I never knew how many people are experts on how to loose weight and keep it off until I got banded. Now, they are coming out of the woodwork. I’m quiet. I’m calm. I don’t say anything, as they go on and on and ON! I decided early on to be open about being “banded.” Hell, I don’t care what people say or think, and if I can motivate just one person to do whatever works for them to lose the weight, then it’s worth it to me. However, when people find out that I’m banded; that’s when it alllll starts.

“The best way to loose weight and keep it off is by eating 6 small meals a day.”

“I just cut out all the sodas and that’s how I lost 30lbs.”

“Yes, but if you don’t work out 5 times a week for at least 45 minutes, at your target heart range, you won’t keep the weight off.”

“I don’t eat anything past 7:00 in the evening.”

“I drink only the strained juice from boiled cabbage, and eat only egg white omelets.”

“The best way to loose weight and keep it off is by eating 6 small meals a day.”

“I do the Atkins diet. I know it’s not healthy, but that’s the best way to loose weight.”

“You better be working out at least 3 days a week for 2 hours in the pool, with weights attached to your arms, legs and neck, or you won’t keep the weight off.”

“The best way to loose weight is by “praying” it off, and if you pray the weight off you don’t have to exercise because God doesn’t like it when we sweat”

“You have to work out EVERY SINGLE day, except Sunday, if you want to keep the weight off…and I think that’s in the Bible somewhere.”

“I do the all carb diet.”

“I lost 50lbs through hypnosis.”

“If you don’t eat breakfast your metabolism stagnates and you’ll actually GAIN weight.”

“You better be working out.”

“The band causes your body to go into starvation mode and you actually GAIN weight…you need to have that taken out.”

“If you don’t exercise, then your body starts burning muscle and you might loose weight, but you won’t keep it off…plus your body will look all gross.”

But I don’t say anything. I just smile and think “idiots.” But, what I “want” to say…what I want to say is, “Well, I tell you what; none of this is your business. You obviously don’t have a clue as to what you’re talking about, so you can take your choice: you can either kiss my fat a** now, or you can wait, and kiss my skinny a** in a few months!

Ive noticed this as well so Ive decided to not tell many ppl.

I am nearly two months post op and havent lost anything further than my post op diet. Im sitting here with scotch in hand tears streaming down my face and sadness welling up until it chokes me..........I too want to be happy and thinking that Ive made a final decision to put fat behind me (pardon the punn) I find myself still fat and waiting for this wonderful sense of fullness upon eating a small amount............I do have one more fill and if another person asks me how things are I fear I will literally punch their lights out.........I think banding must be a process and not a quick fix tho I see on this forum many ppl suceeding in a wonderful loss.......I live in hope.

Until a happier day .........I still like your style..........Spunky!!! and I guess thats how youve dealt with your larger appearance over the years.......humour AND vivaciousness.....

I hope you have a great transition from fat to fabulous.........sadness to happieness

I told everyone, I still tell everyone LOL ... I feel if I can help one person who is overweight then I have done a wonderful thing.

But, I understand what you mean about people telling you their opinions and thoughts. However I have found recently that those people have shut up - could be the dirty look I give them :tounge_smile:

Take care :thumbup: Barbie

LOL!!! I just have to tell you that I enjoyed this entry so much! This is why I only told my BF, parents, MIL and only 1 friend that I was banded 12/31. I didn't want everyone elses "expert" opinion. If everyone is such an expert on weight loss and being healthy why are 61% of Americans obese?

Yes, yes, livinhealthy, but there will come a time when you won't be able to avoid the unaviodable, and then; WATCH OUT! You won't believe the crap you'll hear...and most of it coming either from fat people, or people who look like they don't have a clue. I just love it when some naturally thin body type (usually a man,) starts telling me what does and does not work. I think one day I'll just adopt the attitude of my students when one of their peers says something they don't want to hear. That would be me saying something like, "Shut up, bro. Nobody's asking you anyway." Yeah, I like that...

Im Gettin sick and tired of all my co-workers nonstop saying"Your too skinny now i hope your done,You dont need to loose anymore weight"Yet my doctor wants me to loose 12 more lbs.These are the same people that always insisted on letting me know how fat i was getting!

When they tell you that, just say, "Thank you. I'll take that under advisement."

My band day will be on Feb 11th. I have told very few people and and folks that do know, I hope will respect my privacy and shut up. I really think there is a problem when you tell folks that you are going to have surgery and it may say that you can't lose weight on your own and you need help, poor you! That is the reason I tell very few folks and I am helped quite a bit with the blogs and websites. I know this is a lifestyle change and I think I'm ready (for my close-up!)

Well, I thought about not telling anyone for those very reasons plus a few more. And then when I told my mom that I was only going to tell people that I'd made a lifestyle change when they asked about the lost weight, my mom said, "Okay, STAR JONES."

So, I told her that I just didn't want people to say that I took the easy way out, etc. Then my mother politely pointed out to me that I don't care what people think...and I really don't. Now, I'm very up front and to hell with whatever they say or think. The thing is, they're going to wonder and for me, I felt like the more I did not disclose, the more attention it would draw to it. Then when they do find out...and they will find out...they'll REALLY have a bunch of crap to say. Besides, there is no way you can please everyone, and you shouldn't try. As long as you're not hurting anyone, then please yourself and do what you want. But you know, that's just my line of thinking.

Changing gear; what a great Valentine's Day gift to yourself! Best wishes and I'll get Mr. DeMille, to tell him that you're ready!

W

LOL ... thanks for the blog about people telling you how to lose weight. I am getting banded in about a day and a half.

I am post-menopausal, so they tell me it will be harder for me to lose weight. I will have to be very diligent about exercising. What I don't understand is how can I NOT lose weight? .... on 1200 calories a day?

I am trying to imagine the sensation of having to fully chew every single bite before I swallow. ... that does not seem to bad, but ... then I have caught myself swallowing without chewing enough.

I figure that could happen when the band is in place, ... but once I swallow, I have already caused myself a problem.

Am I realistic in thinking that I can go back to work on Monday (surgery 7:30 Am on Friday) ........... will I ever be able to eat popcorn again, or is that a permanent "bye-bye" ........... also, on the pasta ...... it just causes too many problems? I will miss my spaghetti. I make some great spaghetti sauce.

Am I realistic in thinking that I will be able to adjust to the band with NEVER throwing up ?

How about gas? ..... concerned about that when I get back to work too.

Suzette,

You hear so much stuff, it can be difficult to sift through it all, and figure out what should be a real concern and what is just...junk. All I can tell you is what I have experienced, and keep in mind that of course, every person's experience can be different.

First of all, I had my ovaries taken out almost a year ago, and have experienced pretty much "nothing." Losing weight didn't get harder or easier, it was the same as it always had been; difficult. Even if it does become harder on you to lose weight because of menopause, if you're eating no more than 1200 calories...even if you don't exercise, you're going to lose weight. Now, exercise ups your metabolic rate and helps you to burn calories faster and longer, but when you restrict the amount of calories that you take in to that degree; the weight will come off. I lost 71 lbs on Weight Watchers and never started day one of exercise. Restricting your food intake, even if you don't do anything else is the single most effective thing you can do to lose weight. Don't get me wrong though; exercise makes it monumentally easier to lose the weight.

The chewing thing seems weird, but it's no big deal at all. Just take small bites...the size of a nickel, and chew about 25 times. That's all. No biggie.

I don't know how you will recover, but I had my surgery Friday, December 22, and was shopping at the Mall of Georgia, December 26. The whole thing took 3 hours. I didn't have to stay overnight. It went over without a hitch.

The surgery itself wasn't painful hardly at all for me, but that GAS! That was horrible. Walking really helps and Mylecon drops or Gas X strips. Somepeople keep the gas for weeks. I only had it for 4 days. I mean, it's not like it incapcitates you, it just feels like you're having a heart attack. Oh, plus you should have painkillers, so you'll be o.k. I had liquid Hydrocodone.

I think you can eat the popcorn, but it goes through the band. I think that's it...but I'm not sure. Most likely it's not that you can NEVER have it, but until most of my weight is off, I won't. The spaghetti? I haven't heard anything about that...maybe I missed it. It's funny you should mention that though, because I made homemade spaghetti sauce last night, and couldn't have any becuase I went for my first fill, and you can only have liquids after the first fill...today at lunch though I had some. YUMMY! I didn't eat the noodles though. Proteins first, then carbs.

I don't think you'll have a problem adjusting to the band, at all. Once you hit the "sweet spot", with your fills...and it usually takes about 3 times...you should be good.

It is really no big deal. I know you're scared. I was too...so scared, but it was all for nothing. No big deal, sugar! Don't worry about it! The only thing I'd change is that I'd have done it YEARS AGO.

Hope this has been helpful. Any other questions, just let me know.

Wendy