
Dools and I went to se his parents, and I haven't seen them in about 6 months. The first thing his Dad said when he saw me was "You brought half a Josie!" stoked with that.
As I and my family see me all the time, I don't see what others see. I still feel like the big girl. I am far from being small. My goal is 60 kilos, so I am 18 kilos off that. But I don't see the weight loss as much as others. Yes, I know I am wearing a size 16 jeans and in another 5 or so kilos I will be in an 14, I don't see it! Weird hey. I still look at people my previous size and larger and I still feel like them.
I wonder when that feeling will go away?

Dr Dreamy

So I saw Dr. Dream today. We had a long chat about things. I told about my head battling with my band. When I have food and I've had enough when my band tells me. The thing is that my head is going.... "Go on, look at this food, it's so yummy, you can have a bit more" My band is saying "One more bite and you will slime. Or worse."
Dr. Dreamy says that that will go away eventually.
No fill got put in. I am acutally sitting at 5.3mls not 5.5mls like I thought. I had lost 2.7 kilos since I last saw him. That's about 500grams a week. He is happy with that. So happy that because I am eating and still socialising that I don't need any more. He told me though, that as I start to exercise more, to be careful of joints. I told him that the top of my left foot was a bit sore after a few class of combat. Because I am still carrying weight around, that I have to be careful!
But on the whole he is happy, I am happy and that's the most important thing.
I don't get to seer Dr. Dreamy until 2 months from now!! That's a good thing by the way!! :)

To fill or not to fill?

I am going to see Dr. Dreamy today and I think I've only lost 3.5 kilos in 6 weeks since I last saw him.
 I feel bad about that. I know that I am always heavier on his scales! So who knows!!!
I have been exercising more and my jeans are starting to get loose again. I only bought a new pair 5 weeks ago, and I am feeling good, but why do I feel so bad when it comes to Dr. Dreamy Days??
I don't know if I want more in. I have 5.5 mls in and my band is lovely at telling me when to stop...I guess I will have to ask him. I have been having choclate though... slider food!! I get so confused on Dr. Dreamy Days! Will let you know how I go!

New gym clothes!

Ok, so sitting on about 80-81 kilos.. Here are my new gyms clothes with an awesome sports bra!!!!

3 for 3!

Drum roll please......

I have done three gym classes in three days. Combat, Pump and Fight Do (which is what Body Combat used to be back in the day!) and I loved it!

I also bought a really really good sports bra too!! woot woot! Feeling fine!!

shhh ! I'm listening to the band

Isn't it funny how your band talks to you? I find that at night my band is fairly tight. I sometimes find that when eating two poached eggs, my band tells me to stop half way through and stop eating. I am starting to feel full. I stop. I rest. I mainly go out for a smoke halfway through dinner. Then I try to finish. Right now I have just finished two poached eggs with a bit of shaved turkey. And right now, I am feeling full. My band is telling me that if I have any more of anything it will come back up, or the dreaded slime will happen. I love that I can feel full on not much. Yes, yes I know the whole point of the band, but god really, this band has saved me. God know what weight I would be right now. Probably sitting at 110 plus kilos. Instead I weight (in the mornings and after a pee) 81.9 kilos. So I am feeling better.
After my last self indulged rant about being slack, lazy and feeling sorry for myself, I went the the gym. Yes. I didn't listen to my excuses. I didn't turn on the TV on Monday night. I went home, got changed and sat down for about ten minutes, then just left and went and did a Combat class with my sister.
Yesterday, I took my gym clothes to work. I didn't go home. I had a coffee, got changed and went and did Pump with my Mum and sister. It felt good to do this with my family. And I love them!
So at the moment, I feel that the band has changed me for the better.
Sure I have bad days where I hate having it. When I want a steak or a big pig out of pastries, or even crave McDonalds. But I don't. I can't. I won't. The band inside me stops me from old and bad habits!
Onwards to my goal of 60 kilos!! :)

Why is it so hard to START exercising?

Ok, so I have lost 16 kilos with no exercise.
I have a gym membership, and why oh why do I find it hard to actually get there?
I need to do a list to figure out why I am not going!

WHY I SHOULD GO:

1. To keep going with the weight loss
2. To tone up. (Don't want to be a saggy baggy elephant)
3. So I can spend some quality time with my sister (she goes and keeps asking and asking and asking me to go with her - making me feel guilty about not going)
4. To feel better about myself.
5. The gym is only 5 mins away.
6. I love doing Combat and Pump, and Spin (sometimes)

These are great reasons and I am sure the you dear readers can give me many more reasons (PLEASE do so !)

REASONS WHY I DON'T GO

1. I am lazy
2. I am actually scared of going.
3. I don't like being the biggest girl there.
4. I don't like people looking at me and wondering what the hell I am doing there. Shouldn't I be at Macca's?
5. I want to go but talk myself out of it.
6. I get home, sit down and that's it. I can't be bothered to go anywhere again.(see point 5 in they why I should go and then point 1 as to why I don't!)
7. I always have good intentions. Always. Alas I am see point 1 and point 3.
8. I am super lazy
9. Maybe just maybe, I think because I have lost 16 kilos without exercise the last 25 or so will also just fall off.
10. I know that point 9 is a LIE  that I tell to myself.

So I am stuck. I WANT to go, but I avoid it. I am scared. I get tired easily (although not as much as I used to)
Every time I don't go, I can feel the disappointment in my sister (and Mum). I have let them down. I let them down getting so big and needing my lap band, so this is just another on the list.

I feel bad about letting people whom I love (and they love me) down. I feel really horrible and sad at just typing that.

I don't know what to do? I need suggestions and fast.

5.3mls

5.3 mls in my band. Going great. But I am finding my band tightens at night time making it hard to have a decent size dinner. Does anyone else have this problem? I still  don't eat breakfast as I am not hungry at 6:15am! I know I should but don't!

I have to stop weighing myself every morning. It's doing my head in. Sometimes I weight 82.9 other times it's 84.3.. arrghh! I think I need to hide the scales. Or give them to my sister and then pop oever once a week to weigh myself.

Just dropping by to say Hello and that 14ish kilos down I do feel really good. I go to the gym, though not often, but when I do, I don't get puffed and feel good afterwards.
I go and see Tony in two weeks and I want to be 1.5 kilos lighter! Finger crossed.
At this time of the year it's report writing time. Something that all teacher loathe!! It takes over my weekends and I have no life for about fours weeks.

On top of that I have decided to start a Graduate Certificate in Education (Leadership) and in about a month my first 2000 words essay is due. So no real life for me for a while.

Dooley still comes down every fourth weekend, but he is looking for work here, so hopefully we will be together again soon! <3

Band news: Piklets (made my students, I haven't tried any others), devon, pizza and large pasta shells get stuck. By stuck I mean the slime comes and sometimes food with it! Its horrible. 30+ mins of dissatifaciton and walking around and several trips to the toilet to get the saliva up, is not fun. I don't touch these anymore.

84.9

Joy of joy I can now say I'm 84..... point 9 kilos!
I went into Valley Girl today. I have never put foot into that store for fear of sale girls shouting "get out fatty. Go to millers!"
Anyway I bought a jumper. Large but still a jumper from Valley Girl. A great achievemement!

3rd fill

Went to see Dr Dreamy today and I was saying about my head hunger... we decided to put another ml in bringing me to 5mls. I had only lost two kilos since last seeing him so hopefully thing start to speed up soon!
Oh my god dinner took sooooooo long to eat.. I had to keep stopping!

Found this.. thought is was interesting!!

The band goes around your stomach, not around your brain, or your lips....

This simple concept, of eating a specific volume of food -- eating it slowly, and then walking away, is the key to successful eating habits of patients. This means that the band works with effort from you -- not by it doing everything for you. You have to make the decision to eat a small volume of food, and let the band work with you.

The sensation that we would want the band to produce is the "soft stop." The soft stop is when you eat a small portion of food and walk away. Sometimes this is difficult, like most things, practice makes perfect. To set yourself up for success -- we recommend you use smaller plates, along with smaller utensils. If you go out to eat, ask for the to-go bag immediately, and remove the excess food from your plate. You can physically always eat more food, but the advantage about practicing small portions and walking away, is ultimately your eyes will get use to what the stomach is telling it, and it will be much easier to eat smaller portions as time goes on.

It isn't uncommon for patients to want an adjustment because they say they can eat more. The first question we ask is, "Why are you eating more?" The typical answer is, "Because I can." The typical response, "Just because you can does not mean you should." Since the band's job is not to restrict the amount of food you eat, do not leave that to chance -- that is your job. Part of personal accountability is to account for, to measure, to know how much you are eating at a time. The band is empowering; if you eat an appropriate amount and make appropriate food choices, you will be satisfied for several hours. This results in either weight loss, or weight maintenance (if you are at your goal). The purpose of the band is to assist you to lose weight -- and this occurs only with active participation by you: you chose what to eat, you choose how much to eat, and you practice walking away after eating that amount. The band is a tool to allow you to eat less and have your appetite dimmed resulting in weight loss, or maintenance. It is a tool to help you adopt a healthy lifestyle -- you still have the choices to make, but the band allows you to be satisfied with those choices.

"If I could eat less and walk away, what would I need this band for?" -- a common question we are asked. Without the band, if you eat a small amount of food and walk away your appetite would rise within a couple of hours -- you would find yourself hungry and wanting more food, possibly leading to unwanted snacking. You would also find, if you willed yourself to withstand the hunger, that your weight loss gradually decreases. The band fools your brain into thinking you ate more.

Think of it another way -- the hypothalamus does not have eyes -- it doesn't know how much you ate, it doesn't know if there is a lot of food around and you are not eating it, or if there is a band on your stomach. The hypothalamus reacts very simply to the stimulation provided by the upper part of your stomach. Stretch that thermostat, it thinks you are eating a lot -- do that consistently over time, and it behaves as if you are eating a lot all the time and will allow your body to release fat stores and not cause your body to go into a metabolic slow-down. Conversely -- if you go on a diet, without the band --and that part of the stomach is not stretched, your hypothalamus thinks you are in a famine -- it doesn't know that there is a lot of food around you.

The purpose of banding is weight loss. Patients who are successful do not "feel tight," or "feel restricted." Instead, successful patients report that they rarely have an issue with the band, they do not "feel restriction." Successful patients come for adjustments when they notice that their appetite is returning between meals -- patients who are not successful rely upon the band to tell them when to stop eating.

The band, in successful patients, is empowering. While, on occasions, the band is "fickle" the proper way for the band to work is for it to allow you to eat less and not be moved by an appetite.

There is another group of Lap-band patients who do not like any sensation of restriction
--a group we call volume eaters. They want to eat a lot, when they want to eat, and they do not like the sensation of a "hard stop." Nor does this group want to eat a small volume and walk away and allow their appetite to be suppressed. One patient even asked for pills for nausea, because she could not eat "a quart of chili." Yes, this person thought a quart was a normal serving size -- not a cup, a quart! Sometimes these patients come in for an adjustment, then come back thinking that the band is too tight, because when they overeat they become acutely uncomfortable, or feel as if they are "obstructed." Often these patients will come in for a fill, then an unfill, then another fill.

It does take a bit of work to change a person's perspective about the volume of food they eat. For some there is a feeling of deprivation, a period of mourning, but ultimately the band can become a tool to overcome this sensation, and allow the patient to eat. Remember, if you want to be a 125 pound person, you have to eat like one. The band allows your body to re-set the thermostat to the amount of food that it takes to keep you satisfied between meals.

To be more specific - food does not stay in the pouch above the band for a long period of time. Typically it travels through this area fairly quickly, usually less than a couple of minutes. The effect of the band is NOT to have food stay above the stomach in that small pouch - the effect of the band is on your appetite after a small amount of food stimulates that. Does this mean you can eat more -- yes, you can. The question is should you/ or will you. That is always in your control.

ponderings!

You know it's been three months since being banded and I have been thinking.
In three months I have lost 12 kilos. I am now sitting on about 86.5. That is bloody amazing for me really. I have gone down at least a pant size and can now stop shopping in the larger areas of shops! I have more energy, but on some days would like to have a bit more.

Last year I applied for some pretty swish schools in Melbs and got four very swish interviews. I weighed about 98 kilos then. I didn't get any of those jobs, even though I look great on my cv. I have held some leadership positions in schools and had then had 6 years teaching experience. I do often wonder if I didn't get those jobs because of my weight? I'll never know that answer.

Loosing 12 kilos has given me confidence within myself. I am wearing nicer clothes, not just clothes that cover me up and over my fat arse... I am wearing make up! Huge chance. I NEVER used to wear make up. My Mum tells me that I am a million times happier!!
I am about to start a Graduate Certificate in Educational Leadership through the Uni, which in turn will give me half my masters subjects.

I have applied for a principal position at a wonderful school that I have previously have taught at. It closed on Friday. I really would like that job! Dooley would even move back to Tassie if I get it. It means moving a bit away from Hobart but not too far.

Hopefully my confidence came through in my answers.. I should hear late this coming week if I have an interview. Finger crossed. The best bit is the person who is principal wants to leave!!! Woot..

Vanuatu

We had an awesome week in Vanautu!! I did things I'd never thought I would.. Walking around in a bikini for one! But I alos tried: snorkeling, kayaking, katamaraning, charter fishing, parasailing, 4wd buggyiny through a tonne of mud, meeting turtles up close and lots of relaxing, drinking cocktails and reading by the pool! I loved every minute of it and also lost a kilo in the process!

2nd fill

So I have 4 mls in and lost 4 kilos since previous visit. Right on target. Now sitting on 87-88 kilos!
Now time for dinner.... see how it goes!!

*****
Dinner took a lot longer to eat and I could feel the restriction... And after as I was having a drink, I could hear gurgling **insert silly giggle here!**

Combat

I went to the gym with my sister and did a combat class. First one in about 5 months and even did the sit up track with no issues!! Yay for me..
oh, Dooley and I go to Vanuatu on Thursday!!! woot woot... many photos to come!

jeans

that I could not do up pre band and even a few weeks ago... can be done up. Here is the proof!

Lapband Lunch

Every month us Tasmanians organise a lapbanding lunch. I have been to three. One post bandin to meet people and chat about it. I find these lunches really good. I am a bit of a hermit, believe it or not, so meeting people who have the same thing in common and having laughs is a great thing for me. As it happends Dooley was down this weekend for it. He is proud of me for going and meeting new people. Here we are:

This morning weighed myself and it was 87.8!! Woo.. Nearly at the ten kilos mark!!!

5 and a bit weeks on

weighing in at 89.1 kilos!! Woot!!

First fill

Ok so first fill today. Didn't hurt. I even watched and said it looked awesome!! (The needle sticking out of me looked soo so so cool!!)
Anyway Tony said I was right on track!! and that in 12 weeks I should be at 80!! Wooooot.. My next fill is in a months time.

I have 2.5 and weighed in today at 91.8... different to my scales but whatever.. Still a loss!!
Have updated my stats!
<3 to all who read this!!

Score

My super fit sister sent me a text at 10am asking it I wanted to go to the. I said Yes. Lo and behold! She almost had a heart attack! Anyway I did 30 mins on the cross trainer! Yay. We then went shopping and agreed to meet back at the gym at 2:30.
I then did 30 mins on the tread mill with one minute of walking and two minutes of jogging. For a whole 30 mins!! THEN she drags me to the weight machines where we spent about 30 mins do various things and me finding out my favourite machine (the one where you kneel and pull yourself up and down) is a no no for me and my band. It kinda felt like a pull where my port was when I did one. So I stopped. I didn't even attempt to do sit ups..
Question: How long will it be before I can do sit ups. My tummy and I really need it!!!!

ok ok

So been to the gym twice in two weeks. That's once a week. That's not good enough!!
I have my first fill on Tuesday which I am very excited about. I am eating small portions so I am wondering what will happen to my already small portions.
I have re discovered op shopping. <3 it. I have now got a nice mid length denim skirt, and and nice pinky over jacket all for $9 in total!!

Four weeks on Tuesday

So I weighed myself this morning ant it said 91.8!!! Shouldn't have weighed myself again tonight!!
I went to the gym and did 15 on the bike and 25 on the treadmill of fast walking. So I am almost back to normal. Some clothes nearly fit my again and I bought a nice knee length demin skirt (size 18 from Rockmans - still a feat for me) which I could barely do up the button and the zipper did not go up, but today the button and zip did up. Not comfortably mind you but it still did up. My favourite pair of jeans that I have not been able to fit into for 6 months fit.. but not comfortably enough to wear out of the house and sit or walk around in. So I gather in another 5 kilos (or 4 ish weeks) I will be able to comfortably be able to fit into these pieces of clothing. When I do, new photos to come!!!! Woot woot!

Coming up to week 3

Haven't been on here for a while... This Tuesday is three weeks.. I am now sitting on 92.3 ish depending on the day. I need to stop weighing myself everyday.. So I am going to weight myself on Monday and try to resist jumping on them until at least Sat!

Work went well last week... I can still scoot around on my chair! Weeeeeee!! I am going to go the gym tomorrow after work for a walk on the treadmill.

I went to a lapbading lunch (my second but first post banding) and meet some more awesome people. It is so nice to share stories and swap scar marks!! hehe

Tis all for now. Over and out

Day 11

It's now 11 days since banded and I'm feeling great!!! Almost back to normal. Not as much pain in port side when I move the wrong way.. I am looking forward to walking on the treadmill next week.
Speaking of next week, I go back to school then. After two weeks off. For those of you who don't know, I'm a teacher. At the moment in a tiny school, two teachers (one of those the principal), two classes. I teach the little class, K/P/1/2.. So should be interesting. I doubt I'd be able to scoot across the classroom on my chair. We'll see!!
Anyhow, I'm heading towards the end of liquids and so looking forward to mushies.. bring on the mashed sweet potato!!!!

One week

This time last week I hadn't eaten anything since 8pm the night before. I was nervous and waiting.
It's been one week since my surgery. I have lost 4.8 kilos! weeeeee!
I'm feeling pretty good. Dooley was down for easter and we went up to Mt Wellington.

Home

Day 5 and I'm back at home and Dooley is down again!!
All if good with the healing side of things. Port site (ha dooley calls it port side) is itchy and bit numb underneath the cut, but I am getting around quite well. I had yummy tomato soup with grated cheese last night for dinner - so yummy and filling. Everyone else had lamb roast with vegies and gravy... mmm..
Still not really "hungry" but towards the end of the day I do feeling a bit peckish, and I figured out it's beacuse I'm not drinking enough!!!
Jumped on the scales this morning (I know I should only weigh myself once a week at it said 93.6!! Down from 97.4! Oh my god! I know it's just fluid but my god!!!

Day 3

Feeling good, a bit sore and tender on the left hand side, but ok. I am not taking anything for pain, as I am not in it, but I do have a bit of a sore back. I think I am overcompensating. I have really just been resting and getting up to have a short walk around Mums house. I don't know.. should I be moving more? Mums thinks I should?
I go back to my house tomorrow, Dooley is down, so I guess I will be moving more then...
Mum is about to make me a very smooth banana smoothie for lunch.. Looking forward to it!!

Are you in today as a result of an accident?

I am banded!! Day 2!!
Let me regress, went in on Tuesday, in admissions she asked me "Are you in as a result of an accident?" I said "Yes, I accidently got fat!!" She laughed. Gotta love those standard procdure questions!
So go into my room about 10am. Was meant to be fourth on the list, but got bumped up, so Mum saw me wheeled away by about 11:45am. They put a nice warm blanket on me and I was to wait. The nerves were building, I was all alone, wondering what I am I about to do?? Tony then came in and asked how I was "Very nervous".. he said that's normal and he said that he would look after me and see me in three miniutes.. Then my anthestist Cameron came in and again asked how I was "Still nervous"...
I then got wheeled into the operating room. 6 people in there all together. I had to slide onto the operating table... BP went on (up a bit) and then I meet the other people. I remember saying how big the light was (huge!!). Then had the prick of the IV bit. He then said, you will feel like you are on drugs for about 30 seconds then pass out. Great! The room was spinning, faster an faster (oooh...oooOOOOOOOoooo) then I wake up in recovery.
I complain how noisy it was (bloody machines beaping all around me). I got asked how long I thought I'd been there... 10 mins? no, 30. I remember (?) Cameron saying how I wouldn't let go of his hand (held held it while the anthestic was going in!!)Tony came up and told me that he had to take my belly button ring out (damn hard thing to get back in) Then I was wheeled back to my room.
Mum rang me, Tony rang her about 1 to say it all went wel!! Now I know why people call him Dr Dreamy! He is quite lovely!
Timmy, Dad, Rachel, Mum Liz and Jake all came to visit. I felt very special.
Overnight I had to get up three times to go the toilet due to the fluids they were pumping into me, and it wasn't too hard to get out of bed without too much pain....
Went home the next day at 11am. Mum gave me a shower, had some up and go, apple juice and just sat around watching TV, with a bit of walking every now and then.
The gas pain is the worst!! I think most of it is gone. but sheesh.. takes your breath away!!
Right now though I am very proud I got it done, even though tender. Thank you to everyone who has been supporting me!! Now the real fun begins!!!!

The night before the day.....

Well, Mum is here, I have just finished dinner and it's getting closer and I am getting more nervous!!!!
The next time I post I will have been banded!! Woohooooooo!! :)

Sleeping Beauty

Currently watching Sleeping Beauty with my students.. keeping them and me busy!
This time tomorrow I will be a real sleeping beauty!! :)

6:51am Monday

Right, up for work. Had breakfast and a cuppa tea. Now sitting watching the TV my mind wonders to tomorrow. Oh my god. It's tomorrow.... arrghh...

Let's see just how well I teach my P/1/2's today. Luckily I have sleeping beauty to watch.. teehee!! :)

Imagination clothes!!

You know what?
I went into Imagination the other day, and thought, in a year I know I will be able to fit into these clothes. For those who don't know, Imagination is a wonderful clothes shop, that sells lovely imported clothes  (beautiful skirts and tops etc etc... stuff that I have always loved). Those clothes are imported from Asia. Meaning XL really would be a tight size 14. So, in always admiring those clothes, yet never being able to get anything but a little toe into those clothes, I am so looking forward to walkiing in there in a year and buying stuff off the rack, knowing it will fit me!! 
This is an example of the lovely skirts they have....

Well well well

I am officially on the countdown.. 3 more sleeps, one more day at school then I will be banded.
I am starting to get a bit scared and nervous and excited all at once.
I am scared because what if something goes wrong during or after?
Nervous because it's a major operation, even though it's key hole, it's still a Big Deal!! And cause I know that Mum is worried too!! It's normal for Mums to worry about their kids!!
Excited because it will be the start of a real weight loss journey that I have already had 9 long years trying many different ways to lose weight and to be happy!
So I will blog again this weekend no doubt and definitely before I go into the hospital on Tuesday

Pre hospital pjs!!

Ok so today I went to see the Athesistist and had my pre surgery visit. My anthestist is so nice and lovely. I know he will look after me well. My blood pressure was up today, however it generally is around doctors, but normally is it a tad high as well. I then went into Hobart Private and had a very clinical chat with the nurse, once again BP was up a bit, but the oxygen levels in my blood was good (99 it said, not that I know what that means!) and my heart beat waw fine.
I then went to buy some comfy hosiptal jammies as I don't sleep in them, and the ones sloth around in at home is a top and bottom. I don't want anything around my belly to start with so bought a comfy nighty (not the nana type ones!). But now comes the scary thing... I wanted it to be comfy, so I bought a dun dun daaaaah size 22. I am ashamed to say that. Really I am. I also bought some nice slippers. I went home and tried it on. Here is what I will be slothing around in about a week.. It says "When pigs fly...." on them!!

One week to go!!

Tomorrow I am going to the Anaesthetis and my pre surgery clinic.. Tomorrow it is offically one week until I get my band in. Tonight I was filling my forms out and it kind of hit me. I am getting it done. In. One. Week. Started to think... What am I doing? One week to eat a nice peice of steak! hehe...

The date is set!

30th March is my lapbanding date!!WOOHOO!!

Tomorrow is the day

Tomorrow at 4pm I go to see Dr Tony for my consultation about getting a lap band. My Mum is coming with me, so I am happy about that. Will let you know how it goes!

The fat girl

So I am tired of being the fat girl.
Tired of trying so many things and having them fail.
Here is a list of what I have tired:
Weight Watchers (twice)
Celebrity Slim
Ultra Lite (very low carb and was hard to stick to)
Seeing a PT
Starving myself
Overeating (of course this didn't work)
Xenical
There must be more, but that is a big list.

I also have had a 24 hr BP monitor on my arm, as (see below) I had high blood pressure. It turned out to be a bit above average...

Today I went to Dr. M (who is lovely) and I told him of all the things I have tried to do and it's doesn't work.
He took my BP (which was a bit high, but it always is at the Dr's - white coat syndrome one of my other Dr's said!!) He weighed me. 94.2 kilos. Measured me - 160cm. MY BMI is 36.7! - OBESE
Oh by the way I am 31, with no kids, a wonderful family and very supportive stick thin partner!!

He then said "Well you're a prime candidate for lap banding." I nearly fell off my chair. Finally a Dr. that just doesn't say eat less, exercise more. He is someone who listened to me. He gave me a referral to see Dr. S (S for special!)

As I left his office he said he was proud of me. I asked why? He said because you've taken the first step! I love my Dr.!!!!!!

So I am booked in for Friday the 19th Feb 2010 at 4pm. Problem is I have to take half a day off work (I am a primary teacher am work 1hr 20 mins out of Hobart). So I rang them up myself (my Dr's clinic booked it for me) and explained y situation. She was really lovely on the phone, and she tried to squeeze me in before I start back at school next week - no luck. However she was going to see if maybe I might be able to get in this Friday. I told her to call me if there are any cancellations. Fingers so so so crossed, as I don't want to take too much time off work.

That's the story so far.

I will write a few more blogs and add a few photos within the next few days.